My best friend’s cat died last week. Needless to say she was more than a little distraught, but then he wasn’t just a cat he was part of her family. He was her companion, her confidant and her friend. She only found out he was ill about a month ago when she took him to the vets in Sussex and they found a lump in his stomach, she would have done anything and paid any amount of money to save him but unfortunately they had found it too late.

In the end the decision was out of my friend’s hands, but for a lot of people when their pets get ill or are injured they are faced with a horrible choice. Obviously there is no NHS for pets, and for those without pet insurance it’s an extremely expensive business (my friend paid almost £90 for a blood test that didn’t even help to identify the problem). Of course most people would do anything to help their pets and money isn’t an issue when it comes to helping such an important member of the family.

And for those who can afford it there is no end of veterinary help available, from basic medicines and physiotherapy for pets to specific animal cardiology and ophthalmology facilities. If the illness can be treated it will be treated, and there is every chance that the unfortunate animal will make a full recovery. But what about when a pet is suddenly injured or taken ill and their owner can’t afford to pay for the (often huge) bill? It’s hardly fair that the life of one animal takes priority over another because of the size of their owners’ bank account.

One cat owner from Brighton took on this problem in a new way when his cat Mumble was seriously injured in the street and needed urgent treatment to survive. Rory O’Connor had no pet insurance, and Mumble’s treatment at a veterinary hospital in Sussex was estimated at around £1000, much more than he could afford, but he couldn’t bear to just watch her suffer. So as what he called a ‘last ditch effort’ Rory started a group on Facebook, inviting all his friends to spread the word about Mumble’s unfortunate plight and asking everyone to make donations of £1. At first he thought he’d have no chance but his plea seemed to touch the hearts of thousands of facebook users. His friends told all their friends about it, and within a couple of weeks he had raised enough cash to pay the bill for all of Mumble’s treatment in full. She made a full and fast recovery, all thanks to the overwhelming support of friends and the power of social networking!