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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think pet insurance for a cat is unnecessary?

80 replies

livinginhope · 09/10/2010 13:37

I'm thinking if getting a cat. We always had one when I was growing up and it seemed a straightforward and not too expensive pet to have (and we loved them too). But now it seems you have to buy pet insurance at £100 plus per year, as well as paying for their annual jabs and for neutering.

Is this insurance really necessary? Do cats regularly get diseases requiring £££££ of vet fees, and if they do, don't people have them (ahem) "pit down" anymore. Surely that's what happens with rabbits and guinea pigs and so on?

AIBU or is it OK to have a cat and nopet insurance?

OP posts:

MaMoTTaT · 09/10/2010 14:23

I don't have a pet - would like one - but right now can't afford insurance - so it's a big fat no.

Could never consider having an animal put down purely because couldn't afford to treat it because I couldn't be arsed with the insurance to cover it......

funtimewincies · 09/10/2010 14:24

Oh dear, you might come to regret this.

Our cat has just been poisoned (how, where or why we don't know). She survived but suffered chronic kidney failure. Once she was out of immediate danger, she was too well to put down (it would have felt like murder) and too ill to not be needing regular treatment.

She's OK at the moment but a week on a drip at the vets was rather costly!

By the way, we've got the M&S one which pays out for the life of the condition (up to £7000 per year) rather than up to a set amount.

We know that we can get the treatment that our pet, who is our responsibility, will need for the rest of her life and we're not facing the decision to have to out her down because we can no longer afford treatment.

MaMoTTaT · 09/10/2010 14:25

although i have to say that some of the figures here are cheaper than I assumed they were so I may consider looking into it........

DooinMeSizers · 09/10/2010 14:25

YABVU I suggest if you are not willing to put up with the hard work and expense that pet ownership brings you get one of these instead.

It seems like it would suit your situation much better. Oh and no, if my cat got ill I wouldn't have him pts, insured or not.

thirtysomething · 09/10/2010 14:27

Tesco cat insurance is very cheap (about £3 a month for young cat).

I can't imagine taking on a pet and assuming it will be put down if it has an illness if the illness is treatable, sorry. Not trying to judge but I do think you need to consider every financial angle before taking on a pet.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 09/10/2010 14:31

YANBU to not get insurance simply because YABU to get a cat (or any pet) tbh.

They are your responsibility, if you don't want to pay out and are already looking to cut corners, pet ownership is not for you.

smugmumofboys · 09/10/2010 14:33

My 'old cats were insured and I didn't claim for the first ten or so years of their lives.

Then the boy developed heart disease and Petplan paid out over £3000 in treatment until his death.

Hi sister then developed hyperthyroidism and again Petplan paid out £££££ until her death.

Two new cats: one got run over within a year and the other, it turns out, has calicivirus which needed seriously expensive retrovirals etc and will require treatment for years to come. So far, I think Petplan have paid us more than we have paid them for this cat.

So, so worth it.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 09/10/2010 14:34

insurance is a big con. If you never have to claim it's money down the pan, if you ever do have to claim then either you can't get insurance again or your premiums go through the roof.

So insurance is only good if you never need it or only ever need it once.

But who can afford to put money into a savings account and build up a many thousands of pounds emergency fund? So we're stuck with insurance.

funtimewincies · 09/10/2010 14:37

Can I add that if you do decide to get a cat, it's worth considering one from the Cat's Protection? We paid £35 and she had been neutered and was up-to-date with all her jabs.

brassband · 09/10/2010 14:42

Can't believe people would spend thousands on a cat!Our cat had an illness which would have cost £500 to treat.So we euthanased her with a shotgun to the head whilst she was asleep.Kindest thing

funtimewincies · 09/10/2010 14:44

but I think that you already knew that.

Quattrocento · 09/10/2010 14:55

That's the equation, brassband

Either you are prepared to euthanase your pets when they have a troublesome illness, or you pay for their treatment, or you get insurance.

It's simple.

