Pet Insurance

Cat insurance has become an important part of owning a cat. When you bring that kitten home to join your family, you are taking on more than the responsibility of taking care of your new pet by feeding him and giving him a place to live. You also take on the responsibility of taking care of your cat’s health and medical care. This includes visits to the vet, vaccinations and making sure your cat is healthy.

The most popular choice of pets is either a dog or cat. Cats have been gaining momentum in popularity because they are easier to take care of and it is easier to leave them alone during the day without the fear of destruction to your home and possessions. For people who live in apartments or condos it is easier to find a place to live that will allow you to have a cat versus a dog. Cats are good and loving pets and anyone who brings home a cat will enjoy sharing many years together.

Cats have different health issues than a dog. Cats are more susceptible to getting urinary infections, suffer from upper respiratory distress and of course, hair balls. When your cat is younger, it might be easier for the cat to bounce back from an illness, but especially as cats get older, health problems can become more frequent, more serious and yes, more expensive. And of course, the older your pet gets, the more attached you are to him.

Because cats tend to live significantly longer lives than dogs, health care expenses for your cat can be substantially more. Cats can live for 15-20 years whereas it is unusual for a dog to live to be 15 years of age. Keeping your cat healthy in their golden years will make you feel better and certainly allow your cat to be able to enjoy his time by feeling good.

If you are thinking about purchasing cat insurance, you need to determine what you want from the policy. Policies vary and there are a lot of options out there. You don’t want to be paying premiums for years for something that you will not be using the insurance for. Generally speaking, your cat should see the vet once a year for an overall check up and to get shots up-to-date. Any kind of flea or tick medications should be reviewed and re-ordered at that time. Routine or annual check ups don’t tend to cost you a great deal of money.

More than likely, you will want to have cat insurance when something more serious happens to your pet. It is at this time you will very happy you have an insurance policy to fall back on to help offset costs and make any treatments or procedures possible.

If your cat gets seriously injured or starts to become ill, that is when the costs start adding up. Health care for pets today has come a long way. Medical care rivals that of human care. From blood tests, x-rays, scans and surgical procedures, it sure doesn’t take long for the prices to add up. Even if just one surgical procedure is needed, it can mean thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.

You always hope that your cat will remain happy and healthy for a lifetime, with no major problems along the way. But, if something happens to your beloved pet and your are faced with a decision – allow the vet to perform a surgical procedure for thousands of dollars, or put your cat to sleep.

Many people say that if it would cost more than a fixed dollar amount for a procedure (say $500) that they would just put the cat down. It’s easy to say that but when you are faced with the situation, it is not always as black and white as that. If you have children who have grown up with the cat, and love him very much, how do you tell your kids you have to put the cat down because you can’t afford the cost of a life-saving surgery? Not a good time to wish you had purchased insurance, to say the least.

There are a lot of options out there for consideration. You should look at several different companies and see what they have to offer. Don’t just look at the monthly premium costs to make your decision. Really think about what the policies have to offer. Look at the exclusions and/or limitations of the policy. Ask questions. Find out exactly what types of procedures, treatments and medications are included. What are the deductibles. At what percentage are various procedures covered? Is there a discount for insuring more than one cat?

Keeping your cat healthy does not have to be expensive and in fact, insurance can really make a difference in saving you money. Your pet is part of your family and you want to do everything you can to ensure a long and happy life for your cat, even in the event of major illness or emergency medical treatment.

Cat insurance is not for everyone but you may be surprised that you can find an affordable policy to give you peace of mind in the event of required medical treatment or unexpected problems.