Sophie's Story. (Animal Insurance in general)

Member Name: QueenElf

Product:	Animal Insurance in general
Date:	26/01/06 (390 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Insurance can be vital to keeping your pet.

Disadvantages: Different policies, see review.

It’s well known that Britain is a nation of pet lovers with dogs being the favourite and cats coming a close second. That’s not to say that other countries love their pets any less but I’m writing this for the UK site, so I hope I don’t offend any other people from different countries. I’ve kept cats for most of life because I used to work full-time and cats were the obvious choice for a working person. They can be left alone for up to two days although I have never personally done this, but I have found that cats adapt better than dogs to their owner’s absence. I cannot imagine a life without my cats, I have always had two cats of the same sex and I’ve lost a few throughout my life to old age and accidents. I’m one of those people who grieve a lot for a few months but then I think of the joy of companionship I get from my cats and invariably I replace my lost pet.

Currently I have two cats, Sophie is an ordinary moggie and a rescue cat so I’m not sure of her age but she’s about eleven years old. Kira is a pedigree Ragdoll cat and she’ll be five years old on my birthday in March. Both are females and very precious to me, I live on my own so the affection I receive from them both makes up for living alone. I would do anything to keep them happy and healthy but I have a cautionary tale to tell for all the animal lovers out there.

Most of my cats have always been healthy and as I used to earn a decent salary I never thought about taking out pet insurance. My biggest expenditure was on vaccinations and the occasional check-up when needed. Pet insurance seemed an unnecessary expense, the majority charge about £10 to £20 per month to cover two cats and since my local vet has always been fairly good with their charges I thought it would be wasted money. When I eventually finished work because of health problems I thought my sickness benefits would cover any emergency treatment needed for my cats. I still managed the vaccinations as no insurance would cover the cost but I did try to contact the local branch of the RSPCA and also the PDSA only to discover that the nearest branches were twelve miles away from me and if I needed to take my cats for treatment I would have to find a way to take them there.
I don’t have a car and I have mobility problems so asking for any help was out of the question, I just hoped that my cats would stay healthy.

Back in September of 2005 my cat Sophie started to vomit when eating dried cat food but I put it down to her eating too quickly. She was fine on the wet food but dried food is an essential part of a cat’s diet and so I started to worry when she began to lose weight. Initially she needed to lose weight; she had been overweight for a few years so I didn’t really worry too much. By November it became obvious that something was wrong, she continued to eat well but was rapidly losing too much weight. I had no transport to take her the vets so I phoned up for advice. Sophie has a history of allergies and so I was told it could be the time of year, her allergies were always worse in the autumn months when she stayed indoors a lot and her fur would dry out where she hogged the fire. By December it was painfully obvious that something was wrong, her weight had dropped rapidly and she seemed to be in some discomfort.

I eventually got a friend to take me to the vets where Sophie was examined thoroughly and had a number of blood tests taken. I’d overlooked something that I hadn’t come across before; she had two bad teeth and couldn’t chew her food properly. Her gums were inflamed but the vet wanted to wait for the results of the blood tests before treating her. Unfortunately the most obvious test was overlooked, the test for thyroid problems. By now it was close to Christmas and I was worried sick. A course of antibiotics were prescribed but the trip I had planned to visit my daughter in London had to be cancelled, Sophie needed me more and the tooth extractions she needed couldn’t be done until the infection cleared up.

It was the second week in January before the vet would do the operation. By now I was using the services of a lady who took owners and their pets back and forwards to the vets. The charge was very reasonable at £5 per round trip as I lived close to the vets. But all those £5’s added up as I was taking Sophie there every week. The bill for the blood tests and the examination came to just over £60 and the antibiotics cost a further £5. Finally the vet agreed to do the operation but Sophie had to stay in the day before to be put on a drip to hydrate her. She had the operation the following day but couldn’t come home until the next day, as she still needed to be kept on the drip. At this point in time I couldn’t have cared less about the cost but the final bill of £140 stretched my credit card to the limits. I had made five trips to the vets and paid £25 in cash in all, a huge dent in my benefits. I couldn’t claim the train fare back I had paid for my Xmas visit so another £40 was wasted. Add to that the cost of feeding Sophie fresh cooked chicken and fish and introducing special cat milk to her diet to help her feed (she had the main canine teeth extracted and another small one), and the total cost was well into the realms of £300.

