Pet Insurance

[Guest wanted]

Hi all, We have just picked up a kitten from the RSPCA, (Sindbad) he has settled onto the boat straight away (he is helping me type this!) we eventually will let him out to roam the moorings but will get insurance first. Any suggestions about Insurance would be great and if I need any extra/special Insurance as were on the water?

 

Cheers

 

Rob & Sindbad

[barge sara]

Any suggestions about Insurance would be great and if I need any extra/special Insurance as were on the water?

 

Don't do it!

Find out how much pet insurance will cost and put that amount into a deposit account instead, then use it to pay the vets bills.

You do risk having to meet a big bill early on but over the years you'll be quids in.

Bear in mind the regular Vets bills - inoculations, microchips, worming etc are not covered by insurance anyway.

 

HTH.

[Keeping Up]

My only suggestion is to think hard about exactly what yuo want from the insurance, and look very hard at the small print of the policy. I assume you mean an insurance to cover vets' bills etc.

 

Most policies don't cover pre-existing conditions. What a lot of people don't realise, is that some policies effectively restart evry year, so that when you renew it, anything you claimed for in the previous year or years, will never ever be covered again; any ongoing treatment will not be covered once that year's policy expires. Our daughter's dog for example fell ill a couple of weeks before the end of the policy year, and when the initial treatment didn't work (a bottle of tablets, which the insurance company paid for) the vet said the dog needed an operation. That took place just into the new policy year and the insurance company refused to pay up on the basis that it was a pre-existing condition - although if the operation had taken place a few days earlier they'd have paid under the earlier policy.

 

Also consider their age limit; some insurers will continue to renew into old age, as long as you stay with them, others simply stop offering insurance when the pet reaches a certain age.

[LEO]

Hi all, We have just picked up a kitten from the RSPCA, (Sindbad) he has settled onto the boat straight away (he is helping me type this!) we eventually will let him out to roam the moorings but will get insurance first. Any suggestions about Insurance would be great and if I need any extra/special Insurance as were on the water?

 

Cheers

 

Rob & Sindbad

Hi,

 

Not sure if your are travelling or static.

 

We arranged insurance for our cat's health treatment through the local vet - it's his own scheme, but allows for claims involving other vets if you are away from home. We have been members of it for about 12 years now, the current premium is £13 per month, you have to pay the first consultation fee (now about £50) and then treatments are included.

 

There is a discount for inocculations and dental work (The cat has just had a tooth removed and a scale and polish - £195 incl discount) and possibly neutering.

 

As friends have found out with pet insurance from large companies (Tesco included) it pays to read the small print very carefully as with some insurers you have to pay the vet direct and then claim the money (less excess) from the insurers.

 

It is wise to get the kitten micro-chipped

 

Hope this helps.

 

Leo.

[Leonie]

I chose not to take up Pet Insurance for my kitten as the monthly charge was really quite high. Of course, should anything major happen I'll possibly regret that but it's a gamble I'm willing to take.

[zenataomm]

I nearly cancelled my pet insurance when I was made redundant, I'm glad I didn't as he contracted auto immune disease and is now on £125 a month's worth of tablets for life. Choose what you do carefully!

[wonderdust]

3 dogs, would'nt be without insurance!

[Guest wanted]

Cheers all, will start the research now! I guess it's based on personal opinion and situation. I'll also have to look into curtain insurance which seem to be doubling up as swings!

 

Thanks again

[Leonie]

Cheers all, will start the research now! I guess it's based on personal opinion and situation. I'll also have to look into curtain insurance which seem to be doubling up as swings!

 

Thanks again

 

 

Mmm. my kitten crawls up into the windows when the curtains are tucked in then proceeds to pull them out and then hang off them. Also she eats washing up sponges so you might want to hide yours when your kitten gets old enough to jump onto counters LOL.

[RLWP]

Mmm. my kitten crawls up into the windows when the curtains are tucked in then proceeds to pull them out and then hang off them. Also she eats washing up sponges so you might want to hide yours when your kitten gets old enough to jump onto counters LOL.

 

When our kittens started jumping up onto counters they got promptly shot with a plant sprayer. Our sprayer is still known as "The Clyde Squirter" although he's been dead for years.

 

Richard

 

Set to a fine stream you can get about five shots at a cat between the kitchen side and the back door...

[Guest wanted]

Just as an aside, kitten started chewing laptop cable, wiped said cable with mild chilli powder, kitten stopped!

 

cheers

[WotEver]

Cheers all, will start the research now!

Do check out MoreThan while you're at it. They were HALF the price of any comparable quote when we recently took out two policies and they cover any condition for the life of the pet, not just the life of the (one year) policy.

 

Tony

[Guest wanted]

Do check out MoreThan while you're at it. They were HALF the price of any comparable quote when we recently took out two policies and they cover any condition for the life of the pet, not just the life of the (one year) policy.

 

Tony

 

 

cheers Tony, i'll have a look

[Guest]

Hi all, We have just picked up a kitten from the RSPCA, (Sindbad) he has settled onto the boat straight away (he is helping me type this!) we eventually will let him out to roam the moorings but will get insurance first. Any suggestions about Insurance would be great and if I need any extra/special Insurance as were on the water?

 

Cheers

 

Rob & Sindbad

 

Just my personal opinion but also that expressed by some above too.

 

Be very wary about who you go to - we got trapped by virtue of having a pedigree retriever who developed an arthritic condition at a very young age making it very difficult to get competitive alternate cover due to his -pre existing condition.

