How much is that iguana in the window?

My son has suddenly become charmed with the idea of having a pet shark. He doesn't want one of the little fish tank variety. He wants a big one. I'm not worried because the kid can't follow through on anything lately. (Really I love him, but it's been a long summer already.)


Go ahead honey, Google "pet sharks" all you like.


Having a pet is serious there's much more to consider than the cuteness or coolness of the animal. In addition to time and love they demand a good amount of money too. Veterinary bills, shots, food, supplies--it all ads up even for ordinary pets like cats and dogs. But what about the more exotic varieties. Well, they require even more of almost everything. (Maybe not so much love. I've never nuzzled a shark or invited a lizard to curl up on my lap. But, that's just me. Who knows maybe I'm missing out.)


Exotic pets often require exotic accessories like cages, environments and toys. Usually the food they eat doesn't come from the grocery store either. There is no Purina Rat Chow or frozen cricket in the freezer isle.


You can buy health insurance for your exotic pet. Like other pet insurance policies coverage is available for as much as you can afford. Basics to cover are vaccinations, health screenings, yearly checkups and booster shots as needed. Some policies will completely cover all of these costs. Other types of policies will only cover emergency types of care, such as surgery due to an accident. Some policies require you to make a minimum co-payment for each veterinary visit, while others fully cover such costs. If you own a really exotic pet some insurance policies and also cover theft of the pet.


Another thing to consider before committing to a less than ordinary pet is their long-term financial care. This is a choice to care for another life and shouldn't be discarded because of income loss--or even owner loss.


Know the lifespan of your potential pet. For example, some birds can live up to 50 years. Will you? That's quite a long-term relationship. If you should die before your pet who will take care of it? That's why some owners include their pets in their will. That, and the fact that pets generally won't argue over who gets what.


Average Lifespan of Exotic Animals
Rat - 3 years
Gerbil - 3 years
Tarantula female - 30 years after maturation (33 years total)
Rabbit - 10 years
Gecko - 15 years
Iguana - 15 years
Boa Constrictor - 23 years
Pot Bellied Pig - 15 years
Cockatoo - 40 years
African Grey Parrot - 50 years
Box Turtle - 50 years (100 is possible)


A friend's son once had an iguana. She didn't like the smell of it so she tried to give it a bath. After chasing the beast around the house she finally got it into the tub and then it bit her. Oh, don't get me started on wild exotic animal stories. Please, if you must own something unusual plan, on how to take care of it.

Friday Encore: Is Pet Insurance Worth it?

The following was originally posted March 27th, 2008.

Anyone who lives in Colorado knows that we have an exceptionally high number of pets. In fact, Colorado Spring was ranked the #1 city for pets by Forbes. And I know that I heard a few years ago that Boulder had the highest number of dogs per capita in the country, but I couldn’t track that statistic down. Even if Colorado doesn’t have the most pets there’s no question it’s a great place for animals.

Lots of people refer to their pets as their children. And if you’ve got kids you know that they are both loveable and expensive. So what about Pet Insurance? Is it worth it? Are people buying it?

Veterinary medicine has advanced greatly making more expensive treatments available for ailing pets. According to a study done by Market Trends in 2003

“… the U.S. market still has a long way to go if it is to achieve the level of penetration seen in Great Britain (25% of dog owners) or Sweden (nearly 50% of all pet owners), since the rate of pet insurance ownership in the United States is still in the low single digits.”

One reason why we lag in the adoption of pet insurance is that it can be mind bogglingly complicated. Years ago when I looked at insuring our 3 cats and 1 dog it just didn’t make sense especially for our older cat who was 8 at the time. He wouldn’t even qualify for most plans. Now it’s easier, though still more expensive, to insure older pets. But understanding pet insurance can be more complicated than your own health insurance.

This recent article in the Wall Street Journal is an interesting comparison of different plans under different scenarios.

So is it worth it? Most of the time routine stuff is not covered. It’s when you get into pricey treatments that insurance can help—but not for pre-existing conditions. And it’s usually when we realize that our pet has an illness that people start looking at insurance. Special diets are not usually covered (more and more pets, including my dog, are being diagnosed with food allergies). Insurance costs can range between $2,000 and $6,000 over the life of a pet.

In our family we had two freak tragic unexpected deaths—nothing that insurance could have helped. We don’t have our pets insured. If we had we could have spent thousands on these two and never claimed any of it—but that’s a terrible way to look at it. They were wonderful members of our family and we still miss them.

I look at pet insurance every couple of years and the best source for information is our vet. He knows our animals and their needs. If you are considering insurance do your homework because plans can vary greatly. Only you can decide if it's really worth it.

