Pet insurance renewal - what to do

[FreckledLeopard]

Any advice welcome, please. DCat is aged around 15 (actual age unknown as she was a rescue). She's neutered, chipped, in good health and doesn't go out much, but will occasionally lie in the sun outside.

The insurance renewal came through today and it's now almost £40 per month (increase of £100 for the year owing to her age - we've never claimed on the policy).

Given DCat's age, I don't know what's best. Current cover is lifetime cover of £7000 per year.

What have others done in this situation? Do I keep paying or do I find a policy with a lower cover amount for cheaper premiums? I assume if DCat got any illness such as cancer, I don't imagine we'd want to spend a fortune prolonging her life, given her age. But other conditions (kidney conditions maybe) - what sort of cost would treatment be, if it was a long-term condition? I don't know what kind of costs people face in this situation.

Any advice most welcome!

You'd be very lucky to find another insurance company that would even consider a cat of that age, so if you want insurance then you'll have to stay with the current company really.

Not had issues myself, but a cat I knew was on epilepsy drugs which I think were about £60 per month, plus regular anti-allergy injections (every 6 weeks or so, no idea what those cost but at least a vet visit each time). Unfortunately afaik he wasn't insured so the owner faced that bill for a few years until his kidneys packed in recently, I think he was only about 11 at the time.

I would keep the policy especially as it's s lifetime cover. At 15 a cat may develop an ongoing issue eg. diabetes, hyperthyroidism which would require medication and regular vet visits where costs can soon add up.

It’s the ongoing health issues that I never considered. We didn’t have insurance because I figured I could find a lump sum for emergency treatment - but we’re now facing a c.£300 bill each month for our elderly girls.... which is quite a drain on family finances which might yet go on for another five years (or get even more expensive!). Times were different when we got them as kittens - there was less treatment available (if your cat developed diabetes for example, you’d probably put it to sleep - but now it’s considered very treatable). I don’t think I’d have a pet again without good insurance - keep paying, I would. It’s the next few years when it may come into its own.

As others have said, I'd keep it because at that age there is a high likelihood of hyperthyroidism, renal disease, arthritis etc. which would require ongoing medication and blood/urine tests and costs quickly add up. Medication for hyperthyroidism for example is at least £20 per month if you buy from the cheapest online pharmacy, plus blood & urine tests quarterly to begin with around £150-200 each... Medication and tests for renal disease are around the same prices.

My vet has also done things like x-rays and ultrasound to assess my cat's arthritis and I don't even have to think about it when I know insurance will pay.

Thanks all. I'll suck up the never ending costs!

It's so hard to tell once they're in old age. One part of you will do anything to keep them with you.

My girl is over 18.5 and she's really aged the last six months. She's had hyperthyroidism for two years which has cost an an average of £60pm for medication, appointments, blood tests. She had a bad week last week (costing me £110 to see two vets, mini blood pressure check and ABs), but as much as I love her to bits and regularly had tears in my eyes, there's only so much I'd put her through now - I've more or less got the stage that unless it's enforced blood tests before vet will release any more hyperthyroidism medication, I don't want to really take her to the vet any more, I just want her to enjoy time in her home feeling relaxed without regular trips to the vets.

Her brother had fast progressing CKD. His old vet only charged £40 for two visits and were useless. By the time I transferred him eight weeks later to another vet, he had days to live. They took him in for blood tests, blood pressure and urine analysis, realised he'd gone down hill fast and only charged me for in house blood tests at £60.

Oh, forgot to say my girl has arthritis (diagnosed under routine checkup and following my comments). I've just paid £19 online for 100 days of steroid medication, plus vets prescription fee of £14.

It sounds like your probably with the same insurer as me and they doubled mine this year from 250 p/y to 450p/y plus 250 excess per condition.

Don't get rid though my wee girl has just cost me about £1500-2000 so far in the last month including a 5 night stay at the specialist hospital. She has a couple of conditions hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney failure but the got ill so fast this time that she went from healthy but with illnesses to her nearly dying in less than 2 weeks.

Without the insurance your safety net when things get serious is gone.

I should say though she's home now and still very ill but doing a lot better incase my post worries anyone.

Oh and the insurance will cover all treatment except the excesses