Conference misery::feline

    Louisa, how's Shammie doing?  Ok?
    
    Hope so
    
    Gail

    
    Shammie is still top notch!  She is still acting like a kitten with
    cabin feaver - she wants your attention all the time.  Alot more then
    before.  I have noticed she drinks ALOT!  She was never one to drink,
    I would allwasy try and make her drink - but not no more, she drinks
    3/4 to a cup of water a day.
    
    Other then that - so far so good!
    
    Louisa

    I've emailed Louisa offline about the excessive drinking perhaps being
    a sign of diabetes or kidney disease and the need to have the vet
    check that out.
    
    Louisa, it's great to hear that Shammie is so bouncy,
                                                    
    Karen
    

    Or Thyroid.    I noticed two of my cats drinking alot and
    one was diagnosed with diabetes and the other with a hyperthyroid.
    
    

    
    Update
    
    I took all the kids (4 cats, 2 dogs) in for their annual visit.  My vet
    was in shock to see Shammie.  It has been 6mo, and he told  me he did
    not think she would see 6 days - let alone 6 mo. 
    
    He gave her a clean bill of health, but he is still stunned, that he
    wants me to bring her back next week.   He kept patting her and holding
    her inbetween examing the other kids.  
    
    -- I really wish we could get insurance for our pet-childern.  Between
    the dogs, cats, 2 horses - I spent $800.00 in vet bills last month.
    
    I got to learn to space the visits out. :-)
    
    Lou

    Hurray for Shammie (and you :-) !!
    

    Insurance is available for pets.  I'm not sure if the cost of the
    premium makes this a benefit or not.  Check with your vet.  I've
    seen the insurance brochures displayed in a couple of different
    vet offices in the past.  Unfortunately, I just tossed one out with
    the trash the other day or I'd post phone number info for you.
    
    Jan

>    -- I really wish we could get insurance for our pet-childern.  Between
>    the dogs, cats, 2 horses - I spent $800.00 in vet bills last month.
 

Can't you!!!!!!!!????


I pay "pet plan" and "pet protect" here in the UK 
between 4 and 6 pounds a month (per cat) for various 
policies which  with a 27-50 excess has been well used recently
- Belle's surgery was over �100 per knee!

You really only need one serious thing to go wrong and    
you've covered about a years subs... even Belle's ear mite 
problem gets covered - it's worked out it cost me  about 
�50 in meds, visits, and flushing oil for the muck in 
her ears so that's 27-50 for me and 22-50 for the 
insurance company - not all of it but it eases it considerably. 

You still have to pay for innoculations but it even 
covers things like cattery fees if you're hospitalised
and reward money if they go missing. 

You can't sign a cat up if they're over 10, and if they 
have a known illness before it isn't covered afterwards 
but kittens like Belle my maine coon normally come with 
cover you can just continue, so they're insured from 
eith 6 or 8 weeks onwards before that it's the mothers 
insurance covering them... just as well I did continue it 
on Belle or I'd be even more in debt than I am by now. 


I have a friend who's got even more mileage out of it
Mackingtosh the sexiest ginger tom tabby teddy bear 
around is a FIP cat, he's been illish on and off but 
has actually turned the odds around and is impressing 
the local vets by appearing to now have totally cleared
it from his system. This is after 3 years continuous medication
and weekly visits.   (Poor darling might face having to try to 
find a new home soon which is going to be impossible with 
him being a probable FIP carrier and about 5 now - I'd love 
to have him when his mum has to move to the states but
it'd be like playing russian roulette with Belle and Lucy 
and Knuffie).

Oh, I forgot to mention the most important thing
about the insurance - that relief of being able 
to say "whatever it takes" and get whatever is 
right for the pets future done without having to 
worry that the treatment is going to be hundreds 
of pounds.

I just had the unpleasant conversation with my mum 
that if anything happens to our two kitties I 
spend my teen years with and it's expensive they'll 
be put down!!!!! Mum couldn't afford regular 
medication and they're too old to insure :-( 

Still she manages to afford Hills Prescription Diet 
for them so I suspect it'd have to be very expensive 
treatment for Sukie of Jazz to loose out. 

