Hi, I was wondering if any of you wonderful cat chatters could recommend a reputable insurance provider for our furry friends? I have been with Animal Friends for the last few years (thankfully with no need to claim yet) but have recently came ac
across some shocking reviews on their frequent reluctance to pay out. Now that I've got another 4 paws to insure I want to make sure I'm not throwing money away needlessly every month. Can anyone advise on companies they've had good dealings with? Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Not the cheapest, but if I was ever insuring another cat, I would stick with Petplan. I was talking to the practice manager at my vets recently about this. She said they are the only company that seem to employ staff with some medical knowledge. She said some of the companies not only lack knowledge, but seem to be trying to get out of paying if possible. She said that is the reason they only do direct claims with Petplan as they are straightforward.
Another good reason for using them, is that most insurers only do pet insurance as a sideline, but Petplan ONLY do pet insurance. I came unstuck with Lloyds TSB pet insurance when they pulled out of the market and more recently AXA. At one time I used to sing Axa's praises, saying that they offered similar cover to Petplan, but cheaper - that was until they decided to stop doing pet insurance. I was offered the option to continue my cover for a 45% hike in premiums.
It is a minefield. I'm sure others have had good experiences with other insurers, but even then, some of them change underwriters now and then.
I've had good experiences with MoreThan. They've never failed to pay out for any claim I've made, and aren't that expensive. You also get free calls to Vetfone to ask advice.
Thanks for the replies! I will get quotes from both companies and see if funds can stretch- even if a bit more pricey cheap and cheerful might not be a cheery matter if I ever get stuck with a colossal vet bill to due to small print.
I'm currently with Animal Friends but would encourage anyone to now read the small print on their policies. After having an uninsured cat who required £2k of surgery several years ago, I have told everyone I knwo to get their furry friends insured. I did this with Animal Friends when we got out baby last year. The policy limit is £3k annually, however, when I contacted them this week to make a claim they told me that the amount is capped at just £500 per "condition". Considering our vet bill is already £300 I can't believe it. My little moggy could have 6 instances across the year totalling £3k, but they won't cover him for that for just one thing. Unfortuantely my little baby doesn't have long as we got some heartbreaking diagnosis of FIP at the beginning of the week, but I am telling everyone I know with pets to make sure they check the small print on their policies and that their pets are insured at least for a few thousand pounds to give them the best chance should anything ever go wrong!
Pick whats best for you and your little loved one and I hope you never need to use it!
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