Perhaps I am guilty of being too soft about dumb animals, but I didn't want my DCs brought up with the idea that we euthanase our pets for our own financial convenience. Being a pet-owner carries responsibility IMO

MaMoTTaT · 09/10/2010 16:08

blimey - how did you explain it to your DC brassband???

QueenGigantaurofMnet · 09/10/2010 16:20

which kids do you mean Mamo? the 4 in her profile or the 3 she posts about on here?

Glitterknickaz · 09/10/2010 16:24

If you've not got a cat yet go for a non pedigree, insurance on our pedigree dog was much more expensive than on the crossbreed, same is true for cats... hybrid vigour or summink. Plus replacement is cheaper in the insurer's eyes.

MaMoTTaT · 09/10/2010 16:28

?? I can't even see brassbands profile think she's got girls and boys hasn't she? I know one of her sons is in secondary school and is musical - I remember the thread about Grade 5 Theory recently

fsmail · 09/10/2010 16:31

I agree with the non-insurance. We have two cats and will pay for treatment as and when we need it. The conditions on the insurance policies are way to tight and avoid them paying lots of bills. It also may lead to unnecessary medical treatment by some vets who know the insurance is in place. By the way we know from experience how costly treatment is spending £1000 on an operation for a cat when it would have actually been far kinder for him to have been put down. We were selfishly trying to hold on to him.

FloraFinching · 09/10/2010 16:32

we self-insure
adding up the cost of premiums, excesses, and excluded treatments such as vaccinations, we decided to just stick the money away instead. 3 cats later we are in profit, despite paying for a few minor ops for 2 of the cats.

trixymalixy · 09/10/2010 16:34

We didn't have insurance for our cat. It cost us £700 in vets fees when she got injured.

Tbh if I had another cat I still wouldn't get insurance and deal with any large bills if they arose, but most people prob wouldn't have the spare cash to do that. I guess it depends on your situation.

portaloo · 09/10/2010 16:35

Always insured my moggies, mainly due to the risk of them being involved in a RTA.

Once, my cat (who had been neutered) didn't return home for 3 days, but seemed fine upon returning, although there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on, so decided to pay a visit to the vet, and lo and behold, he had been in an accident and had broken his tail. The surrounding bruising had caused him to be unable to go to the loo, and he had to have his urine extracted manually. He also (once bruising had gone down) had to have his tail amputated.

Total cost (10 years ago) = £654

I paid £30.

kansasmum · 09/10/2010 16:38

I have 2 dogs labrador 8 and a Pug who is 5. We have never had insurance for them and so far have only ever had to take them to the vet for their annual checks and vaccinations. When we moved back form the USA and brought the dogs with us it seemed no-one wanted to insure older dogs- but I didn't spend ages looking cos didn't think the premiums were worth it.
If they need treatment we will pay - but they are 8 and 5 and nothing so far so all that insurance money would have been wasted.
If we were on a very tight budget I would have probably considered insurance but personally think its very expensive and many of the policies seemed to have lots of limits or exclusions.

QueenGigantaurofMnet · 09/10/2010 16:41

brassband Fri 27-Aug-10 00:18:42

I have 3 DDs 1 at secondary, one in Y4 and the other just finished reception.We live in a small village and both DD2 &3 used to go to the village school as did DD1 before them

brassband Mon 27-Sep-10 17:43:31

I have 2 boys followed by 2 girls and they pair up really well.They don't particularly need or want anybody else over,especially not during termtime when they've spent all day with their school friends.

Not that i'm troll hunting or anything

CommonSenseSuze · 09/10/2010 16:45

Sorry, I haven't read all of the posts, but if you go to a reputable rescue centre, such as The Blue Cross, RSPCA, Cats' Protection etc, the cat will already be neutered.

Of course you should be able to cover all vets' bills, whether through insurance or not.

MaMoTTaT · 09/10/2010 16:46

VivaLeBeaver · 09/10/2010 16:49

My rabbit needed a £200 operation that I could barely afford. I wanted it put down and the vet refused to put it down. Said it was a young healthy rabbit who needed the op and it had to have it done or it would cruel. There were veiled threats of the RSPCA. So I stumped up and the bloody thing died a few days later.

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