Getting excellent cat insurance is the best thing you can do for your furry buddy’s life. Vet expenses can get very hard to handle for many cat owners, and if your cat develops complex health issues, your wallet can take a severe hit.
If you don’t have health insurance, prepare to shed thousands of dollars on urgent notice. To avoid such unexpected and massive financial expenditures, it’s better to get cat insurance.
How Does Cat Insurance Work?
Cat insurance policies have reimbursement limits ranging from $5000 to $30,000. The higher the reimbursement, the higher will be the monthly premiums.
pet insurance concept
Cat insurance policies usually cover 70%, 80%, and even 90% of your cat’s medical expenditure, depending upon your package. Even though cat insurance might seem very similar to standard health insurance that you might have for your family, there is a key difference between these insurance policies.
When you visit a licensed vet to report a health issue, the medical expenses get covered by your cat’s insurance plan. You will receive a reimbursement, depending upon the reimbursement percentage that you have agreed in your cat’s insurance plan. In human insurance plans, there is a deductible amount that ranges between $200 to $1000 depending upon the plan you have to choose and pay before your insurance kicks in.
Types of Cat Insurances
Typically, there are three types of cat insurances that you can choose from depending on your cat’s age and health condition;
Accident-Only Cat Insurance
In an Accident-Only Cat Insurance Policy, the insurance company will only cover medical expenses for physical accidents, including poisoning, foreign-body ingestion, cuts, fractures, bloat, and surgery. Your cat won’t be applicable for coverage for pre-existing health issues, intentional injuries, and routine vet checkups and visits.
Accident-Illness Cat Insurance
In an Accident-Illness Cat Insurance Policy, the insurance company will only cover medical expenses for diseases of any severity, allergies, cancer, asthma, viral infections, urinary issues, and digestive issues. This plan also covers burial and cremation expenses, hospitalization, treatment, surgery costs, and prescription medication.
Some plans can also provide coverage for occasional therapies. However, don’t expect this plan to cover behaviorist expenses. Even though this plan has high coverage and high premiums, don’t expect it to cover your cat’s routine vet visits and dental checkups. Some Accident-Illness plans also exclude cats that are over a certain age limit.
Wellness-Only Cat Insurance
In a Wellness-Only Cat Insurance Policy, the insurance company will only cover medical expenses, including regular lab tests, medical examination fees, vaccination costs, and maybe even neuter operations. However, this plan does not cover grooming costs, nor does it cover daily checkup costs. This plan also does not cover dental health expenses.
Should You Go for Cat Insurance if Your Cat Is Old?
When cats get old, they go through many health-related issues. Some develop cancer, some are prone to viral infections, and many have kidney-related problems. Your cat might face many health issues in the future, no matter how healthy your furry buddy is. However, is going for cat insurance the solution for untimely medical expenses that you’ll be facing to cure your senior cat’s health issues? Well, it depends!
If your cat is old and already has pre-existing health issues, bear in mind that they won’t be covered in your cat’s insurance plan. This is one of the main exclusions that you will observe in your cat’s insurance plan, regardless of the insurance policy provider you are dealing with. Also, many cat insurance policies have a certain age limit.
If your cat is nearing its expected life span, then you won’t be able to get an excellent cat insurance plan for your furry buddy. Even though some cat insurance policies offer burial and cremation allowance, but as the cost for your cat’s burial service won’t be as high as it is for humans, it is not a factor that can motivate you towards getting cat insurance for your old cat.
Therefore, instead of going for a cat insurance plan when your cat is old, it is better to make a savings account. Save a portion of your income in that account every month so that you can use that money for your cat’s medical expenses.
Should You Go for Cat Insurance if Your Cat Has Pre-existing Health Issues?
If you have adopted your feline from a rescue home or shelter, your cat might have a pre-existing medical issue. This is why it is crucial to get the complete medical record of the cat you are adopting from the shelter or rescue home.
Now, considering that you have brought your cat without checking its medical record, it might have a medical issue that you might not have known about. When you apply for a cat insurance policy, the insurance company will ask for your cat’s medical record. You have to get your cat checked by a vet for that.
If your cat has a pre-existing medical issue, the insurance company will probably refuse to cover the expenses for that. However, if new medical problems arise due to the cat’s pre-existing medical condition after your insurance kicks in, then the insurance company will probably be liable to cover the medical expenses.
However, even in such cases, insurance companies will prefer offering you an excellent cat insurance plan if your cat is young or middle-aged. If it’s old and has pre-existing medical issues, you won’t get a good cat insurance plan.
Verdict – Should You Go for Cat Insurance?
If you have a young cat that’s healthy or has pre-existing medical issues, you should consider going for a cat insurance plan. You can select a plan depending upon your budget, your cat’s health condition, and age. Also, you can see what extra facilities is your cat insurance plan providing as it will aid you in deciding which plan is perfect for your cat.
