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Nightingale

ATTN: PET OWNERS: Don't do what I did!!!!!

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A few months ago, I took my kitties to the vet for their vaccines. While we were waiting, I picked up a brochure that was sitting on the vet's front counter. The brochure was for pet health insurance. I chuckled, thinking "my kitties are indoor. They're not going to catch anything or get hurt. What the heck would I need insurance for??" And put the brochure back, thinking no more of it.

http://www.petinsurance.com/

Well, I sure could've used that insurance this weekend. My kitty got very sick with a urinary tract blockage (the vet says this is somewhat common in neutered male cats) and had to have surgery and a catheter put in, with an IV for fluids. Between the x-rays (have to check for kidney stones and the like), blood tests (must check kidney function because the tract was blocked), anesthesia, IV, fluids, emergency after-hours exam, and all that, the vet bill totals more than $900.00.

I don't have $900.00.

I had to borrow it from my parents. I HATE borrowing from my parents. First off, I hate having to do it in the first place. Second, they won't leave me alone about paying them back, even though they know darn well they'll get the money the second I have it to give them. They gave me a terrible time about it. "$900! FOR A CAT?! You should just put him to sleep! He's not worth it!"

Wanna bet he's not worth it? He's worth every penny. How can you even compare money to the amount of love and companionship you get from a pet? I'll come up with the money somehow, even if I have to sell my rig to do it.

So, the moral of this story is: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, GET INSURANCE FOR YOUR PETS!!!!!

If I'd had insurance, this whole ordeal would have cost me a $50.00 deductable, rather than $900. Sure, its a bit of an expense every month, but better a little expense than a huge, unexpected one.

Starting next week, both my kitties are going to have little kitty health insurance cards. I'd do it right now, but I have to wait til Anakin has a clean bill of health.

http://www.petinsurance.com/

you can use any vet you want to, which is nice.

Again, please, please, please, get insurance for your pet. Its about the cost of one jump ticket, or four mocha frappuccinos, a month. You really don't want to be in my situation right now.

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How much are the premiums?

mh

.
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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I just did a quote for my two dogs - $58/mth for coverage + $0 deductable. That is only for my dogs.

That's around $700/yr. Last year I paid around $400 in vet bills for the dogs and cats (2 +2). Over time, I think it would be cheaper just to pay out of pocket for vet bills until they are older that will require something like this.

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its not for standard care (exams, vaccines, and such), unless you get the routine care coverage (an extra $10.00 a month).

I'm not going with the routine care thing. That's an expected expense I can plan for.

Look at it this way:

Cat, $17.67 a month. He's three years old. Had I been paying his insurance premiums for all three years of his life, I'd have only paid $636.12. The insurance still would've saved me $300.00, plus the inconvenience of an unexpected large expense.

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While it's still probably a good idea, I looked into their coverage and there are some notable gaps.. My dog had to have an echocardiogram a while back. They cover up to 90% of the $150 scheduled amount, but the ECG cost $600, so the insurance would only reimburse $135 of that amount. :P Just FYI.

Sorry to hear about your kitty, hope s/he's feeling better soon!
7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

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its a $50 deductible. The medicine from the surgery would have been covered. His antibiotics would be covered. Anesthesia is covered. IV is covered.



Yes its covered, but to a set amount....they will only pay so much, it is not 100% coverage....they do not pay no matter what the doc charges....it is a set amount that they will cover, anything above and beyond that is your responsibility unless the Vet opts to not charge, which I doubt will happen.

I had to have the knee repaired on my Shiba Inu a few years back, It cost me over $1500 out of pocket. The insurance would have helped, however it would not have paid everything off, I would still have to have paid $$ out of my own pocket as well.

On the web page they have a full list of what the coverage is for each thing. I will say that this site is very well documented having the schedule posted.... :)
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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my vet actually charged a little less than the fee schedule, so it all would've been covered.


Then in that case it would rock! :)
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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Sorry to hear about your cat.

However it would be wiser to just put 20.00 a mth into a savings account that you never touch except for emergencies.

I understand that the insurance looks good, but there are benefits to the "do it yourself" route.

#1, you are building into your personal worth...Instead of someone elses. Your net worth will increase.

#2 And the biggest reason. This "Emergency fund" can be used for ANYTHING, not just sick pets. Lets say you need engine work on your car...You have the emergency funds to handle it.

So instead of just giving 22.25 ($11.25 X 2) for both your cats to someone and betting that they will get sick....Put 20.00 a mth into a savings account.

And your number are right about how the insurance would have saved you 300.00 in this case, but you are still paying for the insurance..And in 1.5 years it would be break even.

So you have to ask this question.

How many times has my cat been so sick I need to take him to the vet?

And what was the average cost per year?

I think you will find that the insurance is not needed...And that 20.00 a month could go to a general emergency fund that would be better.

But right now you have a sick cat, a large bill and your emotions are high.

Its better to have the general slush fund.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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Hey Kris,

You obviously haven't heard my story..... Last August my cat became very ill. Long story short - $11,000.00 later and wishing I had pet insurance!

Good luck with the kitty, g

Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother
Beth lost her cherry and I missed it
.... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it.

