It's certainly why glasses are so expensive in France. Well that and they haven't had the same level of profession destroying "volume-optics" of Specsavers et al.
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- Thread starter Kreeeee
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Cats don't tend to get ill?
Are you smoking crack, mine get into all kinds of scrapes and mischief, just recently one came home with a load of peck marks on his head (luckily not bad enough to warrant seeing a vet) from where he'd probably tried to have a crow (and he has had one before).
But realistically unless you've got an ultra dosile indoor cat that doesn't hunt your cat will injure itself at some point requiring a visit to the vets, or it'll get ill some other way - abscess, cancer, car accident, broken leg after getting it caught, got the ***** after eating some questionable mouse.
Cats get up to serious mischief, you're insane to not have insurance. I've owned cats for over a decade and I could have easily been put under with how much some of the treatments cost.
I remember a bill in region of £2k after one came home with a big old hole in his neck, my guess a fox attacked him and he managed to either kill the fox or get away, he was a hardy ******* that one, lived to be old as anything.
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Aye but they have you "trapped" as if you change insurer then "pre existing" won't be covered, I personally don't think it should be allowed but I also see it from the companies POV. They've got you by the ***** tbh other than that I've had nothing but good experience with petplan in all fairness
I've always had a cat, currently have two tom cats who are outside 80% of the time, almost always overnight and who like to get into fights. Never had pet insurance, adding up ALL bills including their yearly vaccinations it's averaging out less than £100/year for two cats.
Am I insane for saving money? apparently so. Bare in mind in the past month I've paid out £300 for our ginger cat getting in a fight and needing a lot of treatment, it's not that I don't care, it's just that I take it as it comes and make a judgement call.
Not having pet insurance doesn't mean your irresponsible, heartless or that you don't love your pets, it means you take the decision yourself whether you can afford it at the time.
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Thats all fair and good halfmad, but one journey to the vets for JD cost almost £700!
I'd rather pay the insurance and hope it gets used than not pay insurance and have to shell out a huge sum all at once. EDIT: Think I pay about £22 a month for cover for 2 cats
Definatley a concern however the insurance companies do not help themselves!
Due to crystals in his bladder JD was given a week supply of cystease, he then went back into the vets at a later date for the same and given another course, I read about using cystease in a maintenance dose and vet agreed this was a good option. Also advised of food to prevent this happening again.
vets wanted I think it was around £140 for the tub of cystease, I could get them at the time for £55, food also approx 30% cheaper I called the insurance company about this and they said as long as the vets signoff then they will cover it?? My Excess is £70 and as I was already paying that I just let the insurance pay for the pills otherwise I would have just bought the pills my self.
They wouldn't accept receipts for anything, and do you really think the vets would signoff and supply paperwork when I've just lost them a huge amount of "profit"
I'd rather pay the insurance and hope it gets used than not pay insurance and have to shell out a huge sum all at once. EDIT: Think I pay about £22 a month for cover for 2 cats
Definatley a concern however the insurance companies do not help themselves!
Due to crystals in his bladder JD was given a week supply of cystease, he then went back into the vets at a later date for the same and given another course, I read about using cystease in a maintenance dose and vet agreed this was a good option. Also advised of food to prevent this happening again.
vets wanted I think it was around £140 for the tub of cystease, I could get them at the time for £55, food also approx 30% cheaper I called the insurance company about this and they said as long as the vets signoff then they will cover it?? My Excess is £70 and as I was already paying that I just let the insurance pay for the pills otherwise I would have just bought the pills my self.
They wouldn't accept receipts for anything, and do you really think the vets would signoff and supply paperwork when I've just lost them a huge amount of "profit"
Soldato
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Anyone come across any deals tailored for indoor cats?
Caporegime
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Had 4 free weeks with pet plan when we got our puppy 2 weeks ago. Stood on him (by accident!) on the second day and coughed up £370 quid in fees for him to be seen late at night, given pain killers and to come back the following day for Xrays as he was still limping.
I've put a claim in through petplan, if they're as good as most people seem to find then I'll stay with them.
He was fine, my wallet is still injured.
