One of the gravest situations for a pet owner is when your cat is extremely ill and needs immediate medical assistance, but you don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on the treatment.
The situation takes even a more haunting turn when you, as a cat owner, realize that to relieve your feline companion from the pain, you might have to put it down yourself. You will not believe it, but this situation even has the name ‘economic euthanasia’ given.
But this reason, of course, is not enough to determine whether cat insurance plans or buying one is really worth it or not. So without further ado, let’s dig out the answer to the question.
How Much Does Pet Care Cost?
According to the report, $200 to $400 are spent annually on routine veterinary care for dogs and $90 to $200 for cats. However, this is nothing as it is the actual illness and accidents that happen with the pets that make the costs shoot up.
The cost of diagnosing diabetes in cats costs about $300 and the treatments continue costing equally per year.
Developing heartworm can cost you from around $400 to $1000.
An accident that requires emergency room care can cost up to $1000 and more.
What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
Pet insurance is similar to human health insurance and covers several options and costs. The three common coverage are wellness, accident, and illness.
– Wellness
Wellness revolves around overall health, including routine checkups, vaccinations, dental work, routine tests, etc. wellness does not include accident and illness.
– Accident
Accident-only coverage is usually taken by the owners of older pets. It takes care of and covers the cost of treatments required due to accidents, for example, ingestion of a non-edible item, poisoning, cuts or getting hit by a car, etc.
– Accident and Illness
The most comprehensive coverage pays for treatments of injuries, illnesses, diseases, and disorders. Although it depends on what the insurer is offering, many pet owners include wellness coverage with Accident and Illness coverage as well.
Stages of Coverage
The levels of insurance offered to depend entirely on the insurer. Some refer to the levels as ‘basic’, ‘deluxe’, and ‘premium’. As obvious, the basic level is the least expensive and offers the lowest coverage in terms of veterinary treatment and other medical checkups.
Reimbursement
It is essential to know that pet insurance companies reimburse you for paying for veterinary services. Although 90% and 100% reimbursement coverage is available, mostly 80% reimbursement is done.
Coverage Options
In addition to the kind of coverage you choose, some insurers offer extra perks to choosing a particular coverage.
When out of the country, some insurers cover the cost of emergency treatment for the pet
Liability coverage e.g., in a case where your pet out of fear, anger, or pain, bites or injures someone
Expenses of your pet when you are unable to look after it in case hospitalized
Online community membership which is dedicated to cat ownership
How Much Cat Health Insurance Costs?
Whether a basic coverage or a premium one, specific requirements and exclusions are common.
– Pre-insurance records requirement
Previous records and veterinary exams are required by some health insurance companies to demonstrate pets’ health history. The cost varies from $600 to $1200.
– Annual care requirement
Annual wellness treatment may be required in the policy, costing all the veterinary exams and care around $90 to $400.
– Bilateral Condition Exclusion
As mentioned in some pet insurance policies, the exclusion is those medical problems that could happen on both sides of the body like dysplasia, cataracts, etc. The cost is up to $5000.
– Exclusion of Vaccinatable Diseases
A common trap where most cat owners fall into is not having their pet vaccinated for diseases. Only later to come across coverage not covering vaccinable diseases. The cost of vaccinable diseases like canine influenza, kennel cough, etc., are around $130 to $684.
– Periodontal Disease
Among many other policies, this one comes as a surprise to most cat owners. Dental care is covered in the insurance, such as cleaning and routine checkups. However, actual teeth and gums diseases are not covered. Thus, they cost around $500 to $5000.
The most crucial factor in deciding whether cat health insurance is worth it or not. Before deciding which one is the best pet insurance for cats, the final decision should depend on the type of cat breed you have.
What Breeds Of Cats Are Prone To Health Problems?
After analyzing several pet insurance plans for tons of cats and dogs, here are 10 breeds that are most likely to develop an illness or a disease,
Mixed breeds
Domestic Longhair
Domestic Shorthair
Domestic Medium hair
Russian Blue
Siamese
Maine Coon
Persian
American Shorthair (Pure-bred)
Ragdoll
Final Verdict
If you are a cat owner, you sure only want the best for your cat, and the answer to the fundamental question would be ‘the sooner, the better’.
Cat insurance is worth the money. It majorly helps subside the financial burden that comes with owning a cat. The best part is that people who have insurance for their pets have given some fantastic cat insurance reviews. Furthermore, the plans are totally customizable according to your and your cat’s needs.
After all, paying less than $200 per year is better against a multi-thousand bill that you will have to pay if your cat is involved in an accident or catches an illness.
To better understand, you can always compare specific insurance plans to determine which one will be best suitable for you and your cat.
Get your cat the health insurance it needs and shove off the burden from your shoulders!
