Thinking about pet insurance?

Tips for choosing a pet insurance company:

Choose a stable company that's been in business for a while.
Look for a company with veterinary professionals on staff.
Do not choose plans that limit your choice of vets or hospitals.
Stay away from plans that have waiting periods.
Examine cancellation policies: will the insurance company reimburse you for premiums?
Choose a policy with broad coverage.
Know what is not covered; accidents, accidents and illness, preventative care?
Understand pre-existing clauses and what happens upon renewal.
Check to see what if any breeds are not covered or if higher premiums are charged.
Review age limits.
Look for multiple pet discounts.
Understand how claims are paid; what needs to be submitted, how long does payment take?
Review deductibles, co-pays and caps on coverage.
Analyze the cost of insurance against what out of pocket expenses are likely to be.
Determine if the policy is likely to meet expectations.

Tips courtesy of Horizon Veterinary Services

Pet Names

This is a neat article at msnbc.com about pet names. It lists the top 10 dog and cat names for 2008, as listed with Veterinary Pet Insurance. They also listed the most unusual names.

Here's the top three in each category:

Most Popular Dog Names:

1. Max
2. Bailey
3. Bella

Most Popular Cat Names:

1. Max
2. Chloe
3. Tigger

Most Unusual Dog Names:

1. Rush Limbark
2. Sirius Lee Handsome
3. Rafikikadiki

Most Unusual Cat Names:

1. Edward Scissorpaws
2. Sir Lix-a-lot
3. Optimus Prrime

Here's the link to the complete article.