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Pet Insurance

frugalpam2023
frugalpam2023 Posts: 13 Forumite
First Anniversary Photogenic First Post
edited 27 February 2023 at 9:29AM in Pets & pet care
Has anybody got any recommendations on pet insurance companies? With my previous cat I had a very bad experience with the company I insured her with ( I probably shouldn't name and shame on here) - they went to great lengths to not pay out on my claim, but I was very persistent and won in the end. I can't face that sort of battle again.
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  • Misslayed
    Misslayed Posts: 15,152 Senior Ambassador
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    Move to Pet board requested
    I’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Competition Time, Site Feedback and Marriage, Relationships and Families boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com All views are my own and not the official line of Money Saving Expert.
  • baser999
    baser999 Posts: 1,232 Forumite
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    Best bet is to use the comparison sites, you can then filter what you want/need for your pet
  • Thank you  :)
  • Glad
    Glad Posts: 18,905 Senior Ambassador
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    Has anybody got any recommendations on pet insurance companies? With my previous cat I had a very bad experience with the company I insured her with ( I probably shouldn't name and shame on here) - they went to great lengths to not pay out on my claim, but I was very persistent and won in the end. I can't face that sort of battle again.
    Have a read of this article on the main site :)

    Best pet insurance - cheap dog and cat cover - MSE (moneysavingexpert.com)
    I am a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Wales, Small Biz MoneySaving, In My Home (includes DIY) MoneySaving, and Old style MoneySaving boards. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Many thanks for the replies, I will read the articles suggested 👍
  • MSE_ForumTeam5
    MSE_ForumTeam5 Posts: 1,213 Community Admin
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    Moved to Pets board
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  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 21,317 Forumite
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    Petplan is considered the Rolls Royce of companies.  They don't increase your premiums if you make a claim ( there will be cost of living/business expenses  increases) as others do but the premiums are usually higher.

    Many Pets gets  good reviews but again premiums may be higher. 

    Cheap insurance can be  cheap for a reason.

    Read the policy document- not the summary- carefully so you know exactly what you are covered for.

    Ask your vet what companies they are prepared to work with if  it is important that the vet can claim direct.

    I had one vet who would only direct claim from Petplan but my last vet was prepared to direct claim from any company. However, if the payment was outstanding after 30 days interest would be charged.
  • Lavendyr
    Lavendyr Posts: 2,605 Forumite
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    Petplan has been great so far for me. I had a huge claim (exceeding my £7k insurance cover) on one of my cats and they paid out very quickly and directly to the vet so I didn't have to pay upfront. A lot of vets take direct claims with Petplan so you don't need to pay upfront.
  • Brie
    Brie Posts: 13,795 Ambassador
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    Some people will suggest you self insure.  So take an amount the insurance company might charge and put it in an account "in case".   And use that if and when.

    Personally I've never had insurance.  Mostly due to getting cats from Cats Protection.  If I was insured and the cat died suddenly (road accident or whatever) they would have paid the cost of buying a replacement cat less deductible.  Given that you can get a cat from CP for (last time around at least) under £90 and the deductible was £100 nothing would be paid if the worst happened.  OK so maybe a few times there might be claims to be made (when lovely Ari was taken to the vet over the weekend) and it was near enough a months wages.  But I'd not paid anything for the previous 19 years so maybe I broke even.  

    Just saying....  I do wish you and mog every happiness for at least a couple of decades!!!
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Debt Free Wannabe and Old Style Money Saving boards.  If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.

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  • Lavendyr
    Lavendyr Posts: 2,605 Forumite
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    Brie said:
    Some people will suggest you self insure.  So take an amount the insurance company might charge and put it in an account "in case".   And use that if and when.

    Personally I've never had insurance.  Mostly due to getting cats from Cats Protection.  If I was insured and the cat died suddenly (road accident or whatever) they would have paid the cost of buying a replacement cat less deductible.  Given that you can get a cat from CP for (last time around at least) under £90 and the deductible was £100 nothing would be paid if the worst happened.  OK so maybe a few times there might be claims to be made (when lovely Ari was taken to the vet over the weekend) and it was near enough a months wages.  But I'd not paid anything for the previous 19 years so maybe I broke even.  

    Just saying....  I do wish you and mog every happiness for at least a couple of decades!!!
    My 7 year old kitty was hospitalised and needed very expensive meds. I burned through my £7k insurance in days with emergency hospitalisation, diagnostics and treatment. I could never have put that amount aside. The amount of insurance I'd spent on him from date of ownership until now is less than a quarter of that. And he's covered for life so when his insurance renews he gets cover again, even if the same condition recurs (which it may). 

    It's ultimately a question of risk, but I am incredibly relieved that I had insurance. I'm still considerably out of pocket, but it would have been very difficult indeed to afford the necessary treatment if Petplan had not paid out on the first chunk. If you can afford to put aside thousands, then fair enough, but for me, paying insurance has been incredibly worth it. 
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