"If Only We Knew There Was Such a Thing as Pet Insurance"

A few years ago, we were lucky to come across this little orange Garfield-like house cat that was abandoned in the basement of our condominium in PJ. This cute tabby always walked with us every time we were in the basement till one day, we decided to take him home and named him Meow Ze Dong. He lived with us for a year until he was hit with a parasitic disease (similar to dengue for humans). His blood count dropped like crazy and the vet told us he was in critical stages.

We had to do an emergency blood transfusion and he was hospitalised for almost a week with IV drips and the whole works. He then also developed asthma, nervous brain damage, and other respiratory and health issues which in turn raked up the bill to nearly RM1000 plus (not including the previous visits)!

What's covered in this article?

The late Meow Ze Dong

A year later, we took him to the vet and we were informed that the disease had flared up again. But because of the Movement Control Order (MCO), we were threatened with losing our jobs and income so we couldn’t afford the whole treatment again. Instead, we had to sit idly by his side and watch him wither away.

If only there we had an article like this one. If only we knew that there was such a thing as pet insurance. Perhaps he would still be with us today.

So pet owners, now we’re here to ask you, “Do you have insurance for your cat?”, “What happens if your dog gets sick?”, “If your pet *touchwood* die, what will you do? It’s so expensive even to bury/cremate!” Maybe it’s time you consider getting insurance to protect your little furry friends!

First, what is pet insurance and must buy ke?

Pet insurance is really unheard of, especially in Malaysia. Microchipping and registering our pet with the local council is also not a common practice among Malaysians; so it is understandable why insurance for pets would be the last thing on our minds.

But like any other health insurance, pet insurance covers and protects your pets from any mishaps such as getting sick or even accidentally hurting other people. Albeit sometimes veterinarian bills can be fairly low, there can be instances where they can go up to thousands and thousands.

Sakit hati, kan? That’s why insurance is always a good option. As much as we love and care for our pet, sometimes financially, it’s tough to sustain another life.

Image source: The Star

In Malaysia, TheEdge has estimated that pet owners spend about an average of RM750 on medical expenses for their furry friends and this is without annual check-ups or vaccinations which can rack up the bill quite easily! An insurance plan for them would easily cover up all the costs and even more so.

Back then, there are multiple companies offering Pet Insurance in Malaysia such as PolicyStreet and Kurnia. But now, we only have one company that provides pet insurance and that is by MSIG. That said, they only cover cats and dogs. So, sorry birds, reptiles, aquatic, and exotic animal lovers!

Also, what does it cover?

Image source: Vulcan Post

Similar to human insurance, they have your medical coverage which covers veterinary and surgical fees, death from injury or illness as well as burial or cremation. But, what is extra and interesting is there are insurers that might also pay towards the cost of advertising and reward for recovery for your missing pet. So if your pet goes missing, go ahead and print your flyers and reward someone with finding your pet cause that'll be insured!

On top of that, there are also pet insurances that cover third party liability. Apa tu? This is when your pet causes injury or has damaged property belonging to a third party. So if someone gets hurt unintentionally by your dog, the insurance coverage has got your back for legal fees, expenses and whatnot. But this usually comes with a deductible like your normal insurance which means you have to pay a certain amount before the insurance kicks in and pays the rest so keep that in mind!

Okay cool, but how much to pay tho? Worth it tak?

Owning a pet in itself has many costs behind it. Food, toys, treats, equipment, supplies and whatnot is necessary and sometimes too cute to say no to. But most importantly, their health and wellbeing should be our number one priority.

Let’s use our kitty cat as an example to see if it’s worth getting a plan. Meow Ze needed roughly RM1000 per checkup every year with his blood transfusion, meds as well as cattery fees. Let’s say we’ve gotten one of MSIG’s more expensive policies which is an RM500 per year. It would have covered his bills for five years straight on top of his cremation and burial costs. That'll be like paying only half of the bill!

So if you have a cat or a dog, we would suggest you look into getting insurance for your pet because you will be able to save a lot of money if anything were to happen. You will never know kan? So, adopt, don’t shop, and get pet insurance so your money doesn't drop!

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*The above article is intended for informational purposes only. Loanstreet accepts no responsibility for loss that may arise from reliance on information contained in the articles.