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When I left my dog with my folks for 2 months my mom asked me what $$$ amount is the max I can afford incase something happened to Sophie (95 pounds of female german shepard) and my response was unless she is in severe pain and suffering and there is no read, NO hope for her....
well I have 15,000 that I could charge, truck is worth about 5 grand hmmm bike is worth another 5 grand.... get the picture? she is worth more than any material posession... so yea....
sorry about the big bill I know the feeling... It is not wether or not the cat is "worth" 900 it is where am I going to get $900


_________________________________________
The Angel of Duh has spoke

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I'V HAD MY LAB FOR 5 YEARS KNOW AND SHE'S BEEN INSURED SINCE THE FIRST WEEK. 2 YEAR'S AGO SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. THANKFULLY I COUGHT IT SOON ENOUGH. THEY HAD TO AMPUTATE HALF OF THE FLOPPY PART OF THE EAR OFF. THE OPERATION WOULD HAVE COST ME ABOUT $5000.00 BUT WITH THE INS. IT COST ME ABOUT $600.00

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im so not trying to burst your bubble here, but i would say research a little more before you buy. just because ive seen those insurance companies in action. we had a lady come in with a very sick kitty with cancer amongst other things, racked up 2000 in medical bills, and the insurance wouldnt cover anything. thats just 1 story. same company as you speak of im pretty sure. we have their brochures in our lobby. when they get older and require routine senior blood work and dental work,and other things older animals should have, then pet insurance can help, but for what it seems like you're wanting to usie it for - ive seen a lot of people get screwed. :( just speaking from observation at my clinic.
Oh Canada, merci pour la livraison!



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Exactly.

It isn't the question of "is he worth it?"

When you adopt a pet, you take on a responsibility to provide for that pet over its lifespan. That means when they're sick, you take care of them. Period.

So it isn't "is he worth it?" its "where can I get the cash?"

And now, that its mostly over (he's probably coming home today), its a question of "how can I make sure this won't cause a financial hardship for me in the future?"


What I've decided, after calling various pet insurance companies... NONE of them will cover Ani for this condition, ever. I've run into the whole "pre-existing condition" issue. But, they will cover him for any other accident or disease, and Indy for this condition AND the other stuff.

What I'm going to do:

1. Put a good chunk of the tax refund that will be showing up in a few weeks in a savings account. About $1000.00. This is my emergency fund, for kitties or anything else.

2. Get the Basic insurance coverage for the kitties. ($111.00 per year, per cat).

3. Pay off my parents (who paid this vet bill) with the remainder of the tax refund.

4. Pray this doesn't happen again, but if it does, I'll be more prepared.

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Sorry about your pet -- i would do the same though!

Another thought is.. if you happen to have a Petsmart in your area, look into their health insurance. There are different levels an it includes two physicials a year plus walk-ins anytime for free. Its about $20 a month. Plus when you go, you can get treats for your pet and all the other supplies. I know its generic but its a great -one-stop shop.

:)

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Ron has made the best point in this thread. That's scary. :D

I'll admit I have insurance for certain things. It has to do with how valuable they are and how likely I think it is. I have renter's insurance to cover all the things in my apartment and most importantly my rig. I spent $5k+ on a new rig and it's covered in full if it's stolen from the DZ, my car, anywhere. I think the possibility of that happening is high enough to warrant the premium ($200/yr), especially considering the price of the rig and the fact that the policy covers everything else I own. If I didn't have the policy I'd have my eye on my rig all day long at the DZ, but at least now I can relax and set it down and walk away for lunch or whatever.

But not all costs in life are best turned into low monthly payments. That's the way most of our society lives (paycheck to paycheck), but it is good to save some percentage of your earnings. Life isn't normalized, i.e. the same thing doesn't happen every day. There are highs and lows, so we can't spend as if every week is the same.

NG - sorry to hear about your cat. I'd probably be stupid enough to spend $900 on my cats too. [:/]
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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Sorry to hear about your cat.

However it would be wiser to just put 20.00 a mth into a savings account that you never touch except for emergencies.



I'm in Auto/home/casualty insurance and I can tell you the best form of insurance in any field is self-insurance. People just don't have the funds to indemnify themselves in trajic losses like that of a home or a loved one on which they depend on financially.

When I look at the average vet bill for my two cats, my dog and my ferret, I definately agree with the Ron. If you've got the discipline to not touch those funds, $20 a month would add up to more than enough in very little time. Don't touch those funds for your regular checkups mind-you, save 'em solely for emergencies.

Just my $0.02CND, sorry to hear about your cat. Glad to hear he's gonna be alright.
Nick



My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

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I'm putting away money in a slush fund too.

The thing is, if one of them gets sick next month, I couldn't pay for it if I took Ron's idea of putting away the cost of the insurance in my own bank account, because next month, in the account, I'd only have $30. I'm going to keep them insured til I build up a nice little nest egg, and then will re-evaluate.

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I'm putting away money in a slush fund too.

The thing is, if one of them gets sick next month, I couldn't pay for it if I took Ron's idea of putting away the cost of the insurance in my own bank account, because next month, in the account, I'd only have $30. I'm going to keep them insured til I build up a nice little nest egg, and then will re-evaluate.



Thats the best thing you can do...

The slush fund is great...I have been doing it for years.

As for insurance...I only get the insurance for things I can't afford to replace.

Life..Im not gonna enjoy it, but my parents will, and I don't want to leave them with my debts.

Car...I called today. I still owe 14,416.65 on it...So since I don't have that big of a slush fund to pay it off if I wreck it, I'll keep full coverage on it...But my deductable is high, so I pay less for the insurance.

I should get insurance on my trailer at the DZ...But I have not done it yet, I can replace almost anything in there...
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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