FRIDAY ENCORE: Is Pet Insurance Worth it?

Welcome to the Friday Encore where you'll get to read a past blog posting that I thought you might not want to miss. Okay, call it a repeat if you want. When necessary the post may be updated with new information or data to keep it relevant. The following was originally posted March 27, 2008.



Is Pet Insurance Worth it?

Anyone who lives in Colorado knows that we have an exceptionally high number of pets. In fact, Colorado Spring was ranked the #1 city for pets by Forbes. And I know that I heard a few years ago that Boulder had the highest number of dogs per capita in the country, but I couldn’t track that statistic down. Even if Colorado doesn’t have the most pets there’s no question it’s a great place for animals.

Lots of people refer to their pets as their children. And if you’ve got kids you know that they are both lovable and expensive. So what about Pet Insurance? Is it worth it? Are people buying it?

Veterinary medicine has advanced greatly making more expensive treatments available for ailing pets. According to a study done by Market Trends in 2003

“… the U.S. market still has a long way to go if it is to achieve the level of penetration seen in Great Britain (25% of dog owners) or Sweden (nearly 50% of all pet owners), since the rate of pet insurance ownership in the United States is still in the low single digits.”

One reason why we lag in the adoption of pet insurance is that it can be mind bogglingly complicated. Years ago when I looked at insuring our 3 cats and 1 dog it just didn’t make sense especially for our older cat who was 8 at the time. He wouldn’t even qualify for most plans. Now it’s easier, though still more expensive, to insure older pets. But understanding pet insurance can be more complicated than your own health insurance.

This recent article in the Wall Street Journal is an interesting comparison of different plans under different scenarios.

So is it worth it? Most of the time routine stuff is not covered. It’s when you get into pricey treatments that insurance can help—but not for pre-existing conditions. And it’s usually when we realize that our pet has an illness that people start looking at insurance. Special diets are not usually covered (more and more pets, including my dog, are being diagnosed with food allergies). Insurance costs can range between $2,000 and $6,000 over the life of a pet.

In our family we had two freak tragic unexpected deaths—nothing that insurance could have helped. We don’t have our pets insured. If we had we could have spent thousands on these two and never claimed any of it—but that’s a terrible way to look at it. They were wonderful members of our family and we still miss them.

I look at pet insurance every couple of years and the best source for information is our vet. He knows our animals and their needs. If you are considering insurance do your homework because plans can vary greatly. Only you can decide if it's really worth it.

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

Anyone who lives in Colorado knows that we have an exceptionally high number of pets. In fact, Colorado Spring was ranked the #1 city for pets by Forbes. And I know that I heard a few years ago that Boulder had the highest number of dogs per capita in the country, but I couldn’t track that statistic down. Even if Colorado doesn’t have the most pets there’s no question it’s a great place for animals.

Lots of people refer to their pets as their children. And if you’ve got kids you know that they are both loveable and expensive. So what about Pet Insurance? Is it worth it? Are people buying it?

Veterinary medicine has advanced greatly making more expensive treatments available for ailing pets. According to a study done by Market Trends in 2003

“… the U.S. market still has a long way to go if it is to achieve the level of penetration seen in Great Britain (25% of dog owners) or Sweden (nearly 50% of all pet owners), since the rate of pet insurance ownership in the United States is still in the low single digits.”

One reason why we lag in the adoption of pet insurance is that it can be mind bogglingly complicated. Years ago when I looked at insuring our 3 cats and 1 dog it just didn’t make sense especially for our older cat who was 8 at the time. He wouldn’t even qualify for most plans. Now it’s easier, though still more expensive, to insure older pets. But understanding pet insurance can be more complicated than your own health insurance.

This recent article in the Wall Street Journal is an interesting comparison of different plans under different scenarios.

So is it worth it? Most of the time routine stuff is not covered. It’s when you get into pricey treatments that insurance can help—but not for pre-existing conditions. And it’s usually when we realize that our pet has an illness that people start looking at insurance. Special diets are not usually covered (more and more pets, including my dog, are being diagnosed with food allergies). Insurance costs can range between $2,000 and $6,000 over the life of a pet.

In our family we had two freak tragic unexpected deaths—nothing that insurance could have helped. We don’t have our pets insured. If we had we could have spent thousands on these two and never claimed any of it—but that’s a terrible way to look at it. They were wonderful members of our family and we still miss them.

I look at pet insurance every couple of years and the best source for information is our vet. He knows our animals and their needs. If you are considering insurance do your homework because plans can vary greatly. Only you can decide if it's really worth it.