When perusing cat insurance plans I purred to myself when arriving at the monthly fees. We all have heard or know by first hand experience how expensive human insurance plans can be. Cat insurance plans are almost ludicrously cheap in comparison. When clicking on an advert for a very well known brand in the pet insurance market, affordable prices appeared under a tall column of Veterinary services. Read until the end to find out what some customers think and whether you will fill like the cat who’s got the cream if you fork out for a feline insurance plan. Please note this article is an unbiased view with no sponsorship.
Table of Contents
All Cat Insurance Plans Should Include:
- Accident & Injuries
- Hereditary & congenital conditions
- Cancer care
- Surgery & Specialized care
- Swallowed Objects & Poisonous Toxins
- Infectious Diseases
- Emergency Care
- Outpatient Care
- Illnesses
- Parasites
- MRI, CT Scan & X-rays
- Ongoing help & Chronic conditions
- Testing & Treatment
Making sure your cat is happy and healthy can add a noteworthy bill to your yearly expenditure. Between monthly recurring costs like food and toys, one-time vet bills from vaccinations or medical emergencies, and the cost of replacing destroyed furniture, the average annual cost of owning a cat is around $1,000.
A good pet insurance plan can help you recoup some of these expenses should your cat need unexpected care. Cat insurance covers cats for common conditions as well as accidents or natural disasters that may not be covered by other plans. The best cat insurance plans also offer secondary benefits such as wellness checkups, general wellness discounts, and reimbursement for services like boarding or spa treatments.
Cat insurance isn’t right for every feline friend. Each policy is unique and will have different coverage options depending on the individual needs of your cat. Here are benefits of having cat insurance that you might not know about:
Cat Insurance Can Help You Recoup the Cost of Emergency Vet Visits
Accidents happen especially as cats are famously curious creatures exploring places they shouldn’t. If your kitty ends up at the vet with an unexpected injury or sudden illness, you may be in for pawfuls of bills. Unfortunately, most pet insurance companies don’t cover routine vet visits. Instead, you’ll want to look for a policy that covers accidents and illnesses.
There are a few different ways cat insurance companies define “accident”. Some policies will cover any sudden, unexpected event that requires a vet visit. Others may require the accident to be sudden and unexpected. If you’re unsure whether a treatment qualifies as an “accident” and therefore covered by insurance, call your insurance company ahead of time and ask. Your company may be willing to review your claim before denying it and send your cat to the vet as soon as possible.
Cat Insurance Helps with Chronic Conditions
Most owners of senior cats already know that vet bills can get out of hand quickly. While accidents can happen to any feline, chronic conditions are another common reason for unexpected vet visits. Chronic conditions such as arthritis or kidney disease will require ongoing care and treatment.
Cat insurance may be able to help with the cost of chronic conditions. While each policy is different, most will cover the cost of chronic conditions as long as your kitty fits the policy’s eligibility requirements. You may be required to have your kitty seen by a specific vet for a certain period of time before being certified for the chronic condition coverage. You may also be required to pay a one-time or monthly fee for the coverage.
Cat insurance Should Cover Accidents and Natural Disasters
Cats are curious creatures and they may get into trouble even when they’re inside. Seemingly benign items can cause serious injuries to curious cats including plastic bags, electrical wires, and even household plants. With a good cat insurance policy, you can recoup the costs of treating injuries caused by everyday household hazards. Some policies will also cover natural disasters like fires. Be sure to check your policy’s coverage before filing a claim.
Cat Insurance Offers Wellness Benefits
If your feline friend is healthy, you’ll want to keep him that way. Many of the best cat insurance companies will offer wellness discounts to your kitty if he stays healthy. Some may offer discounts on your monthly premium while others may offer one-time or annual wellness benefits such as a free or discounted vet visit or a gift card for your favorite pet store. Many policies will also offer wellness benefits for your kitty’s caretakers. These may include discounts for blood pressure monitors, blood sugar monitors, or other wellness benefits for humans.
Cat Insurance Can Protect Furniture and Other Belongings
If you’ve ever owned a cat, you know that they’re natural hunters. Feline friends will happily destroy any items they find while searching for toys or treat-like substances. While some kitties are content to leave clothing and couch cushions alone, others will happily shred everything in their path. Cat insurance can help protect your belongings should your feline friend get frisky and destroy something they shouldn’t. Most policies will cover damage caused by cats and may even provide coverage for other pets like dogs and rabbits.
Routine Dental Cleaning, X-Rays
A dental cleaning is a procedure that removes plaque and tartar from your cat’s teeth and gums. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that all cats have at least one dental cleaning per year. Some cats may need more frequent dental cleanings depending on their health and lifestyle.
There are different types of dental cleanings that your cat’s veterinarian may recommend, including a tooth extraction, root canal, oral surgery, or dental scaling. These various procedures are best performed by a veterinarian who has experience with feline dentistry. A good cat insurance plan will include this and anesthesia x-rays and polishing.
