Max was off his food and a few days later was admitted to the vets - he was in the “hospital” a couple of days before he died and so not only were we all terribly upset that he had gone to Rainbow Bridge (he was only 8 years old) the bill was frighteningly large.
His illness came on so suddenly that it makes you realise how fragile your pets are, and not only do you worry for their wellbeing when they become ill, it can also be a worry because you may be faced with a large and unexpected bill.
Mum has her animals insured (she has three cats and dog), however I must confess we don’t have ours insured at present so I’m thinking that it might be a good idea to rectify that following our recent experience.
We don’t have any savings to speak of (I’m too busy spending money on vintage fabrics and floral trinkets!!) and so pet insurance is a sensible idea. Without insurance we would not have the extra money needed to pay for a vets bill, and I can’t help thinking that as a responsible pet owner one should ensure that, should the worst happen, we are prepared.
It can be especially comforting following the loss of a pet as in Max’s case to know that you did everything possible to help them recover and that money didn’t have to be a consideration when deciding on treatments.
We have had Max cremated and his ashes are going to go in a casket with Claude's, who was Max’s best friend and who also died young:
I’d love to hear about your pets? Do you have insurance for them?
hugs,
S x
Sarah, I'm so sorry to hear about you kitty, I must have missed that post. We don't have pet insurance for our two cats and dog but I think it is probably a good idea, especially as you have horses to care for as well.
ReplyDeleteI love that last photo of the two kitties together, beautiful.
Anne xx
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely cats! I have two cats- Austen & Buckley, they have both been insured since I had them. Like you, I don't have savings and so if anything were to happen I would be very very stuck. Last year when Austen went missing for a week I was even able to claim on the insurance for the cost of using a specialist pet finding company and it didn't cost me anything.
Definitely worth looking into Sarah!
x
When I was 22 I was fresh out of Uni and I had a bank balance to reflect that. I also had a little rescue cat that cost me a fiver. She got run over. I rushed her to the vet crying "Put her down! She's mangled and in agony!" He said "Cats are very resilliant, we can fix her"...Three THOUSAND pounds later!!!! Yes you read right. I didn't have insurance. It took me five years to pay that bill. They basically said if you want your cat back you pay up!
ReplyDeleteSo I have always had our pets insured. Especially the dogs for third party issues such as running out in front of a car and denting it.
xxx
hi, think i have said before i have a jack russell called rocky , totally loopy and nearly 10 he is a funny thing he has fainted in front a cat yes really , he had just been neautered and was going for check up we got cornered in a allly with a cat hissing at us jumped on his back he had those big collars on any way after few minutes rocky dropped a lady came out to help us then he got up PATHETIC HA HA ,oh he has also swallowed then puked up socks whole and the worse someone threw a condom in the garden and he ate it then bought it back up oh yes ! oh and yes do have insurance couldnt afford major vet fees so always insured him think you can see why xx sarah
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I do not have insurance for Hector Dog. Times are hard and every penny counts and I suppose I just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. We had an emergency when he was a few months old where he stuck his nose in one of our beehives. At the time we didn't realise what had happened except that his head and neck were swelling up like a balloon. We called the out of hours vet and opted to take him to the surgery which reduced the bill considerably but still cost us over £80! My friend has just had to pay £160 for a call out and treatment of a bloomin rabbit!
ReplyDeleteI am not belittling the work they do and when you have a sick animal you are so glad they are there. However, I sometimes think it is a license for them to print money.
It's a difficult one isn't it? Dev x
Hello. Sorry about your cat. I had a cat called Mo who was never insured. She lived until she was 21 without ever having a booster injection and the only thing she ever had done at the vet's (apart from being put to sleep) was her nails cut! We were lucky. I now have a dog called Manny and he is insured. I figured I had my luck with Mo and it wasn't worth the risk. We've claimed on it once I think when he had a grass seed in his paw. It's worth the few quid a month it costs to have the peace of mind.
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Hi Sarah,I ve got the two dogs and a tortoise ,but dont have any pet insurance.I do worry about vets bills,they are just so darn expensive arent they? With hubby being out of work recently ,we had to take Jack back and forth the vets at that time for allergies he recently developed! It cost a bomb and will be ongoing :( hes on anti inflamatory tablets now.As we couldnt pay in full at the time ,he let us pay every week until paid,it took a couple of months. Seriously considering insurance,now,but wonder if this would have been covered? thats the worry... Thanks for popping over to me and for your lovely comment,hope you have a great week,take care,love juliex
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I've just stumbled across your blog, loving it!
ReplyDeleteWe got insurance for our puppy, a beagle called Oscar. We got him on the 1st August last year and oh my goodness it has saved us a small fortune already. He's had two stomach infections, a willy (?!) infection and overdosed on all the painkillers and prescription tablets in our house after he somehow managed to destroy the muzzle he was wearing, open a cupboard door, pull out the medicine box, EAT THE BOX and then all the contents. It's a beagle thing apparently, they eat everything. Including the plaster off my kitchen walls! Definitely look into insurance, just for the peace of mind :-)
Once cats get to 8 or so the insurance premiums go up astoundingly. (Just when you get to the stage when you might need it). What makes sense to me after that age is having a pet vet fund so that some money at least will be there when you need it. Pet insurance like any other kind can be a rip off, with them refusing to pay out etc so it is often money thrown away. Plus you have to pay a certain amount first in any case, which can be quite high but still mean you are not covered and get no payout.
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