Pet Insurance For Cats: A Complete Guide To Buying Insurance For Your Cat

Pets are like family. They grow up with us physically and emotionally. They leave a strong impression in our lives and we are so much attached to them, that we make sure to take care of their well-being, especially cats.

Cats are the most common pets that people love to keep. They feel a sense of home and comfort with them. But sometimes they are prone to danger if they sneak out when you are busy with your work. It can stress you out if they do not come home by themselves or with an injured body, or if there is any kind of emergency. You would want to get them the best treatment in the city for fast recovery.

To ensure that your cat is safe and sound, you need to get pet insurance for cats. Insurance makes sure that your cat gets the best treatment in a good hospital and you save up the cost of medical bills and other expenses during the process.

If you are thinking of getting pet insurance for your cat, you are right on track. Here is a complete guide for getting pet insurance for cats.

What is insurance?

Insurance is a contract over agreed policies that is signed between the insurance company and the person for the sake of gaining benefits in exchange for a monthly fee for a thing, person, or a pet. It is like an ensured way of saving up money and using it well for the well-being or safety of the person.

The person has to pay that fee every month so that they can utilize the benefits whenever they want to, based on the policies agreed. There are various types of insurance including, health insurance, pet insurance, disability insurance, old-age insurance, car insurance, commercial auto insurance, and many more that cover different needs and requirements.

Insurance plans are designed by insurance companies that put together the best benefits for the insured person. So, buying insurance is giving yourself a better standard of living.

What is pet insurance for cats?

Pet insurance for cats is a contract that a cat owner signs with the insurance company for the sake of the well-being of their cat. But it is more than just a contract, it is a hope that your cat will get the best treatment from the best vets in the city for an affordable price.

Pet insurance for cats consists of all the benefits and facilities that your cat might need in order to stay healthy and active. You might ask yourself ‘if I can take care of my cat myself, why should I waste money on getting insurance?’ Well, you are wrong. Pet insurance for cats is more than just taking care, it fulfills all the needs and requirements for the cat that you might not be able to provide if you do it yourself.

Insurance for cats is not a waste of money because just like how you buy medical insurance for yourself, your cat also needs pet insurance.

What does pet insurance for cats cover?

Pet insurance is a really well-made contract of policies that are approved by the government or policy-makers and especially made for cat owners to agree upon. Pet insurance for cats provides all the facilities that fulfill the requirement of your cat.

To make sure you are signing the right one, you have to read the details in the contract that inform you about what the insurance covers for your cat, and how you can benefit from it. Every insurance company has its own policy that differs from other insurance companies, so you need to pick the best one among all.

Pet insurance for cats covers many things, the most common ones include:

Injury

If your cat gets injured due to some incident, the pet insurance covers the cost of the treatment based on the deductibles that are mentioned in the contract.

You can treat your cat’s wounds by taking them to the vet that is picked by the insurance or they give you the choice to choose a vet yourself.

Death by accident

Sometimes, due to recklessness, the pet can die by accident. The insurance pays you back the amount spent on treatment. Death can leave a really deep impression on you but you do not have to worry about money because insurance has got you covered.

Keep in mind that this is only limited to cats of a certain age that are prone to stay healthy all the time.

Vaccination

Some pets need occasional vaccination, especially newly born cats. Pet insurance provides the best vaccination for the cats to keep them safe. These vaccination costs are covered by the insurance.

This also depends on how frequently your cat needs vaccination. It can be on a monthly basis, or yearly basis.

Missing pet

Insurance also covers if your pet goes missing by putting up posters and giving rewards to the one who finds your pet. This saves you the stress of finding your pet by yourself because you know the insurance company will help you find it as well.

Missing pet cover is really important for cats because they tend to get restless at home and leave without you knowing.

Liability cost

The pet insurance for cats also covers the cost of your pet causing injury to someone or destroying property or a thing of someone. The medical bills are covered by the insurance company.

Medical and dental check-up

Just like you, your cat also needs a medical check-up occasionally, or in case, they are sick. Medical bills charged by a vet can be quite costly. Furthermore, you have to buy medicines as well for recovery.

Insurance covers the medical bills and dental check-ups bills for you so that you do not have to spend a huge amount of money to pay.

Cattery cost

If by any chance you have no one to take care of your pet while you are away, you have to keep them in a cattery. The fees of cattery can also be covered by the insurance.

Some insurance companies help in finding the best cattery that suits your cat as well since they have connections. So, you can rest assured that your cat is well taken care of.