    
    I have insuracne for my horses (if they die, or need surgery) but I've
    never heard of health insurance for your cat or dog.  That's super that
    you have a plan in the UK!  
    
    Shammie alone was $800.00, so in the last 6months, I've spend
    $1,600.00 on my animals.  
    
    

Wow! 

Maybe it's something we're actually ahead on.. 
someone caught up that the stuff about being a 
nation of animal lovers is actually true... 
apparently cat ownership nearly out ranks 
dog ownership now... also cats now tend to 
live in multi cat households - we obviously just 
want more and more of them in our lives... 

I've a friend who's little cat (only 7 months when she 
got pregnant - so just about to be spayed) was due to 
drop her kittens yesterday. I'm really looking forward 
to seeing baby kittens again ... they're so *adorable*. 


I doubt she'll have a problem homing them all, 
and I'm sure she'll be making sure she's done as 
soon as possible so she doesn't get pregnant again. 
Just in case anyone was thinking that - which I would
have been after reading that... 

So what's it cost Jane/Joe average for an emergency visit these days? In this
area, but the time you toss in exam fee, emergency (after hours) fee, some
bloodwork, sub-cue fluids, some x-rays and maybe a shot or two, you're easily
pushing $300-$400. Surgery of some sort and a few days in the hospital can
double it.

Here's an insurance example. The entry's a couple years old but will give you
an idea. VPI is another big insurance firm I've heard about more recently...

             <<< HUMANE::DISK$SCSI:[NOTES$LIBRARY]CANINE.NOTE;2 >>>
                                  -< CANINE >-
================================================================================
Note 1408.3        On health, fire, theft, etc. insurance....             3 of 6
PTPM06::TALCOTT                                     103 lines  26-JAN-1994 08:58
                        -< Insurance example - Medipet >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Silver Tag Plan -
  $1,000 insurance per injury or illness
  $150 annual family deductable for all insured pets
  30% co-payment
  $129 annual premium (Pets 3 months through 9 years)
  $219 annual premium (Pets 10 years and over)

Gold Tag Plan -
  $3,000 insurance per injury of illness
  $300 annual family deductable for all insured pets
  30% co-payment
  $59 annual premium (Pets 3 months through 9 years)
  $99 annual premium (Pets 10 years and over)

Q: What pets does Medipet cover?
A: Currently, all dogs and cats

Q: Basically, what coverage does Medipet provide?
A: Most veterinary medical treatment including spaying and neutering and
	hospitalization for your insured pet by a licensed veterinarian in the
	U.S. and Canada.  Also, when owner and veterinarian agree that there is
	no alternative, your policy will pay for euthanasia.

Q: What isn't covered by Medipet?
A: To help keep premiums affordable it is necessary to exclude coverage for
	pre-existing illnesses and conditions, hereditary and congenital
	conditions, whelping and queening, cosmetic surgery, routine checkups,
	grooming and vaccinations.  Also excluded are preventable diseases of
	non-vaccinated animals and those conditions resulting from
 	non-vaccination.  Please refer to the policy for complete details of
	coverage exclusions.

Q: What are preventable diseases?
A: At the present time, for dogs they are distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis,
	parainfluenza, parvovirus, corona, bordetella and rabies.  For cats
	they are viral rhinotrachetis, calcivirus, panleukopenia, rabies and
	leukemia.

Q: Is heartworm covered?
A: Yes, if a pet has had negative heartworm tests during each year preceding
	date of application and if you have purchased the preventative
	medication for the appropriate duration.

Q: Is feline leukemia covered?
A: Yes, if the cat has tested negative for the leukemia virus, after four
	months of age, and has been vaccinated annually.

Q: Does my plan pay for hospitalization?
A: Yes, your plan pays 100% up to $30 a day for the first two days and 50% up
	to $15 a day thereafter.

