Pet insurance

apricot I know exactly how you feel. My cat is now 11years old and I have never claimed. I am reluctant to stop payments because sod's law would kick in.

My last cat was uninsured and naturally developed a very rare problem so I paid a fortune for tests and drugs- I did not want a repeat performance with Tara. I started paying a reasonable amount but after the first year, the payment shot up and has not stopped- it is around £26 a month.

I know how you feel, I had 4 cats and the insurance was horrendous but on top of that I had the excess of £50 for each treatment and it was almost always that the treatment was just around £50 therefore useless to claim as the vets charged £10 admin fee. I now have only 2 cats and due to the increases I have cancelled one of them, the oldest and I now just have the younger one insured but I will just have to go to the nearest animal clinic If I need vet treatment in future for the uninsured one.
I too have to live literally on beans on toast as I live alone and am on sick leave at present and my cats are my babies.

It's tricky when they hit seven. Insurance companies have got you by the short and curlies because they know that having paid out for years you're now entering the time of a dog's life when it's likely to need treatment.

Don't make the mistake we made when our rhodesian ridgeback reached seven. We changed from Tesco to Petplan because they offered three months free if you signed up with them. They then lost the documentation and because Nahla had just had her seventh birthday, they refused to re-instate the policy. We had to put money away in a deposit account as a 'just in case' measure which was just as well because the following year Nahla had pyometra which cost us £1,000

Our Jack Russells are insured with SAGA and I'm expecting an increase this year as the older one will hit eight in October.

We've never insured any of our cats over the past 40+ years. There have been bills from time to time but in total they came to nothing like what we would have had to pay in insurance premiums. I think pet insurance is a bit of a racket and we're pressured into taking it out. Its amazing how reasonable vets fees can be if they discover the patient's not insured and they have to discuss every single test/injection/special diet product etc!

I insure my cat with Sainsburys and it is a rip off but I dare not stop now..

We insure our puppy with the NFU. All our insurance is with them and although it is a bit more than expensive, (£25 per month for lifetime insurance) they have have been so good in the past that we feel it's worth the beans on toast!! I think pet insurance is just the luck of the draw! Sometimes you can have a illness/accident free life (waste of money!!) or a life of constant illness (thank goodness we took it out!) Remembering how much our last, uninsured dog cost at the end of her life, we felt we were best not to take any chances this time.

We are so relieved we to out pet insurance,as over the years our Black Lab has been plagued with health problems,and had some very expensive operations at specialist centres.The premiums started off qite low but after several hefty claims and on reaching her 7th birthday..she is now 10 we are paying £62 per month and excess is £125..for each condition and at the start of the policy year she is being treated for four different conditions..if we didn't have this the cost is in the thousands each time for medications and operations..the only alternative is unbearable to think of ..

Good grief, downtoearth! That makes my insurance look like a bargain!
Vets always ask if the animal is insured and surely then bump up the fee accordingly.
I didn't know the difference between 1-year cover and lifetime cover until my boy developed epilepsy and, after the first year, he has not been covered for that.
Sitting on the floor at midnight while he has repeated awful fits I know I'd give my last penny to get help. I pay insurance because my dogs are Cavaliers and likely to have heart disease as they age. We don't dwell on these things when we buy a cute little puppy.

We purchased "life cover". It turns out that "life cover" means nothing because our pet insurance company informed us that the underwriter they were using has withdrawn from the UK market.

Our dog had extensive treatment last year for a torn shoulder ligament, the cost of which was around £6,000. Fortunately our policy was for £10,000 per annum but now we are told that the new underwriter will not now cover any recurrence of the problem. They will cover only up to £3,000 per annum for this particular injury (with 20% of any bill up to that amount now payable by us) and the premium has increased from £47 per month to £120. So beware people who think that "for life" cover is a guarantee that previous conditions will continue to be covered in the following years - it appears it can be withdrawn at any time. I am taking it up with the ombudsman since I feel the description "life cover" is misleading.

we also pay into Vets happy pet club £11.99 each month which covers cost of all flea and worm treatment,and injections each year,we get a 10% discount on sundries and her special diet food ...shes a poor old girl,but shes better cover by insurance than I am.
we chose Pet Plan who up until now have always honoured all bills with the exeption of the excess each time,policy year starts in September for us,but each new condition has occurred in june ,latest being in june this year which resulted in two cancerous mammary lumps,one cancerous lump on head and pyometra needing emergency hysterectomy,previously she has had half her jaw removed due to squamous cell carcinoma, operations to her elbows,she has osteo arthritis,hepatitis,liver disease,hip dysplasia,and lung worm,she is the sweetest natured girl and I would give my last penny for her..she is on borrowed time now,she has seen me through some really black times when my daughter died,I will do whatever I can for her now,and when her pain cannot be controlled any longer,and she has no quality of life I will do what is right by her......poor old girl does have a very shiny coat,and a beautiful ,if lopsided smile ,her fur has grown back now to cover all her scars,she wont win any beauty contests ..like me though

She sounds gorgeous! My last darling (uninsured!) developed cancer in her jaw. She had to be PTS as she could no longer eat properly, and the pain was becoming so accute. For ages I just couldn't get over it and swore that I would never have another dog. After 18 months of an empty house, DH, was keen, so rather reluctantly I agreed! We now have the sweetest little girl who is SO affectionate and cheerful, helping me on that final road to recovery. I know it's all to be done again, but our lives are so much the happier for having her.

thank you Niggly they do enrich your life don't they,and worm their way into your heart enjoy your little girl xxx

I can't ever go away because my girl barks all night when someone else is babysitting. I wouldn't swap one week's holiday for 365 days of love and companionship.