Types of pet insurance for cats

There are many types of pet insurance for cats that you can choose based on the requirements of your cat. They all cover different facilities that are focused on certain conditions of the cat.

Here are some of them:

Limited time pet insurance

Limited time pet insurance, as the name suggests, is for the fixed time agreed upon by both parties. This type of insurance comes under non-lifetime insurance.

Limited-time pet insurance for cats consists of a contract of 12 months with various policies. They only provide facilities for a short period of time, and you do not have to pay once the contract ends after 12 months.

Limited time pet insurance is suitable for cats that are in old age, or if you believe that a certain time is enough to cover the essentials of treatment when needed. This type of insurance has a time limit as well as a cost limit that you can spend on treatment. Once you reach the maximum limit then you have to pay the cost of treatment out of your own pocket.

This type of insurance can be beneficial if you are not sure which insurance plan is best for you or suits your budget. It ends in a timely manner for you to choose some other if you want to.

Pros:

• Short time contract: You can only sign for a short time so you do not have to worry about the cost. Furthermore, if you do not like the company, you can always change to someone else once the contract ends.
• Low Cost: The cost of this insurance is low, so if you have a healthy pet you do not have to worry about buying high cost insurance.

Cons:

• Illness: If your cat has an illness, this insurance will not cover the cost of it. This can be a waste of money for those whose cat gets ill.
• Time limit: There is a certain time limit until then you can benefit from the insurance policy. But once the time limit has passed, you cannot benefit from it anymore. So if your cat gets sick after the time limit has passed, you will have to pay the bill yourself.

Lifetime insurance

As the name suggests, lifetime insurance is a type of pet insurance for cats that covers the cost until the life of the cat.

Lifetime insurance is signed between the insurance company and the cat owner. It covers the cost of the cat every year until you decide to cancel the contract or need a renewal of it. Many people chose this insurance because it guarantees their pet’s safety for their whole life.

Lifetime insurance is considered to be more beneficial than the limited time one because the facilities and time are more and you do not have to worry about it as long as your pet lives. This insurance is especially good for old-age cats or those who suffer from an illness. Lifetime insurance covers the cost of treatment so you save up a lot of money.

However, you have to spend a limited amount every year, if you exceed that amount you have to pay out of your own pocket. For example, if your cat’s medical bill for a year is $300 and the limit for a year’s policy is also $300, then they will cover it. But if the bill is more than the limit in a year then you will have to pay the excess amount by yourself and the insurance plan will only cover the agreed $300.

Pros:

• Good treatment: Lifetime insurance gives the opportunity for cat owners to get the best treatment by the facility and a good amount of coverage for the medical bills that include veterinary checkup bills, therapy bills, and dental checkup bills.
• Travel abroad: If you are the type of person who goes abroad a lot, or once in a while, you can take your cat with you because this insurance covers the cost if anything happens to your cat under an overseas program.

Cons:

• Costly premium: The premium you pay in order to continue the policy is very costly. If your cat is really healthy and rarely needs any medical checkups then you are paying insurance for nothing. The premium is too costly for a healthy cat.

Accident-only pet Insurance

Accident-only pet insurance is a type of pet insurance for cats that gives the coverage for the cost to recover from an accident. It is an affordable insurance plan that many cat owners opt for because of its low monthly fee and the basic benefits that a cat needs.

Accident-only pet insurance has a policy of covering the medical cost if your cat meets an accident and you have to pay the bills. Most pet insurance policies also give coverage for third-party liability. If your cat causes injury to a stranger, then the recovery bill of that person can be paid by the insurance policy.

But it does not cover all of the medical bills in case of the accident. Some percentage of the medical bill is covered by the insurance policy, if it crosses that limit, then the owner has to pay it out of their own pocket.

Accident-only pet insurance for cats can be easily bought and you do not have to worry about the cost because you are paying the economical amount and also taking care of your cat. This is most beneficial for cats that are healthy most of the time.

Pros:

• Low cost: The affordable price of the premium makes it ideal pet insurance for cats policy for cat owners. If you make minimum wage, you can opt for accident-only pet insurance because it safeguards your cat and your financial cost.

Cons:

• Fewer benefits: The accident-only insurance is very limited to benefits. It does not cover the medical checkups bills, vaccination costs, therapy, and dental bills. Furthermore, all other benefits that are offered by the lifetime or limited-time insurance policy are not covered by this insurance plan.

Maximum benefit pet insurance

Maximum-benefit pet insurance is a type of pet insurance for cats that has no time limit and it covers for a lifetime. This insurance for cats provides a decided amount that you can spend in the lifetime of the cat for any medical complications that arise.

