Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: katbuzz on September 26, 2007, 11:30:14 AM

Title: Insurance - cats d.o.b?
Post by: katbuzz on September 26, 2007, 11:30:14 AM
Can I ask advice from those of you who are rescue people/ people with rescued cats?

I do not know my cats ages as they were rescued. They were estimated at 1-3 and 3-5 years old respectively. Because of this I have never had insurance as they all ask for d.o.b., luckily they have been healthy for the past 6 years (apart from the dental work I had to have done when I got them) and I keep my savings as a back up. When we were looking at rescuing our new kittens when I talked to the RSPCA lady she told me to lie and make up an age to get insurance. Which I have now done... but feel very uncomfortable about it. Can they refuse claims? Is there anyone else who has cats of unknown age and what do you do?  :-:
Title: Re: Insurance - cats d.o.b?
Post by: chrisleitz on September 26, 2007, 11:35:26 AM
Pepper was estimated between 4 and 6 years when we got her and I used the middle age estimate (5 years) and the first of the month when we adopted her, i.e. 1st October.  Never had any questions asked by the insurance people when I had to make a claim.  These details are also noted down at my vets.  You should be fine.
Title: Re: Insurance - cats d.o.b?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on September 26, 2007, 13:54:06 PM
I wouldn't worry about it, you're not lying you are going with the estimate of a qualified vet, at the end of the day much as you can't prove when they were born the insurance company can't disprove it either.  If you said they were 4 yet had been registered at the vets for 6 years then you'd have a problem but if the time registered at the vets + estimated age on adoption equals their age now then I wouldn't worry about it in the slightest.
Title: Re: Insurance - cats d.o.b?
Post by: Kittybabe (Ruth) on September 26, 2007, 15:29:46 PM
Lexy was estimated at 3 years old when she adopted me, so on her insurance paperwork I claimed her age as year born 2003 and then the date of adoption. That's what the insurer told me to do. So at least she is covered back to that.
Title: Re: Insurance - cats d.o.b?
Post by: Desley (booktigger) on September 27, 2007, 08:18:01 AM
I use the age estimated by the vet, and I think for the date I go off the one I adopted them, as I class that as their birthday for working out their age.
Title: Re: Insurance - cats d.o.b?
Post by: berties mum on September 27, 2007, 19:32:43 PM
Don't worry, I know lots of people in a similar position - I didnt originally know Minnie's age but was lucky that Petlog had a record of her being chipped in 2000 as a kitten, but I still don't know the month she was born so she could be six or seven.  Like Desley, I've given her the date I adopted her on as a birthday - June 5.  The insurers will never know your cats' real ages anymore than you do!  I guess if it was a problem they would start asking people whether their cat's age is known or guess-timated, but I'm not aware of any insurers who do.