 

The co we were with (Pet Protect) over the years increased the premium in stages - started at around £15 per month and by the time he was fourteen the premium was around £50 pm. Running along side this was corresponding reduction in benefit meaning we had to make increasing contributions to the vet charges and the medication costs.

 

IMHO pet insurance is one the biggest legitimate rip offs the insurance industry has to offer.

 

For long term conditions most medication is available from legitimate sources on the internet - we use(d) http://www.viovet.co.uk and find the service excellent - often you do need a scrip from your vet but the medication will often cost significantly less than purchasing from your vet.

 

Lastly as suggested above if you are worried about unexpected costs set up a savings account and pay into it as if you were paying a monthly premium, increase the monthly payment as the animal gets older- at least you will have a buffer.

 

We have a Dennis account to cover this little chap--

 

 

Its your call but personally I wouldn't touch pet insurance again with a very long boat pole.......

[Keeping Up]

The co we were with (Pet Protect) over the years increased the premium in stages - started at around £15 per month and by the time he was fourteen the premium was around £50 pm. Running along side this was corresponding reduction in benefit meaning we had to make increasing contributions to the vet charges and the medication costs.

We had a similar problem with Pet Protect, so just before our 2 dogs reached the cut-off figure of 8 years old we changed to Pet Plan. For exsctly the same cover the premiums were about one third of the price.

[Bones]

i am insured with tesco and purely for piece of mind as i have never owned a dog before. I chose tesco because a friend has their dog insured with them and i was impressed with the care they got. Another friend has his dog insured with sainsbury and i was impressed with that too. I decided on tesco because i didnt like orange the day i took it out. I am neither pro nor anti insurance and many of my friends dont insure. I did what i was most comfortable with and i can always cancel it.

[alexandra]

I have just acquired a little dog whom I was told is five years old , he is very grey , should I ask a vet to confirm his age before I look at insurance or just hazard a guess he's five . Something tells me he's a bit older.

[Guest wanted]

I have just acquired a little dog whom I was told is five years old , he is very grey , should I ask a vet to confirm his age before I look at insurance or just hazard a guess he's five . Something tells me he's a bit older.

 

 

Hello, I would probably get a vet to have a once over, knowing how insurance companies will look for any excuse not to pay it would probably be for the best.

 

As for our insurance for Sindbad, we have looked at a few and Tony (wotever) was quite write in saying that morethan cover is pretty extensive and covers the whole period of illness and not just the policy year, also up to £7000 per illness, I think we'll go for that, I take the point about saving the money instead but for us this just aint gonna happen, too weak willed when it comes to a lump of money sat there! Thanks for all the advice, now if I could just get the kitten off my head!

Edited October 23, 2009 by wanted

[Ange]

No idea about pet insurance but .... can we have a photo of your kitten please?

 

I just love kitten photos

[Guest wanted]

No idea about pet insurance but .... can we have a photo of your kitten please?

 

I just love kitten photos

 

yes indeed. have been searching for the camera cable. will make sure I find it in the morning.

 

cheers

[Guest]

yes indeed. have been searching for the camera cable. will make sure I find it in the morning.

 

cheers

 

And let's hope you make a better job of posting kitten photos than you do of composing/formatting your CWF signature......

:lol:

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, I would probably get a vet to have a once over, knowing how insurance companies will look for any excuse not to pay it would probably be for the best.

 

As for our insurance for Sindbad, we have looked at a few and Tony (wotever) was quite write in saying that morethan cover is pretty extensive and covers the whole period of illness and not just the policy year, also up to £7000 per illness, I think we'll go for that, I take the point about saving the money instead but for us this just aint gonna happen, too weak willed when it comes to a lump of money sat there! Thanks for all the advice, now if I could just get the kitten off my head!

 

I guess you are reading the promotional leaflet/blurb rather than the small print.

 

Come claim time you'd wished you'd read the latter...

 

I'm bitter???? you bet I am.

[Guest wanted]

And let's hope you make a better job of posting kitten photos than you do of composing/formatting your CWF signature......

:lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess you are reading the promotional leaflet/blurb rather than the small print.

 

Come claim time you'd wished you'd read the latter...

 

I'm bitter???? you bet I am.

 

Expect 15 posts with no picture!

 

Been meaning to sort out the signature for a while, hope that's done it!?

[WotEver]

I guess you are reading the promotional leaflet/blurb rather than the small print.

Small print (in PDF form) is here. No more or less onerous than any other company imho.

 

Tony

[WJM]

My cat has had two bouts of illness, both of which cost over £2,000 for treatment. Both times, Tesco Pet Insurance picked up the bill. I have no idea what the insurance costs me, but I reckon it is worth it.

[Guest]

My cat has had two bouts of illness, both of which cost over £2,000 for treatment. Both times, Tesco Pet Insurance picked up the bill. I have no idea what the insurance costs me, but I reckon it is worth it.

 

Quite possibly but I had a bad experience.

 

I was unlucky possibly in having a dog succumb to illness when so young, meaning as my provider piled on the increase in premiums and reduced the benefits I was trapped as I couldn't find competitive cover due to the pre-existing condition.

 

Just for clarity did Tesco pay the full £2K in both cases - did they not expect a contribution at all, if not that is exceptional cover (though as you say you don't know how much it costs so it all really depends on your contribution in terms of premium paid and contribution to treatment costs)

 

PS edited to add - I've just swatted your Avatar and it had no effect, nice one!! :lol:

Edited October 26, 2009 by MJG