A friend from the next village was going away for a few months so was more than happy to ‘lend’ us the cat she had adopted from the local farm. In the end a few months became a few years and ‘Bugalugs’ as we named the wily, black and white farm cat successfully terrorised the resident mice until our house became an (almost) mice-free zone – apart from the mice that he actually brought into the house of course!

As Bugalugs had no pedigree and was ‘just’ a farm cat, he had no value as such and so we gave no thought to taking out any pet insurance. But as the years went by his sentimental value increased beyond all our expectations and when after 10 years he became very poorly and needed an operation we were faced with a difficult dilemma. The operation was going to cost a small fortune and that was without taking into account the expensive aftercare he would need. Having no pet insurance to fall back on we agreed to make financial sacrifices elsewhere and go ahead with the operation. Bugalugs pulled through but after running up some more hefty bills in aftercare he sadly passed away leaving us with a huge vet’s bill to pay and worst of all no cat to show for it!!

By this time we had two small children who although they were fond of Bugalugs seemed to accept his untimely demise with glee – ‘’Now we can get those kittens that I want’’ cried one of them. No-one knew which kittens this statement referred to – any kittens would do, the important thing was cute kittens rather than a rather ageing scraggy cat.

So back to the farm we went and returned with the requisite two cute kittens and once again the pet insurance question was raised and dismissed – ‘’They’re only farm cats, they’re not valuable enough to insure’’. How quickly we had forgotten the tugging at the heart strings dilemma we had faced when Bugalugs needed an expensive operation.

Fast forward a couple of years and the kittens are now two fully-grown, healthy cats. And whilst they keep the local mice population at bay we’re still spending a considerable sum on vet’s bills as their regular turf wars with the neighbourhood cats result in some serious battle wounds!

So, the question of pet insurance is back on the agenda and I’ve been researching options. One possibility is that Instead of taking out a specialist pet insurance we might set up our own ‘pet-fund’, putting aside a sum of money each month to cover those unforeseen vet bills. Whether you choose this option or the traditional pet insurance is up to you but when a friend adopted a new cat recently and asked me if I thought pet insurance was a good idea I said I thought it better to have something in place even if it’s ‘just’ a farm cat!

Try not to compare everything!

Avoid comparisons between your present situation and what you have left behind. I must admit that within days of arriving in Switzerland I was missing my local pub with a pool table and an “abusive” barman who could within a heartbeat provide a plate of food for a carnivore. As newcomers we tend to over-use the expression, ‘Back in the UK…..at home we have…’. Having made this mistake too many times the advice is simple – focus on what’s in front of you and talk about that; ask questions and seek to understand why melted cheese and bread are so wonderful to share! Remember, the locals here barely acknowledge that cheddar is even a cheese!

Be patient, settling in will take time

The general rule of thumb is to give the ‘settling in’ process at least a full four seasons. Be kind to yourself and others around you!

Arriving in Switzerland during the spring or summer, it is impossible not to be impressed with the country’s natural beauty. The flowering meadows and small streams, soaring snow-capped mountains, lakes and rivers you can dive into and fields strewn with bell-jangling cows all make it feel like you have stepped into a giant jigsaw puzzle scene.

Go hiking in spring and summer, discover the local traditions in autumn, learn to ski or sledge in winter, there is plenty to do and you’ll love every corner of Switzerland. Once you have discovered all there is to offer you will realise that it really is paradise on earth.