Thinking about a different kind of “pet insurance” - investing in Trupanion (TRUP) instead of buying a policy. Curious for feedback.

So this might sound ridiculous — I’ve been thinking about a slightly off the beaten path investing idea and wanted to get some feedback.

I’ve got two pets, and we don’t currently have pet insurance for them. I’ve done a bit of research on Trupanion (TRUP), and while I’m still on the fence about their policies (they seem to up your rate regularly but that feels like it happens across the pet insurance industry annually)… I was wondering about a different approach: what if I just bought a share of Trupanion stock every month instead of paying for a policy?

Right now, their stock is trading around $38, which is not close to what a typical monthly premium might cost. My thinking is that if my pets stay healthy, I’m building equity in a company that stands to benefit from more people using pet insurance (which I genuinely feel will happen over time) — kind of like a self-funded safety net that grows with the industry. Worst case, I can sell the shares if I ever do face a big vet bill.

Curious if anyone else has thought this way or has any perspective on this idea — either as an investing strategy or should I just get a legit pet insurance. Is this dumb as hell? A waste of time? Somewhere in between?

Appreciate any insights and feedback!