I've put a claim in through petplan, if they're as good as most people seem to find then I'll stay with them.
He was fine, my wallet is still injured.
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I thought many of them have a clause where you cant claim for x days after taking the insurance out?
I think this might just be a question when you take out the insurance mate?
I know current petplan customers can refer you and you get 2/3 free months insurance, might make it cheaper than others.
When taking insurance I'd always recommend a "for life" policy so it pays out for any recurring problems
I think this might just be a question when you take out the insurance mate?
I know current petplan customers can refer you and you get 2/3 free months insurance, might make it cheaper than others.
When taking insurance I'd always recommend a "for life" policy so it pays out for any recurring problems
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Pet Plan. They are the only ones my vet will invoice direct as the rest pay out far too slowly. They are a tad more expensive than others but we had no difficulty in claiming against the policy with our previous spaniel and some rather ludicrous bills.
I'm currently waiting to see exactly how good Tesco are.
We've been with them for about 11 years, and have had to make our first claim last month, as our mutt was quite ill (we thought he wasn't going to make it twice), and ended up spending the night, having blood tests, x-ray, ecg, and is currently on some meds that the assistant/nurse had to double check the price on (and muttered something about "they are that expensive"*).
I'm quite glad I upped his cover when the renewal came in
He's also on hepatic wet food which isn't covered and is costing a small fortune.
*I think it's about £80 for month's supply (and if our mutt was say lab sized, probably about £240 a month).
We've been with them for about 11 years, and have had to make our first claim last month, as our mutt was quite ill (we thought he wasn't going to make it twice), and ended up spending the night, having blood tests, x-ray, ecg, and is currently on some meds that the assistant/nurse had to double check the price on (and muttered something about "they are that expensive"*).
I'm quite glad I upped his cover when the renewal came in
He's also on hepatic wet food which isn't covered and is costing a small fortune.
*I think it's about £80 for month's supply (and if our mutt was say lab sized, probably about £240 a month).
Kreee!
Pet Plan is who I use for my dog. IIRC £23 per month. (Siberian Husky)
I'd assume cats would be much cheaper.
Has been worth every penny! she would have cost us around 3k so far in vets bills. They have no problem when you claim either, and my premium hasn't gone up either!
Hope its of some help!
EDIT: I've also got a thing with our vets as well (Vets4Pets) - Where we pay something like £10 per month, and they get all their injections and free consultations etc... Worth the piece of mind, you can just take your cats to the vets without having to worry about forking out £40 a time.
Pet Plan is who I use for my dog. IIRC £23 per month. (Siberian Husky)
I'd assume cats would be much cheaper.
Has been worth every penny! she would have cost us around 3k so far in vets bills. They have no problem when you claim either, and my premium hasn't gone up either!
Hope its of some help!
EDIT: I've also got a thing with our vets as well (Vets4Pets) - Where we pay something like £10 per month, and they get all their injections and free consultations etc... Worth the piece of mind, you can just take your cats to the vets without having to worry about forking out £40 a time.
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Soldato
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Source? In my experience dogs require more treatment than cats and usually cost more to do so.
Depends on the Breed and how you feed them but i think dogs require more than cats due to breeding trends like Sausage dogs and Boxers. Our Boxer lived as one of the family and was in the kitchen and got fed dog and human food. In the end up he was riddled with Cancer and we just paid to have him put down a few days before last Christmas. We never had insurance for him and he was old when his Cancer finaly made him immobile and grumpy. Mostly it was his foot that would curl up and had Tumors coming out but apparantly my ma gave him her own medicine for anti imflammatory and after taking it he would be right as rain on the paw again lol. I think he was just as happy as he would have been under Vet care and it cost pretty much nothing which was lucky.
It comes with the breeds though some breeds just have certain problems. Our latest chorkie/chihuahua cross one only has the problem of being snatched by a bird of prey as she is only 7" inches from tail to head lol.
It comes with the breeds though some breeds just have certain problems. Our latest chorkie/chihuahua cross one only has the problem of being snatched by a bird of prey as she is only 7" inches from tail to head lol.
