Mary and Wilfred Folwell from Bristol are among the thousands who have turned to borrowing to meet pet bills. Their last emergency visit, in October 2004, cost them more than £1,500 when their cat Pilchard had surgery to remove an air gun pellet.

Mary, 45, a part-time creche worker, says: 'Pilchard was a stray that we took in about 18 months ago. I suppose that was why we didn't really bother about taking out insurance.

'Despite the cost, we didn't think twice about going ahead with the operation as we had grown fond of him. We had to pay the bill by credit card.'

After that experience, her husband, Wilfred, 47, a tax accountant, turned to the internet, choosing a Churchill plan at about £7 a month.

The Gillespie family from Bishopton, Renfrewshire, were pleased they had insurance when their three-year-old cat Tara tucked into some tinsel from their Christmas tree.

When the normally lively cat became lethargic, Allan, 53, a fireman, and his wife Margaret, 50, a doctors' receptionist, acted quickly.

Allan says: 'We recognised the symptoms because only a few months earlier Tara had got into Margaret's jewellery box and swallowed a large pearl earring. On that occasion she needed an emergency operation that cost us nearly £350.'

Allan and Margaret claimed for both incidents on their Pinnacle pet plan, which they had taken out to cover both Tara and her sister Tess.

Shining example: Alan Gillespie's investment in pet insurance paid off when Tara ate tinsel off the Christmas tree