This is one of the most fitting pet insurance for cats that many cat owners choose to pick for their cats. There are some policies that you must follow but there is no limit in terms of time. So, you can feel assured that you are paying for a plan that would benefit you.

Moreover, maximum benefit pet insurance, additionally, has a no-restriction policy which implies that assuming you hit a cutoff amount for one condition, you can still benefit from other different conditions that you can utilize in case you have not reached that limit in the lifetime of your cat. Besides this, in the event that your cat is on any medications, for as long as possible this insurance plan can take care of the expense.

This type of insurance plan is for a lifetime and it gives the best benefits in their policy that a cat owner can use for their cats. This policy is suitable for any kind of condition that your pet has. It does not have any time limit, however, there is a limit on spending per condition that you have to follow.

Pros:

• Covers vet bills: Maximum benefit issuance plan is best for veterinary bills because they cover a good percentage of the cost. If your cat needs medical checkups occasionally, then the vet fees become affordable.
• Maximum amount: The conditions in this policy have a maximum amount, so even if you reach the limit of one condition, you can still benefit from other conditions that have their own limit. In this way, you save money.

Cons:

• High cost: Maximum benefit means the cost of the insurance plan will also be maximum. If you can afford the premium cost of this insurance policy, then you can opt for it, but those with less pay cannot afford this plan.
• Long-term illness: If your cat has a long-term illness, then this insurance plan is not suitable because the cost of treatment exceeds the limit set by the policy.
• Other conditions: There are other conditions such as pregnancy complications, frequent vaccination cost, and health conditions that existed before the policy was signed that are not covered by this insurance plan.

Every policy has its unique conditions and limits that are different from each other. These policies are made based on the needs of cat owners. So, you have to pick out of these policies that suit your budget and your cat as well.

Getting pet insurance for cats is really important because they need health safety, and you as an owner have to take the responsibility to provide the best to your cat. Just like how you do extensive research to pick the best food that is suitable for your cat, an insurance plan should also be signed with extensive research. All these types of insurance plans have facilities that are beneficial for you.

Best pet insurance for cats

Now that you know various types of pet insurance for cats, you have to decide which one suits your cat best. There are so many options given by insurance companies, and all of them vary from company to company. Within these types, mentioned above, there are policies that differ.

Some insurance plans might provide good benefits, and some might charge less than what you expected and are affordable for you. So, it is important to know what insurance plan is best for your cat.

You have to see the policy carefully. The following are the most important policies that a cat insurance plan must have and is best for your cat.

Cat’s identity

Your cat’s identity is the most basic information that you should know in order to pick the best pet insurance for cats. Cat’s identity includes gender, breed, age, and medical history.

It is important to know that the cost of the insurance plan that your friend pays for can be different from yours based on the cat’s identity.

Emergency policy

When you go to sign for insurance, you need to see how much of a percentage are they going to cover in case your cat meets an accident or if there is any kind of medical emergency. The more expensive your plan is, the more percentage the emergency policy will cover. However, you still need to read the policy carefully to ensure you are signing the right one.

The more monthly fee you give, the higher the percentage of emergency cost and benefits there will be. The company with more percentage for emergency coverage is the right one for you based on your cat’s requirement.

Medical cost policy

All pet insurance plans cover the medical cost, but only a few cover a high percentage of coverage, and some cover very less not. If your cat’s medical history is considered to be healthy by the vet, then you can opt for standard plans like wellness insurance or accident-only. They are affordable and your cat also stays healthy.

The perspective and decision for insurance plans change if your cat has a long-term illness. You will have to buy long-term insurance that can cover the treatment cost for you. When signing with the insurance companies, you have to be smart to save up premium costs and medical bills for your cat. Medical cost percentage can be more for those that are focused on long-term illness policies, so you should sign with those.

Wellness cost policy

The most basic requirement for your cat is wellness. Every month, your cat might have to get certain vaccinations or medical check-ups. The wellness of your cat is really important, so you have to check carefully if the insurance plan gives you the benefit of wellness. By wellness, we mean routine checkup bills coverage that is most basic to any kind of pet.

Wellness coverage is one of the most important to make sure your cat is in good health and its behavior is happy and cuddly instead of being sad and depressed. Just like humans need wellness, cats also need wellness checkups. It is your responsibility to make sure they are well all the time.

