In the current economic climate people are looking to to cut costs and make savings where ever they can, small savings go a long way and people are looking at making cuts in almost every area of spending.
Recurring monthly fees are something no one likes, however, its how most pet insurance works and unless you are in a position to make a single annual payment (which can often be a good way to save some money) then you might have looked at the potential saving that you could make if you were to cancel your pets insurance.
There is no denying that you are going to make a saving if you cancel a policy but there is a lot to consider. You might think that you will just coast for a few months and that your pet is not accident prone, as many are....
One of the biggest financial disasters for anyone who might be costing on pet insurance for a few months is that their pet might be diagnosed with, what insurance companies would define in the future as a "pre-existing condition".
Pre existing conditions
A pre-existing condition is a long term condition that must be declared on an insurance form and not to do so is fraudulent. Insurance companies will not provide cover for animals that have a pre-existing condition as to do so would not make sense to them as a business financially. The one exception to this would be where they will insure the animal but will not provide cover for the pre-exising condition.
A lifelong condition can mean lifelong treatment is required for your pet and this can be really expensive, far more than the monthly insurance premium. As the animal gets older its likely that the cost associated with a lifelong sickness would increase and, depending on what financial options are available to you the cost of keeping the animal alive could be too much.
It sounds brutal but not having cover for your pet is a little like not having health insurance but with no fall back option, for people in the UK this would be like not having private healthcare nor access to the NHS!
Most providers of animal insurance will not pay out on lifelong illnesses that are diagnosed within a specified period of the insurance policy starting out, this is to avoid people who know or suspect their pet as a condition from quickly taking out a policy and then claiming on it.
If you are in serious need of making cutbacks to your monthly expenditure then think twice about axing your pets life insurance! The costs associated with a pet been diagnosed with a life long condition could be far more than your monthly payments at the moment. Ultimately you need to make a decision but please make it an informed one!
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Keeping rabbits as pets
According to the RSPCA there are over a million rabbits kept as pets in the UK! If there were a league table of pets then this would put rabbits in third place behind dogs in 1st place and cats in 2nd (there is little to chose between these two in terms of numbers, however, the age old question and opinions are still strongly divided).
Traditionally a rabbit is often seen as a kids pet and one that does not need much looking after, this could not be further from the truth.
It is unreasonable and unfair to expect a child of any age to take care of a rabbit, saying that it is perfectly reasonable to lead the child to believe that he is the "owner" and that it is "his rabbit" this might help with the contribution of the upkeep of the animal, however, it is something you should always be overseeing.
Owning and caring for a rabbit is great fun and very rewarding, but it is a big responsibility and a long-term commitment in terms of care and finances, just how a child could finance the upkeep of a rabbit is an issue that I think most people would struggle to address!
One of the most important things to consider when getting a rabbit is if you will keep it indoors or outdoors in a hutch, rabbits are social animals meaning they ideally need the companionship of humans (but in some instances other animals are okay). The absolute best way to get to know your rabbit and give it the companionship it requires would be to keep it in the house so that you, your family and he rabbit can all experience one another and get to know one another, however, as rabbits are seen as traditional outdoor pets this is often not the perceived first choice and they can enjoy a happy life outside too.
Given the outline of rabbits liking human interaction above it also seems important to add, at this stage that many people are surprised and disappointed to find that rabbits rarely conform to the cuddly stereotype you pick up from kids stories. Rabbits but more particularly bunnies (and young adult rabbits) are too busy dashing madly about, squeezing behind furniture, and chewing baseboards and rugs to be held. Also, rabbits are physically delicate animals which means they can be hurt by children picking them up.
There have always been dog and cat people but I think that there are a lot of closet rabbit people out there too!
Traditionally a rabbit is often seen as a kids pet and one that does not need much looking after, this could not be further from the truth.
It is unreasonable and unfair to expect a child of any age to take care of a rabbit, saying that it is perfectly reasonable to lead the child to believe that he is the "owner" and that it is "his rabbit" this might help with the contribution of the upkeep of the animal, however, it is something you should always be overseeing.
Owning and caring for a rabbit is great fun and very rewarding, but it is a big responsibility and a long-term commitment in terms of care and finances, just how a child could finance the upkeep of a rabbit is an issue that I think most people would struggle to address!
One of the most important things to consider when getting a rabbit is if you will keep it indoors or outdoors in a hutch, rabbits are social animals meaning they ideally need the companionship of humans (but in some instances other animals are okay). The absolute best way to get to know your rabbit and give it the companionship it requires would be to keep it in the house so that you, your family and he rabbit can all experience one another and get to know one another, however, as rabbits are seen as traditional outdoor pets this is often not the perceived first choice and they can enjoy a happy life outside too.
Given the outline of rabbits liking human interaction above it also seems important to add, at this stage that many people are surprised and disappointed to find that rabbits rarely conform to the cuddly stereotype you pick up from kids stories. Rabbits but more particularly bunnies (and young adult rabbits) are too busy dashing madly about, squeezing behind furniture, and chewing baseboards and rugs to be held. Also, rabbits are physically delicate animals which means they can be hurt by children picking them up.
There have always been dog and cat people but I think that there are a lot of closet rabbit people out there too!
Are you a dog or a cat person?
This is an age old question is one that I doubt I will have managed to change your mind on by the end of this blog post but it a nice topic to start with that I wanted to bring up.
This topic has raged debate for as long as debates have been going on and its actually so serious that ever form from your local pub to prime time CNN have addressed the matter.
For some people its a chance to simply state their favorite animal but others like to take if you are a dog or cat person and compare this directly with personality traits in an attempt to analyze you. For some its fun, some its serious and some its a matter of life and death
As with most things people are passionate about the question as to if you are a dog or a cat person seems to trigger irrational emotion in many but I wanted to address this with my own thoughts, I am neither a dog or cat person and I am an animal lover.
I fit in to the rare camp of been both a dog and cat person, I dont think one is better than the other and I would not argue, defend or go as far as passionately attacking either animal.
Animal extremists, as I like to call them, would be further sicked as they discovered that I not only like both I own both and they live in harmony and really get along with one another.
Heres the thing, if my dog and my cat can get along cant dog and cat people?
This topic has raged debate for as long as debates have been going on and its actually so serious that ever form from your local pub to prime time CNN have addressed the matter.
For some people its a chance to simply state their favorite animal but others like to take if you are a dog or cat person and compare this directly with personality traits in an attempt to analyze you. For some its fun, some its serious and some its a matter of life and death
As with most things people are passionate about the question as to if you are a dog or a cat person seems to trigger irrational emotion in many but I wanted to address this with my own thoughts, I am neither a dog or cat person and I am an animal lover.
I fit in to the rare camp of been both a dog and cat person, I dont think one is better than the other and I would not argue, defend or go as far as passionately attacking either animal.
Animal extremists, as I like to call them, would be further sicked as they discovered that I not only like both I own both and they live in harmony and really get along with one another.
Heres the thing, if my dog and my cat can get along cant dog and cat people?
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