As I sit here typing this Sophie is lying by the fire cuddled up to Kira. She’s eating well now that her mouth is less sore and already I can see a huge difference in her weight and general health. I’m still buying special food and milk for her, she has a thyroid problem that’s borderline at the moment and her next check-up is due in a month’s time. She will need constant monitoring and although I’m aware that I probably paid a good deal less than her care warranted, I’m still going to find it hard to pay the bills.

If you have kept reading this far then you will know the whole point of the review. I could have taken out pet insurance but I hadn’t looked into it properly. I’d assumed that my status as disabled would have been taken into account but I didn’t bank on the service being out of my reach. I discussed this with Ann, the woman who provides such a valuable service to people without transport. She doesn’t provide transport to the PDSA as it wouldn’t be cost effective for her and she has many clients who are like me who rely on her.

Now that Sophie has an existing condition and is over the age where most insurance companies provide cover there is nothing I can do except keep hammering my credit card. I’ve checked various companies on the Internet and found a few who will cover older pets but there are none who can cover a pet with an existing health problem. Researching various companies has been an eye-opener for me. I’m over fifty and my health is poor, (no sympathy please I’m merely making a point), I may need to stay in hospital in the future and although I do have a neighbour who would look after my cats it isn’t an ideal situation.

Pet Insurance can cover all eventualities, vets fees, boarding kennels/catteries, and transport for people who haven’t got that luxury (many taxi firms won’t provide that service). Emergency call-out, cover in the event that a holiday has to be cancelled, cover for damage caused by a pet, death benefits and a whole lot more. I stated that my vet’s fees were reasonable; the price I paid for Sophie’s operation also covered her being on a drip, a three-day ‘s stay and the check-up she had a few day’s later to ensure that her gums were healing. Throughout the experience someone kept me advised of her condition by telephone and the vet that operated took the time to explain in detail her progress. It may seem very expensive but I have heard of some vets charging a lot more, after all, there has to be the cost of overheads, the expertise of a trained vet and the nurses that stay at night to ensure a beloved pet is cared for properly.

Summary.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I’m now looking into the cost of insurance for my pedigree cat Kira, I’ve visited a number of sites and since I’m over fifty I can benefit from such sites as Saga. Direct line offer’s a competitive rate and will cover an older pet. Many offer discounts for two pets and you choose between ranges of cover. Prices start from as little as £2 per cat to £20 a month for the extensive cover.
I never really thought about my own situation, what would I do if I were hospitalised?
A neighbour or friend can provide a temporary solution, but what happens if you (in general) cannot cope with caring for your pet? Most pet plans will cover boarding fees and for an elderly person this can be a godsend.

I never thought about cancelled holidays either until I had to face the fact that my Xmas with my daughter would not be possible.
Our pets are dear to us so what would happen if your pet became very ill just when you were due to go on holiday?
It’s too late to think about insurance when you discover as I did that my cat will require ongoing treatment. Vet’s fees can run into thousands of pounds when regular care is needed, would you deny your pet that treatment?
The best time to take out insurance is when your pet is still young and healthy, the premiums are cheaper and should your pet develop a health problem you will be covered in full for any treatment. Sadly many people leave it too late as I did and face ever-increasing bills. It’s hard when you live on benefits or if you are elderly, a great gift for an elderly relative would be pet insurance.

I can’t put a price on my cats, they mean a lot to me and I want to keep them with me as long as possible. So while you can afford it please think about it. Nobody knows what the future holds for you, you could find yourself in my position where I have to think about every penny I spend.
Sophie has just looked up at me, it’s time for her bedtime feed and as I look at her I’m just so grateful she is still here with me.

Thanks for reading.
Lisa.

Summary: I wouldn't hesitate to take out insurance.