Do you have pet insurance for you cat/dog?
Poll: Do you have pet insurance for you cat/dog?
Total Members Polled: 127
Discussion
You should insure against events that you can't or would struggle to afford if they happened. But events that you could easily afford are best left uninsured because, on balance, in the long term, the probability is that you will pay out more in premiums than you get back. If that wasn't the case insurance companies wouldn't be in business.
We don't do pet insurance because we can easily afford to pay for treatment when it is needed, if you aren't so fortunate then insurance makes sense.
We don't do pet insurance because we can easily afford to pay for treatment when it is needed, if you aren't so fortunate then insurance makes sense.
WhereamI said:
You should insure against events that you can't or would struggle to afford if they happened. But events that you could easily afford are best left uninsured because, on balance, in the long term, the probability is that you will pay out more in premiums than you get back. If that wasn't the case insurance companies wouldn't be in business.
We don't do pet insurance because we can easily afford to pay for treatment when it is needed, if you aren't so fortunate then insurance makes sense.
Exactly right. People who can't afford the insurance are the ones who need it most, because if you can't afford the insurance you sure as hell can't afford the vet's treatment!We don't do pet insurance because we can easily afford to pay for treatment when it is needed, if you aren't so fortunate then insurance makes sense.
No.
The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
Mobile Chicane said:
No.
The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
That's fine, provided you have the money. If Bob gets run over, and the bill comes to £2K, with a 20% excess that's a £1600 claim, so you'd get the £1500 maximum payout. You'd only have to find £500. This way, you'll need to find the full £2000. If you can afford that with no problem, then you've made the right decision.The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
Our three have been on PetPlan all their lives. Macavity has had two bladder blockages, a tail amputation and a cancerous eye removed and all three have had odds and ends that we've claimed for. We've paid 26 cat years of premiums (he is 10, the other two are 8) which must be about £4500. Pretty sure they've paid as much out.
For me, not caring what the treatment costs is invaluable. I trust our vet completely, so we ask him to do whatever is best for the animal, and so far PetPlan have always picked up the tab.
For me, not caring what the treatment costs is invaluable. I trust our vet completely, so we ask him to do whatever is best for the animal, and so far PetPlan have always picked up the tab.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Mobile Chicane said:
No.
The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
That's fine, provided you have the money. If Bob gets run over, and the bill comes to £2K, with a 20% excess that's a £1600 claim, so you'd get the £1500 maximum payout. You'd only have to find £500. This way, you'll need to find the full £2000. If you can afford that with no problem, then you've made the right decision.The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
I'm in a semi-rural area, nowhere near a busy road. Bob's a healthy moggie whose vacc, worming and flea treatments are bang-up-to-date.
Let's say he lives another eight years. Assuming the premium stays the same y-o-y, and the insurance company continues to offer cover (both of which I doubt) that's £15 x 12 months x 8 years = £1,440 I'd have paid out in premium to 'insure' the difference between £200 and £1,500.
I do have cash reserves should anything unexpected arise. My point being that I've weighed up the extremely limited number of scenarios in which I might be likely to claim against the cost of insurance, and decided that in my circumstances, it wasn't worth having.
Mobile Chicane said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Mobile Chicane said:
No.
The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
That's fine, provided you have the money. If Bob gets run over, and the bill comes to £2K, with a 20% excess that's a £1600 claim, so you'd get the £1500 maximum payout. You'd only have to find £500. This way, you'll need to find the full £2000. If you can afford that with no problem, then you've made the right decision.The only policy PetPlan would offer on a ten year-old cat paid a maximum of £1,500 in total, subject to an annual dental examination and vaccination (which aren't covered but I'd do anyway) with an excess of 20%.
Not worth the premium of £15 a month, imho.
I'd rather spend the £15 a month on the best possible food (good-quality raw meat) to keep Bob healthy. Most commercial cat foods contain unnecessary carbohydrates which rot teeth and risk diabetes.
I'm in a semi-rural area, nowhere near a busy road. Bob's a healthy moggie whose vacc, worming and flea treatments are bang-up-to-date.
Let's say he lives another eight years. Assuming the premium stays the same y-o-y, and the insurance company continues to offer cover (both of which I doubt) that's £15 x 12 months x 8 years = £1,440 I'd have paid out in premium to 'insure' the difference between £200 and £1,500.
I do have cash reserves should anything unexpected arise. My point being that I've weighed up the extremely limited number of scenarios in which I might be likely to claim against the cost of insurance, and decided that in my circumstances, it wasn't worth having.
But the maximum payout of £1500 is fixed. On a £2000 claim, the excess of 20% bring is down to £1600 and you get £1500. If you are right and both apply, then an a £3000 claim the 20% is £600 plus the £200 is £800 so you'd still get the £1500 maximum.
But as you say, you have the spare cash to cover any calamity so all is well.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
But the maximum payout of £1500 is fixed. On a £2000 claim, the excess of 20% bring is down to £1600 and you get £1500. If you are right and both apply, then an a £3000 claim the 20% is £600 plus the £200 is £800 so you'd still get the £1500 maximum.
Masterful. You really should put 'IFA' in your profile 
TwigtheWonderkid said:
But as you say, you have the spare cash to cover any calamity so all is well.
And of course his spare cash increases with every month that he doesn't buy insurance. So from whatever his vet's bill may (or may not) be, you have to deduct the premiums not paid.Simpo Two said:
And of course his spare cash increases with every month that he doesn't buy insurance. So from whatever his vet's bill may (or may not) be, you have to deduct the premiums not paid.
Agreed, although this isn't of much use if disaster occurs just after you decide not to continue with insurance.People always use that argument... "in 10 yrs of paying insurance I could have paid the bill" forgetting that disaster can strike after 10 minutes of not paying insurance.
We adopted a kitten from a friend whose kids didn't get on with it (bought for them after they just lost their mum) and within two weeks it had cost us over a £1000. We didn't have insurance, but lesson learnt. We have three cats and two dogs. All are insured. Cats with pet plan and dogs with John Lewis, we like the safety net of not having to worry about whether we can afford treatment should they need it. Yes we could put the money in a bank account instead but we are the sort of people that would probably gradually erode it on other things and then be stuck when our pets needed us the most.
Been looking into this as we are now the owners of two kittens. It does mount up if you want cover that actually covers serious illness or injury. Petplan online quote was £24/month for both but that was something like a £4000 max spend a year but only £1000 per incident.
I have no idea about vet costs but surely something like a broken leg could easily be more than £1000?
I have no idea about vet costs but surely something like a broken leg could easily be more than £1000?
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