A dental cleaning for your cat is a process that should be done with anesthesia. Your veterinarian will likely recommend a combination of sedation and local anesthesia to ensure that your cat stays relaxed and comfortable throughout the entire cleaning process.
Your veterinarian will start by removing any plaque and tartar from your cat’s teeth. Next, they’ll use special instruments to clean the inside of your cat’s mouth and gums. After the cleaning is complete, your veterinarian will apply antibiotics and bandages to any teeth that were treated. Your cat will likely need to stay at the grooming salon for at least a few hours after the procedure. You should bring them home after the recommended observation period is up.
Service Features That You May Want to Look Out for
While perusing different insurance plans for cats a service feature that differs from brand to brand is the claim settlement. Some companies promised to settle the claim within 48 hours while others promised to pay out in minutes. Check to see if the company has an APP in the Google Play store or Apple store that speeds up this process. You won’t want the stress of fretting over a payout while kitty needs extensive and pricey medical aid.
Importance of Outpatient Care for Cats
When you first get your cat, you don’t think about the repercussions of not getting them insured. But as your feline friend gets older, you begin to realize just how much it might cost if they need any medical attention. It’s for this reason that lots of people wonder if I should get my cat insured? While it may not be entirely necessary to get them covered, there are many reasons why cats that need outpatient care need to be on pet insurance.
Depending on the severity of the illness, you could be looking at thousands of dollars in medical bills. Many illnesses can be treated with antibiotics, but others can cause long-term health problems. For example, feline diabetes usually requires ongoing treatment and can cost thousands of dollars.
You may not even know your cat has the illness until it’s too late. Getting your cat on pet insurance before they develop a disease can help you avoid these costly treatments. You can get them a yearly check-up and, depending on their age and breed, get them vaccinated. This can help you to avoid the cost of treating various illnesses. Diseases can run the gamut, depending on your cat’s history, their breed, and their environment.
Certain diseases, such as feline leukaemia, are very difficult to treat and can result in thousands of dollars of bills. Other illnesses, such as dental problems that are easily treatable, can also cost a surprisingly large amount.
They May Have to Go to a Rehab Centre
Cats are mostly independent and don’t really need a lot of care. However, if they have an accident or become seriously ill, they may need to go to a specialized hospital that is designed for animals. These hospitals are designed to be less stressful than a human hospital, but they’re still expensive. Rehab facilities can cost thousands a year. This might be a necessary expense if your cat has a serious injury or illness.
It’s highly unlikely that your cat will need to go to a rehab center, but it’s still a possibility. Rehab facilities are designed for cats that have suffered serious trauma or have a long-term illness. Cats with a traumatic injury may need to go to a facility that specializes in helping them recover. If your cat has a long-term illness, such as feline diabetes, they may need to go to a facility that can provide them with the care they need.
Rehab facilities can put a strain on your finances that insurance cover may well relieve. If your cat is young, you might be able to avoid this expense with the right insurance. However, if they’re elderly and have been diagnosed with a long-term illness, you may run into problems so check the small print or phone the insurance company in advance to see if your cat will be covered at whatever age.
Your Feline Friend Will Need Vaccinations and Tests
Depending on the breed of your cat, you may need to get them vaccinated every year. Even if you’re careful to avoid bringing cats into your home that aren’t vaccinated, you can come into contact with other animals that aren’t as careful. Cats can be surprisingly sneaky and often appear out of nowhere.
Vaccinations are a very important part of keeping your cat healthy. They don’t just protect them from getting diseases, they also help them to avoid contracting other diseases that could cost a lot of money to treat. Vaccines aren’t free, and they aren’t necessarily cheap, either. You may have to give your cat several vaccinations throughout their lifetime, and each vaccination can cost anywhere from $20 to $100. If you have more than one cat, you may have to give multiple vaccinations.
Your cats should have a check-up at least once a year. During this visit, your vet will most likely test your cat for parasites, worms, and other diseases. Tests aren’t cheap, and you may have to do multiple tests. If your cat has certain diseases, your vet may recommend expensive treatment. If you have more than one cat, the costs can start to add up very quickly.
In Conclusion
All said, it’s so important that you’re prepared to get them the medical care cats need. If you have to take them to a vet in an emergency, the costs could be astronomical. But with pet insurance, you can be prepared for these costs and have a set (relatively small) amount you will pay each month to cover them. Surgery might seem like a drastic measure, in worst scenarios but it’s definitely a possibility; if your cat needs an emergency operation, the costs can be astronomical. Surgery for cats can run into the thousands of dollars. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself in a difficult financial situation which won’t be nice for you or your cat’s care. There is no pawfect insurance plan but it’s good to know the pros and cons and please look at the small print. Here’s another article on What doesn’t Cat Insurance Cover?
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