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Is pet insurance worth it?

zmoore

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I'm going to pick up my new Sphynx kitten tonight and I've been thinking about whether or not I should get insurance. He had an eye ulcer and had to have his eye removed and he's all clear now, but I don't know if that will be considered a preexisting condition and make pet insurance absurdly expensive. However, I also know any problems can be extraordinarily expensive without insurance (my sister's sphynx had it's rectum fall out in the first week and it was super expensive).

So does anyone have recommendations as to whether or not pet insurance is actually worth it, or recommendations of which companies to trust/avoid?
 

Toa and Ross

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Welcome to sphynxlair and enjoy your gotcha day!
I don't live in your country so can't day anything about pet insurance
 

Yoda mom

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@zmoore , welcome to the lair family!
Happy Gotcha Day!
Looking forward to your journey with us
Hope you can post gotcha pics soon of your boy!
What is his name?

I would imagine anything eye related wil be pre existing
Check and call each company and ask for a copy of the contract and ask lots of questions!
Also get a copy of his medical records - you can review and probably pick out what round be "pre existing "
Things like heart murmurs , teary eyes , runny eyes nose etc

Haven't paid pet instance in 5o yrs
Added all my pets x monthly premium x # of years and
Compared to total spent at vet over the years
Still ahead of the game here

I have adoptees and looked into insurance
Felt like I was buying a car with " multi pet discount offers" etc
It wasn't for me - I started an automatic withdrawal slush find for at least the premium amounts I would be paying for my crew , and have a care credit card tucked away for emergencies

Others swear by insurance -
be sure to scroll to bottom of the linked pages for "similar threads"

the search box in the upper right is great to find threads too on all kinds of subjects

** It is a very individual decision based on kitties health history a big thing -
and some insurance require certain annual shots , don't cover dental stuff etc-
Read fine print

Please enjoy the forums with us!
Camt wait to see your boy and share his journey with us
 

zmoore

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Not the best picture, but he moves around too much to really get a good one. He's a huge sweetheart and so playful. I haven't fully introduced him to my sister's cats that I'm watching, but I'm tried some scent swapping which has thoroughly angered one of the cats (who hides, growls, and hisses at you if you come nearby smelling like him).

Thanks for all the help! I do think I'm going to get pet insurance, so now it's just about reading reviews and getting quotes!
 

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Yoda mom

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@zmoore, Awh! Handsome boy! Big kisses sent to that nose!
Lol yes , they never stay still for pics!
Looking forward to more pics and tales !

For kitty introductions I play with wand toy under door kitty on each side, sniffs n peeks with treats build up over time meet on neutral turf living room at their own pace
I also cross scent and put near food dishes or lay by each other's beds with a treat on top for positve association :)

Whst is your handsome boy's name ?

Keep us updated on your pet insuramce research - it definitely will help other members too

Head kisses to your boy and your sisters kitties too!
 

zmoore

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@Yoda mom Thanks for the tips on introductions! I tried the toy under the door trick and I swapped out the blankets in their beds so they each have each others, but I hadn't thought of the food dishes yet, that's a good idea!

The cat that seems to be unhappy about it hissed at her brother for 6 months when he first came home, so she's just particularly stubborn about newcomers I think.

For pet insurance, it seems to me that it's a decision between a much higher deductible and monthly cost with Trupanion but the comfort of knowing that there is no limit, versus Nationwide and ASPCA which do have the annual cap.
 

Yoda mom

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@zmoore, keep us updated On the imtroductions - you are doing great :)
Glad you are researching the pet insurance - you can call and ask for a copy of their r contracts emailed to you or if on line to read the smaaall print
I.e. Annual shot requirements , dental coverage or lack of , etc

What is your boys name?
He reminds me of my Batmans nose and eye color
 

nijunet

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I have Trupanion and they have been absolutely wonderful. If I didn't have it my boy would have had to have his leg amputated. I racked up a bill of $37,000 and they covered 90% of it over a year without any questions. I have it for both my boys and it just gives me great peace of mind knowing that if something happens again (which I hope not) I will be able to give them the best medical help around. As for your boy, I do believe his eye will be a pre existing condition and not be covered. Best of luck with whatever you choose!
 

GoldHazel

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@zmoore without eye problems, the sphynx breed can be clumsy. My oldest guy used to bang into walls and things so hard when he was a kitten, I feared he was going to cause brain damage. Keep in mind the lack of whiskers (normal size)...makes them not have the judgement they would normally as a cat. But I see a certain amount of clumsiness with a few of my babies.
 

Maddie

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Just to put maybe a different spin on the idea, if you can fork out the money whatever it is, don't get pet insurance. What you can do instead is put the money you would pay into an account and save it. That way if the "insurance" isn't used, you don't "lose" it. Obviously not viable for everyone!
 

Dman

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Just to put maybe a different spin on the idea, if you can fork out the money whatever it is, don't get pet insurance. What you can do instead is put the money you would pay into an account and save it. That way if the "insurance" isn't used, you don't "lose" it. Obviously not viable for everyone!

while i used to think that way.. im glad i changed my perception, and got pet insurance on my Boy.. It crazy not to think of insurance really... But i know not all Pet Insurance is the same.. but im extremely happy.... I use PetsBest...

Why i think putting the money in the account is silly when pet insurance is very affordable now days... AT Least for ME....

lets say you take cat to vet 5 x a year at my vets office visit.. (5x$55=$275)
I pay $261.12 PER YEAR for the insurance @ 90% reimburse... , so i get back (5x$49.50=$247.50)...

So, you saved $27.50 in your saving account, but on those visits you aquired a few extra's we can throw in...

injection ($69.99)
xray (192.20)
take home meds ($39)

total= $301.19 (-$30.12 deductable, reimburse $271.07)

So you spent $576.19, but got back $518.57 (oh, minus $100 year deductable so really is $418.57), thats a pretty hard deal to beat..

Im using my insurance as a example, with the near top end $100 year deductible, and 10% copay.. and $5k a year payouts....

so in reality, lets say with mine, i have to spend about $400 a year to break even.. thats my yearly cost, + my years deductable of $100, so that breaks me even.. thats great piece of mind for me if something more than that has happened like this past year of well into $2000+ in vet bills.. where ive gotten 90% covered on all, including every office visit.. Just food for thought..

And the REAL kicker here is , i was set for a hefty rate increase on renewel.. to my SUPRISE, my yearly went down a few dollars.. That was just a BONUS....
 

Maddie

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@Dman depends on the insurances you can get. Ones I've looked at were 50+ a month so just depends on what you can get. But yes that obviously makes sense!
 

Dman

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@Dman depends on the insurances you can get. Ones I've looked at were 50+ a month so just depends on what you can get. But yes that obviously makes sense!

Maddie, i agree.. some are crazy priced.. Also dogs tend to be much higher than cats... If your looking, check out PetsBest, you can choose several options to gear towards what you want..

oh, also noticed, are you in Canada? that im sure plays a big roll in things too.. not sure how limited you are with choices if thats where your at..
 
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