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To those saying "don't bother", up to this week I would have said the same. In fact we had a Tesco policy on our cat up until May this year but decided as she seemed to be in good health, not to bother renewing it.
How wrong we were!
Without going into a full clinical description which I know isn't allowed, starting on Saturday she was getting extremely lethargic, pyrexia and off food/water. By Sunday we were sufficiently concerned to take her to the emergency vet (who charged £150 for doing stuff all). Back to our regular vet every day this week for a succession of blood tests and various antibiotic/anti pyrexia shots plus home medication nearly £350 with being nowhere near a definitive diagnosis. So £500 in total and we still have a pyrexic cat, refusing to eat other than a few bits of kibble (fortunately now drinking) and for all that money the vets are scratching the head. Probably end up costing double that by the time they bottom the problem, or I blow my stack and take her to another surgery for a second opinion.
At least if we had kept the insurance going some of that would have been paid for. Once (and assuming) she gets over this episode the first thing we're going to do is fix up a fresh insurance policy. Probably Pet Plan which I know is expensive but even if you tell yourself you're saving £200 a year by not bothering, that's a fraction of just having an infection turned complicated treated.
The old mantra applies - there's no NHS for pets.
How wrong we were!
Without going into a full clinical description which I know isn't allowed, starting on Saturday she was getting extremely lethargic, pyrexia and off food/water. By Sunday we were sufficiently concerned to take her to the emergency vet (who charged £150 for doing stuff all). Back to our regular vet every day this week for a succession of blood tests and various antibiotic/anti pyrexia shots plus home medication nearly £350 with being nowhere near a definitive diagnosis. So £500 in total and we still have a pyrexic cat, refusing to eat other than a few bits of kibble (fortunately now drinking) and for all that money the vets are scratching the head. Probably end up costing double that by the time they bottom the problem, or I blow my stack and take her to another surgery for a second opinion.
At least if we had kept the insurance going some of that would have been paid for. Once (and assuming) she gets over this episode the first thing we're going to do is fix up a fresh insurance policy. Probably Pet Plan which I know is expensive but even if you tell yourself you're saving £200 a year by not bothering, that's a fraction of just having an infection turned complicated treated.
The old mantra applies - there's no NHS for pets.
The problem you have now however is that your cat has a "pre-existing condition". So if that happpens again or it causes another linked condition then insurance will not pay out. Of course any brand new condition will be.
We've had numerous cats over the past few years and have always had insurance and have always had a policy where the condition is treated for life - the policies where a condition is only treated for 12 months is also a poor choice if you end up with a condition that your cat could have for years or the rest of their life.
I guess it takes a hit like this before you really put value on insurance.
Pet plan agreed to remove a restriction to not pay out on a problem my cat had, as long as she hadn't had any more of it for 12 months, I just need to get the vets to write a letter confirming she hasnt.
Might be worth asking them if they'll do that.
Might be worth asking them if they'll do that.
Looking now as if it is pancreatitis as she suddenly started crying in pain this evening. Took her down the vet and able to replicate the symptom touching her rear abdomen. So we have left her overnight for further tests in the morning which will, hopefully, finally, get the problem sorted.
However as noted fully aware this would now be a pre-existing condition so not covered and no doubt used to justify or reduce pay-out on a related condition. So, back to the original topic, we are now effectively left with underwriting this particular condition for the rest of her life.
Also interesting conversation overheard while waiting in the vets, unless you use an insurer directly associated with the surgery (usually Pet Plan) then you need to pay all the bills up front and claim it back - so you still need a few £100 or even £1000 tucked away in a slush fund to cover the outgoings.
However as noted fully aware this would now be a pre-existing condition so not covered and no doubt used to justify or reduce pay-out on a related condition. So, back to the original topic, we are now effectively left with underwriting this particular condition for the rest of her life.
Also interesting conversation overheard while waiting in the vets, unless you use an insurer directly associated with the surgery (usually Pet Plan) then you need to pay all the bills up front and claim it back - so you still need a few £100 or even £1000 tucked away in a slush fund to cover the outgoings.