2006-12-22 00:46:20 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I reckon pet insurance is a bit of a confidence trick particularly with small animals. Do the sums. How much would a major operation on a cat be? How often are your cats likely to need such an amount spending on them? Obviously, you don't know. That's where the con lies. You fear that it could be tomorrow, so you fork over an increasing amount of money to people who promise to help you out should the worst happen.
£24.40 per month is the best part of £300 per year. They ALWAYS jack up the premiums every year, because your cats are getting older and are more likely to require treatment.
If you can afford to, put aside a few hundred pounds NOW into a high interest building society account. Set up a standing order for your £24.40 per month into this account. Draw from this account ONLY for veterinary treatment of your beloved creatures.
Hey presto! Your own pet insurance plan. You don't have all the tiresome forms to fill in if you need the money, plus you get to keep the cash when your moggies run out of lives and go off to chase angels instead.
Fine if you can afford to capitalise an early payout. Not so great if the few hundred pounds would leave you short.
That's my twopenneth anyway.
Ta.
2006-12-22 05:42:51 · answer #1 · answered by chopchubes 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know it seems like a false economy - and its not always easy finding an extra £25 a month! A couple of years ago I worked out that my 3 cats, including innoculations (which isn't covered by insurance anyway!) had cost an average of £200 in vets treatment over the previous year so I wouldn't bother with insurance, bearing in mind there was an excess of £50 on the policy anyway.
The following year one of my cats developed pancreatic cancer and in the 6 months leading up to his death cost £3,000 in vets bills!
I now have insurance - and so far its been a waste of money - but you never can tell!!
2006-12-22 08:59:13 · answer #2 · answered by libbyft 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a brilliant idea. My middle cat wasn't insured and he had a blockage, £700 later he was back to normal, and this was without an operation... He's insured now, along with the other 2. Shop around for insurance as there are two different types that I know of. Some cover illness up to a certain amount each year, the other seems to cover illness up to a certain amount in their lifetime. Some insurance companies will quote you lower for insuring all cats together.
2006-12-23 10:58:45 · answer #3 · answered by clare b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gotta get them insured, I use Pet Plan for my dog & cat, had to make a claim recently, (cat had a fight with a car & lost) It would've cost me £520 but only had to find the first £50 excess. £24.40 sounds like a lot of money, but it's well worth it in the long run.
2006-12-22 08:50:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In any form of insurance, premium receipts must pay for administration, sales commission and proprietor's profit as well as claims. Insurance is therefor only viable if it has a relatively small premium to cover an horrendous event that has only a small chance of occurring. e.g. household insurance.
Pet medical insurance is not viable as veterinary visits are a virtual certainty rather than a remote possibility.
I would guess that pet insurance companies probably pay out less than 50% of premium receipts on claims.
I suggest that you put the money into a cash ISA or other interest earning account and see the surplus accumulate over the lives of your cats.
2006-12-22 09:10:19 · answer #5 · answered by Clive 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO, just do what I do. It would have cost me 6 pounds a month to insure a cat and 8 pounds to insure the dog. So I just put 15 a month away in the bank, where it is earning interest. It's surprising how quickly it adds up and it is still YOUR money.
That way you are in effect, running your OWN insurance scheme, and you don't have to worry about all the niggles they will put forward if and when you ever do make a claim.
Don't forget pet insurance companies are only there to make money. They do NOT pay for unlimited health care.
2006-12-22 08:58:55 · answer #6 · answered by Not Ecky Boy 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's a very good idea to have pet insurance if the cats are out door cats. I have a indoor/outdoor cat that likes to fight with large birds, cats and anything that moves. The insurance has saved me a lot of money.
2006-12-22 08:53:10 · answer #7 · answered by Bear, sleep winter, play summer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pet insurance is the same as insuring anything. It's pain to fork out for it but you'll be glad of it if anything goes wrong. I didn't take out pet insurance for my cat and it ended up with a very rare eye disease which cost me £800 to put right!!
2006-12-22 08:57:52 · answer #8 · answered by flyingconfused 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your pet's doctor were to tell you that setting the two broken legs after your cat was hit by a vehicle will cost you 1100 pounds, would you wish then you had taken out the insurance?
2006-12-22 08:48:26 · answer #9 · answered by Clarkie 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes - with 4 pets something is bound to happen eventually and I had to take my cat to the vet just to get a cut looked after and some antibiotics and it was $80.00.
I also had a friend that had 2 cats and a dog and the decided not to get incurance and with in one week their dog had broken it's leg and needed surgery and their cat hurt it's tail and had it get it aputated about $5000 later they are kicking themselves.
2006-12-22 08:57:57 · answer #10 · answered by rickybobbi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