Q: Is a veterinary exam or certificate needed to take out a policy?
A: No, but you must represent that the animal is in good health and that you
	maintain customary and reasonable care of your pet's health.

Q: What is a family deductible?
A: This benefit allows you to insure up to nine pets under the same plan,
	while being responsible for only one maximum deductible per year.

Q: Is there a yearly benefit limitation?
A: No, full policy limits are available for each covered injury or illness, no
	matter how many occur during the year.

Q: What is the 30% co-payment?
A: This is the portion of your pet's veterinary bill that you are responsible
	for after the deductible.  Your Medipet Plan will cover the remaining
 70% of covered expenses up to the policy limit.

Q: How do I file a claim?
A: Return the completed claim form with veterinary bills to Medipet and the
	cash benefit will be mailed directly to you, or to your veterinarian,
	whomever you choose.

Q: Is claims payment restricted by a national fee schedule?
A: No, unlike some competitors, Medipet pays the reasonable fees for the local
	area where treatment was given, as determined through consultation with
	veterinarians familiar with such costs.

Q: If I take out a policy, when does coverage begin?
A: Coverage for injury begins immediately after acceptance of your application.
	Illness is covered after a 60-day waiting period.

Q: What forms of payment will you accept?
A: You can pay for your pet's insurance by check or charge the premium to your
	Visa or MasterCard.

Q: Do I have a "free look" period?
A: You have a 30-day examination privilege to look over your coverage.  If not
	100% satisfied, just return your policy within 30 days for a full
	refund.

There's a couple of pages of additional stuff I'm not going to reproduce here.
Another page states "Medipet also includes a $25 spay/neuter benefit that is
not subject to deductible or co-payment."

The pamphlet gives the following number if you want to insure your pet, or, I'm
sure, ask questions: 1-800-528-4961.

I have no idea if the place I work at endorses this plan or insurance in
general; we simply have these pamphlets out on the counter for people to take
if they're interested.

							Trace

    I called one of these pet insurance companies several years ago. At the
    time, I there were 2 states that they weren't allowed to offer coverage
    in, and naturally Mass was one of those two states. I seem to recall it
    was $80/year for the first cat, $60 for each additional cat.
    
    I'd love to be able to insure my boys, but every plan I've seen has a
    cutoff of age 10 (most of my boys are over 10) and they don't cover
    preexisting conditions.
    
    Deb

    Re: .38
    
    Can't your friend who is movng to the states take her kitty
    with her?  As far as I know, the US has no quarantine
    restrictions like the UK does, so all she probably needs
    is an "ok to travel" certificate from the vet for the airline
    (no cargo travel - much safer if she takes the cat into the
    cabin;  she should check with the airline about how to do that
    first.)  The U.S. embassy should be able to tell her what she
    needs in terms of vet certification.
    

I'll have to have a word with her about that. 

I supose I don't see why Mackingtosh shouldn't become 
a US kitty, though I supose if she thinks he'll be too 
traumatised (shouldn't be - he came on holiday to the 
Isle of Wight with us on a little car ferry) . 
The only other reasons I can imagine are 
1) they won't be 100% sure they won't come back to 
the UK (therefore wouldn't want to risk him being 
stuck in , 2) you aren't allowed to import cats 
that are known to be FIP carriers (possible 
even if you don't have strict quarantine rules)
or maybe she thinks it unfair to move him from
a house with a garden in the UKs mild climate
to a life in an appartment in central San Fransisco.

I will check though. 

She's having him retested again - last time he showed 
up as FIP free  but there's uncertainty about the 
tests, I'd love to have him live with me but he'd 
get flu off Knuffie when he arrived no doubt and 
that'd set of him in FIP if there is any trace of it 
left in him and I can see a horror story of loosing 
4 cats in a fortnight if that happened :-(


Personally I'm all for keeping my friend in this country 
with her cat so I can visit her more often and phone her
without a 2nd mortgage :-)

Jo