Pet insurance...

[edie123]

Just insured my two cats after one gave me a scare at the weekend (see thread entitled cat with breathing probs). Went with Direct Line. Does anybody have any dealings with them? Are they any good?

We have had ours insured with them for several years (they are behind Tesco's and other popular insurances). The cover is good, I have made claims in the past and never had a problem, however for long term illness it only covers for the first year whereas other would cover for the life of the animal. However, long term cover are considerably more expensive and I'm not quite sure if they are really worthy.

I'm not sure how much the providers vary tbh, but the one thing I have learned to my cost is that once you get a provider, stick with them if your cat has needed any treatment.

Dh failed to pay the premiums for our cat with our original insurer (we were going through a financial sticky patch but still... ) so I had to find another one.

When we needed to make a claim for a urinary tract problem which she'd had previously (but during the period where she'd been covered by the previous company) she wasn't covered as it was a previously existing condition. Cost us £160 and could have been much worse .

Anyone I know who has been with Direct Line have found them very efficient and reliable though not necessarily the cheapest.

Cover for life is definately worth the extra. If you get a pet who gets an ongoing problem like heart disease or diabetes then they will not exclude paying out for it after the first year you claim for that condition. Have a look at Petplan - I know they do it. Don't know about Direct Line though sorry.