Just got hit with a $6k emergency vet bill and I dont have insurance

Posted by devastatedcatdad on January 3, 2026 at 10:14 PM

My cat started throwing up yesterday and wouldnt eat. Took him to the emergency vet at like 2am and turns out he has a urinary blockage. They want $6000-8000 for the surgery and hospitalization. I dont have insurance and I feel like such an idiot right now. Hes only 4 years old and was always healthy so i just never got around to it. Anyone know if its too late to get insurance now? Or payment plan options? Im freaking out

8 Comments

beenthere_done_that Jan 3 at 10:45 PM

First - its not too late for your cat but insurance wont help with this specific situation. Any condition that exists before you get coverage is pre-existing. BUT you should still get it after this because urinary issues can recur and future incidents would be covered. For right now look into CareCredit - its a credit card specifically for medical/vet expenses and lots of vets take it

devastatedcatdad Jan 3 at 11:10 PM

thank you. just applied for CareCredit and got approved. at least thats something

VetBillSurvivor Jan 4 at 8:30 AM

also check if your vet offers payment plans directly. a lot of them will work with you especially for emergencies. and look into pet assistance programs - RedRover and The Pet Fund help with vet bills

malecatowner_steve Jan 4 at 10:22 AM

Male cats and urinary issues are SO common. My boy had this at age 3 and again at 5. Get the insurance as soon as this is resolved and switch him to a urinary health food. Also make sure hes drinking enough water - we got a cat fountain and it helped a lot

devastatedcatdad Jan 4 at 11:45 AM

wait this can happen again?? ok yeah im definitely getting insurance. cant go through this twice

malecatowner_steve Jan 4 at 12:30 PM

unfortunately yeah. some cats are just prone to it. the special food helps prevent crystals from forming. your vet should recommend one after the surgery. hang in there man

catmom_florida Jan 4 at 2:18 PM

So sorry youre going through this. We had the same thing happen and it was awful. Just know your cat will likely be totally fine after surgery - our boy recovered quickly and is doing great 2 years later. The bills are brutal but they can fix it.

budgetpetcare Jan 17 at 10:55 AM

OP how did everything turn out? hope your boy is doing better. also wanted to add that some vet schools do surgeries at reduced cost if theres one near you. my friend saved like 40% getting her dogs acl done at the state university vet hospital. might be worth calling around for future reference