Get peace of mind for you and your special pet
Are you considering insurance for your exotic pet?
Most of us approach the idea of insurance with caution. Often we view it as an unnecessary expense, a luxury, or perhaps just another money-making scam. But this is not true. It often seems unfair to pour month upon month of hard-earned money into insurance and in many cases never see the fruits of paying these premiums. Well, we suggest you put the monologue of insurance’s great injustices on hold, if only for a moment, and spare a thought for your special pet.
Pet insurance is a real thing. In fact, it has witnessed some impressive growth of late. If you have a cat, a dog or even a horse, there are a multitude of insurance policies available; your only challenge will be choosing the one that best suits your needs. Up until recently we haven’t had any pet insurance for the pets we see available in Australia, however as of October 2018 a company called Pet Cover has started to offer an exotic pet insurance. More information can be found on the Exotic Insurances page of their website.
It’s a great option, however not everything is covered so please read the policy documents carefully before signing up to make sure you get the benefits your pet needs.
If you still don’t like the idea of insurance then another option is to keep an emergency fund for your pet. A guide to this is outlined below.
The principle is much the same as having actual insurance; the only difference is that instead of relying on a third party to provide the funds for medical attention and treatment, the pool of money will be kept and managed by you.
The emergency fund will be available in the event that you are unable to cover ongoing illnesses, pay for surgery when it is needed, or get the necessary treatment when an accident takes place.
How to do it
First and foremost, under your mattress is not the best place to keep your pet’s emergency fund. The best way to go about it is to set up a specific bank account that is separate from your spending account. This will help you avoid dipping into the funds and depleting your insurance fund. Once you have opened the account, you will have the option of how you would like funds to be deposited:
- Option 1: It can be deducted directly from your pay check and transferred directly into the emergency fund account.
- Option 2: You can deposit money in the emergency fund account as and when you see fit, provided you are confident that you won’t become lax with the instalments.
Benefits
- No paperwork – You will not be subjected to paperwork, applications, or the added strain of having to renew an insurance policy periodically.
- Complete control – Running your own emergency fund account will mean you do not have to worry about your unusual pet insurance lapsing because of a missed payment. It also means you will know exactly how much you have available at all times.
- No additional costs, no surprises – Occasionally, medical coverage is not sufficient to cover the costs of surgery or unique procedures. In these instances, you will be required to top up, but an emergency fund will help you take care of any nasty surprises and additional costs.
- A guaranteed safety net – Most important, you can rest assured that if the need arises, your exotic pet will be well taken care of and receive any required treatment.
It’s impossible to put a price tag on peace of mind, but it’s a great investment to avoid grief. The best way to deal with the unexpected is to prepare for it. Consider starting an emergency fund for your pet today – the earlier you start the better
We specialise in the expert care of exotic pets. If you have any concerns that are exotic pet related, we are the go-to service for professional advice, treatment and relief. Contact us today.
