topic Re: Pet Insurance in Community Chat

Pet Insurance

Serena Sue — Wed, 07 May 2014 19:06:56 GMT

I recently adopted a Cat from the rescue shelter and was given info on Pet Insurance. Do you have it and is it a good idea? The monthly cost is $19.00 which seems very reasonable.

Re: Pet Insurance

Mj12 — Wed, 07 May 2014 19:45:33 GMT

Hello Serena! Congratulations on your new pet! Yes, we have pet insurance for our jack russell terrier. We didn't think to get it with our last dog, and spent a fortune in medical bills. When we got our new puppy, we signed up right away. It's really really inexpensive and gives us peace of mind. There are many companies out there, most were comparable to what we chose based on her age, the cost, coverage, exclusions, waiting periods, etc.

Good luck!!

Re: Pet Insurance

okBlonde — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:37:59 GMT

I checked into pet insurance on my cats a few years ago. That $19 a month will increase as the cat gets older. I think it's better to have a separate ""pet fund"" to deposit to each month.

Re: Pet Insurance

AnikaBrodie — Wed, 07 May 2014 21:02:31 GMT

We do not have pet insurance. Instead, we set aside money in a savings account on a regular basis. This has worked well for us so far.

Re: Pet Insurance

CrazyDaisy — Wed, 07 May 2014 22:55:48 GMT

Most policies have to many exclusions for it to make it practical in my opinion. I agree with the others and have a pet fund set up and a credit card for major problems.

Re: Pet Insurance

RainyDayGal — Wed, 07 May 2014 23:06:50 GMT

Yes I think it's worth it. You can get plans that will include wellness checkups and vaccines. I wish I had had it years ago for my cat. We spent thousands on care for him, insurance would have helped. You never know what emergency you will run up against.

Re: Pet Insurance

Serena Sue — Wed, 07 May 2014 23:57:40 GMT

Thanks for the responses. I'm going to look into a few other plans. I didn't have it for other pets and boy do those charges add up if there's a big problem. I sure am crazy about my sweet new kitty!

Re: Pet Insurance

mewsmomtoo — Thu, 08 May 2014 00:04:38 GMT

I looked into insurance a few years ago so things may have changed. The best advice I can give is to really understand what is covered. They often do not cover chronic diseases like diabetes and kidney disease. They cover the diagnosis, but not the treatment. The same might be true of cancer, at least it was for the company I called (they offered it to us at work). Just be sure you are clear on what they cover and how they define things like "chronic". Good luck and, if you can, let us know what you find out.

Re: Pet Insurance

kittymomNC — Thu, 08 May 2014 00:28:54 GMT

I agree with what mewsmomtoo said about checking out exactly what pet policies cover. I spent several thousands on one cat a few years ago over the span of a couple of years. I'm sure I've paid for one or two new exam rooms at my vet's office with what my baby with kidney disease has cost over the past 3 years, but I would do all of it all over again. And I would continue to do it if it would help her, but unfortunately, the disease has escalated and time is very limited now. If you can afford a pet insurance policy, I would strongly suggest you get the best one you can afford--I wish I'd had it for mine, but there weren't that many policies around 16-18 years ago. I always thought it was dogs that had to go to the vet so much (I had little poodles at one time), but in my case, it has been my cats.

Re: Pet Insurance

kcladyz — Thu, 08 May 2014 00:36:53 GMT

I looked into my 5 parakeets, pet assure wanted 16/mo I felt that was high given I may never have issues with parakeets.

Re: Pet Insurance

littleblueparakeet — Thu, 08 May 2014 02:10:02 GMT

https://www.petinsurance.com/plans-and-coverage/cat-insurance.aspx

Re: Pet Insurance

Calgal2too — Tue, 20 May 2014 23:00:48 GMT

I have never had pet insurance, and am leary of these policies.

From what I've heard, they are pretty good in terms of wellness checks as long as your pet is healthy, but if he/she develops a chronic condition and/or needs some kind of major medical treatment, the policy doesn't cover it, or any other big-ticket item.

Please be sure to read the fine print, and, if you have a trusted vet, ask what they think.

Re: Pet Insurance

Lipstickdiva — Wed, 21 May 2014 20:53:34 GMT

Not sure how reliable this is but here is a link to what are supposed to be the Top Pet Insurance providers.

http://www.consumersadvocate.org/pet-insurance/best-pet-insurance.html?matchtype=e&keyword=bingpetinsurance

I swore when we rescued our most recent dog that I was going to get pet insurance ASAP. Never did and now she has a ruptured disc in her back and of course, they won't cover pre-existing conditions.