Operation cost

[Bearcat]

My friends cat had some sort of accident last week and came in with the end of his tail hanging on with a slither of flesh.
Vet took this off, but wasn't sure whether the next bit she could see was bone or something else.
The cat has now had a GA to remove this messy end of his injured tail at a cost of £450!!!!!!
We live in SW London. Does this fee seem a bit steep?
Its a new vets in the area.

Vets are expensive and I have just paid over a grand for my cats op. I suggest you get insurance and a good cover one at that [Petplan] its worth it.

For SW London it is probably about right, particularly if it is a new coporate vets.

Smallest cat was hit by a car just before Xmas (he's fine now - touch wood & thank all the gods). He had his rear left leg pinned & plated. Cost? £1400. In Salford.
The emergency vets we had to take him to wanted £250 up front before they'd even look at him.
Insurance is relatively cheap & well worth it. If we hadn't have had him insured, we'd have had to have had him put to sleep because there is no way we could have afforded the treatment costs.

As I said its my friends cat and she is definately thinking about insurance now. Seeing her this afternoon and will give her a voucher I was given in Sainsburys yesterday which will give her a £30 Sainsbury giftcard and double nectar points for 2 years (might sweeten the bitter pill of £450)
The funny thing is that this cat was a young ginger cat who found my friend and her husband. She wonders if he was dumped in her road (he had a mark round his neck where a collar may once have been). This cat certainly fell on his paws when he found them (middle aged couple with grown up son), they adore him even though he brings all sorts in through his newly installed cat flap. She has constantly been down the vets with him if not to get him neutered or tend to one of his mishaps he's had in the year since he found them.
Have got pet insurance for our lad and so far 8 years in haven't had to use it (touch wood). He's a lazy devil though and spends much of his time on a bed or on the sofa!