Should I take out pet insurance today or wait until test results back?

[JMSA]

4 weeks ago yesterday, I rehomed a cat from a reputable charity. She’s lovely and we love her, but it has been a nightmare. It’s clear that I have taken on an unwell cat and because it’s pre-existing, insurance won’t cover. If I could go back in time, I’d never have taken her. But she’s here now and I’m making the best of it. I’m keen to give her a very good home and get her back to full health, which should hopefully be doable. The rescue centre have washed their hands of her (I signed a disclaimer in good faith, believing her to be treated and cured).
Her 4 week free insurance with PetPlan ran out yesterday. I’m happy to pay to keep this going. But I’m waiting on the results of a faecal sample. I’ll likely get this early next week.
Should I take out the insurance today or wait until I know what I’m dealing with? Would I be covered if the result throws up something new? She hasn’t been outdoors yet, as she hasn’t been spayed (another hurdle to cross in due course!), so the chance of an accident is slim in the meantime.
I’m just not 100% sure how the whole insurance thing will work.
Thanks.

If you let it lapse you definitely won't be covered. It's unclear from your post whether the cat was unwell when the PP policy started. Insurers check vet notes back to the year dot.

I can't imagine they'll pay out anyway.

They don't sound very reputable. Any reputable charity would and do cover the vet fees for animals that are sick when adopted (or soon after). I would go back to them and insist, ask your vet to contact them maybe? And ask for the medical notes prior to your adoption. If clinical signs were present prior to the 4 week cover then yes current treatment will be excluded.

No, you won’t be covered because the cat is already under investigation.

I’d still take out Tesco pet insurance and in the field where they ask about the history, say it’s a rescue cat and history is unknown, if it doesn’t work and I can’t claim I’d just cancel the insurance

I’d take it out now. I’m pretty sure there’s a two week cooling off period if you decide to cancel it.

I’m also unsure why this charity didn’t spay her before you taking her home. Sounds pretty irresponsible to me.

She had had her kittens too recently, so needed time before undergoing surgery.

I signed the thingy so that they weren’t liable for future costs relating to Giardia. Giardia on its own doesn’t sound like such a big deal, but I suspect she’s had it the whole time or will do recurrently. I later discovered that they didn’t test her poo after treatment. They only monitor symptoms apparently.
They have offered to take her back if I want, but that would be heartbreaking. They will at least cover her spay as part of my rehoming fee.

God, that is tempting. They’d surely ask where I got her from though. Or it could be on her microchip.

Any new insurance will need the details from your vet for any claim, which will need to go back to the date you first asked the vet to investigate. The fact you have already asked for blood tests for Giardia means that won't be covered, and trying to claim for it would be considered fraud which means you would be blacklisted.

Not sure where you would stand if anything else shows up on blood tests, but if anything else she turns out to have could cause the same or similar symptoms than I'm pretty sure that would be excluded too.

I'm very surprised at the rescue not having her spayed before she came home. As far as I know the advice is not to spay until after the kittens have been weaned, which of course they must have if she and they are being rehomed separately (unless she'd rejected them, but then the milk ould have dried up early anyway).

I also had an ill cat from a rescue. I covered her straight away. But her ears are not covered. Fortunately everything else has been covered. It’s needed to be!! Hopefully her issues are sorted now but it’s been a long road. I totally feel your pain. Op!