Cat’s condition

Your cat’s condition plays a very important role in choosing the best pet insurance plan that suits your pet well. Sometimes people pick plans without realizing the actual condition of their cats that causes financial loss in terms of paying the premium. Some people end up paying more premium for a healthy cat, and some pay less premium but have to pay bills out of their pocket more for their sick cats.

If you have a kitten, then you need to get vaccinations, medical checkups sometimes more often than a grown cat. So you have to pick pet insurance for cats that cover the basic bills for the cost of a kitten. These bills should be covered by insurance and you have to pay less out of your pocket.

If your cat is a grown-up and has no medical complications, then getting a basic plan for regular checkups or an accident-only plan can be beneficial for you. In this way, you will not have to pay more than what your cat requires. Furthermore, if you have less pay, you can afford it well.

In case of long-term sickness of your cat, you need to buy a proper insurance plan that can cover the medical bills well for you. If you pick a cheap premium one you will suffer from financial loss. Instead of looking for cheaper premium insurance, you have to be more careful about the benefits the insurance policy gives to your sick cat. Pet insurance that covers a huge percentage of the medical bill so that you have to pay less from your pocket is an ideal insurance plan for your cat. It might be expensive but at least it does not give any loss in terms of benefits.

Other than that, there are other policies that need to be read carefully in order to see if they meet your cat’s requirements. For example, some insurance plans do not provide pregnancy coverage, so if your cat is a female, then this plan is not suitable for you because it can get pregnant and you have to pay all the medical bills.

To add more, you also have to see the deductible amount and the coverage percentage of each insurance plan because they are essential in managing your finances.

How much does pet insurance for cats cost?

Insurance plans can be costly but they are worth every cost because it is for the well-being of your cat. Your cat’s health is more important than anything else, so buying pet insurance should be your priority.

Although the cost of pet insurance for cats varies a lot. But there is an average cost that cat owners must expect when they decide to sign for an insurance plan. The cost of an insurance plan varies in terms of which region you live in and the condition of your cat. Furthermore, it also depends on how many cats you have in your house. More cats mean you have to buy more insurance.

The average cost of buying pet insurance for cats is around $29.16 premium for the focused policy insurance like accident-only. The cost range for getting insurance for a cat can be as high as $100 and as low as $10, but the average is estimated to be $40 to $50 premium.

If your cat is of old age, then you are likely to pay more for the insurance, also if your cat suffers from a long-term illness you have to buy an expensive insurance plan. The breed of a cat can also affect the prices of the insurance plan. The lowest price is for the Exotic breed and the highest price is for the British Shorthair breed.

How to apply for pet insurance

Once you have decided what type of pet insurance for cats you are going to buy, you can apply for the insurance plan. There are many ways to apply for pet insurance. Some companies provide the facility to apply online, or you can apply through insurance agents.

Insurance agents

Insurance agents are there to help you with getting the best insurance plan that fits your budget and causes you no financial loss. These agents are quite experts in their field, and they can give you the best advice as to which insurance company you should opt for.

Some insurance agents are representatives of insurance companies as well, so they can help you pick the right plan to subscribe to. If you are still unsure about which insurance plan is best for you, you should apply through an agent.

Online

Many companies have online websites that give you the option to apply online. They have posted the ready-made insurance plan that you can subscribe to quickly. So, if you are busy and do not have time to visit physically, you can apply online.

Online applications work the same way as physical ones. They save your time and give you the opportunity to read the policies in detail before you subscribe.

Is pet insurance worth it?

Pet insurance for cats is worth every penny because it is for the health of your cat. Others might convince you that it is not worth your money, but in fact, it really is worth it.

Pet insurance is especially worth it for cats that are of old age or need medical attention due to some illness, long-term or short-term. You save up a lot of money in terms of the medical bill, and you are able to afford the best treatment.

Insurance exists to prevent you from any financial loss. Instead of trying to save up money by taking to the cheaper vet who does not treat your cat well, insurance can give a good vet for your cat an affordable amount to spend, both at the same time.

Final Words

Now that you have the whole article, you know all the details about pet insurance for cats. You can now pick the right insurance plan for your cat. This article should be motivation for you to apply for pet insurance because it should be your no. 1 priority, above anything else.

Cats are the most delicate beings who require extra attention and care. When you get an insurance plan, it not only saves you the cost of expensive veterinary bills but also you can take your cat to the best vet in the town and pay without any financial complication.

The health of your car is more precious than anything else. An insurance plan is a financial safety so that even if you do not have emergency funds or extra money for medical bills, the insurance can cover you. So, go apply for pet insurance today!