Best insurance?

[gonetoseeamanaboutadog]

My DD is the proud owner of a Maine Coon kitten and we need to insure her. I'd be very grateful for info on who is best and what info they will require. We have all her papers in relation to breeding and shots of course but will a vet's certificate also be necessary?

We don't have oodles of money to spend on monthly premiums so a reliable middle of the road suggestion would be much appreciated.

I did this recently and used a comparison site, really easy and comprehensive ☺

www.moneysupermarket.com/pet-insurance/?p=0&source=GOO-246E6A37&mckv=sNDGedBrL|dm_pcrid_90164099305_mtype_e_kword_cat%20insurance%20uk_2764ri918980&uuid=9CC49722-189A-48DE-BC02-0AD66F9CFE13&Device=m&engine=google&CType=PETINS_Generic&gclid=CjwKEAjw3qu5BRC-0uCw8O6Y5zcSJAA_WtdLe2QrhorBawRTGYBK8WpKF0V3zz5w3XJPtMGOdZfTyhoCdqnw_wcB

Try and avoid any companies underwritten by RSA as, if your cat ever needed to be referred to a specialist, they have an approved list of 27 specialists. If you choose to use one not on the list there is an extra £200 to pay on top of the excess.

Harry is insured with Petplan. Not the cheapest but I can't fault them.

Yes to what Pink says above about avoiding those underwritten by RSA. Not all companies are on the comparison sites eg. Petplan and Directline.
I also recommend Petplan, they'really not the cheapest but pay up ok and keep you updated on delays.

Thank you. Had no idea there were no many of them!

Another vote for Petplan. My vet receptionist visibly sighed with relief when I said I was with Petplan. She said some of the others were awful and seemed to try to wriggle out of a lot of claims. Petplan paid us quickly (we chose to pay the bill and claim after) but I believe they will pay vet direct, minus the excess. Definitely not the cheapest. We have a lifetime policy.

We had to pay the vet for Harry's first treatment as it was touch and go whether Petplan would pay as it wasn't a straightforward claim. The vet has made the subsequent claims and been paid directly by Petplan. We then pay the 20% as Harry is over 10.

Another thing, make sure you take out a lifetime policy rather than a limited one just in case the cat has any ongoing issues. Hopefully not but better to be safe than sorry.

I have 4 animals insured with Pet Plan - definitely the best.

Mine are insured by morethan, I have a lifetime policy with a 15% discount because I have my household insurance with them aswell.

My two Ragdoll cats are both ensured with Petplan - I think they were the best choice.

My baby girl is with MoreThan. Due to her being a fucking idiot I've had to claim a few times. The downside is that I need to pay the vets and then claim back. The upside is that you only pay the excess once in every 12 months. If you have to return for check ups or follow up appointments then you only need to pay excess once.

I don't know what to do now, did the price comparison that was kindly suggested and DP thinks E and L on the basis of that.

But on the basis of this thread (I have a long-standing tradition of basing all important decisions on the mumsnet consensus) I now want Petplan. Which he doesn't, because it wasn't on the original list

And also because my data is anecdotal apparently

Petplan is the only company that our vets agree to claim directly from.

Almost all vets will do direct claims for Petplan; I can't think of anyone who would voluntarily accept direct claims from E&L, they have a terrible reputation in the industry.

Petplan also don't increase premiums based on claims, only on age/inflation etc, wheras a lot of other companies bump up premiums once you've claimed for a condition likely to be ongoing, and then you can't switch companies because a new policy wouldn't cover the existing condition, so you're stuck.

We were with Argos before Petplan and, even though we didn't claim the premiums rocketed - I switched because it as nearly £30 a month. Our Petplan premium went up by less than £1 this year.

I'm very glad we left Argos as I don't think they would have paid out as they don't cover dental issues (unless caused by trauma) and they are also underwritten by RSA, the same as MoreThan.

Tell DH that the power of Mumsnet says its Petplan!

Thank you for those comments, I will explain this to DH - he will be completely won over by these arguments. Petplan it is :) Thanks again.

We have lifetime policies with petplan for our boys, this means if they develop a health problem they will cover it for life, not just till the next renewal, (they will then not cover that condition/part of the body again in a lot of policies) When one of our boys needed major surgery after being attacked by a dog the vet asked which indurance company we were with as not all would cover the surgery, he was pleased when we told him pet plan, as said they would not question it. The surgery alone was over £1000, let alone the follow up!

I'm another one who'd recommend Petplan.

Can't fault them. Customer service is also excellent.

another Petplan fan here - our vets swear by them - she said recently that other, cheaper companies, sound good but as soon as you claim they get pricey, while PP are much fairer

Thanks - we've gone with petplan.