Community Chat

[Serena Sue]

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.

[Mj12]

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!!

[okBlonde]

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.

[AnikaBrodie]

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.

[CrazyDaisy]

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.

[RainyDayGal]

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.

[Serena Sue]

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!

[mewsmomtoo]

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.

[kittymomNC]

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.

[kcladyz]

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