The vast majority of pet insurance companies aren’t too terribly preoccupied with whether you own a dog or a cat. Most of the time, a broken leg is a broken leg. Cats and dogs both have a tendency to eat things they shouldn’t at a relatively equal rate. But there are some differences between the two animals that are worth taking into consideration.

Like dogs, there are some specific pure breeds of cat who will have medical complications that their canine counterparts won’t. Likewise, the vast majority of responsible pet owners keep their cats indoors at all times. This can protect cats from some very serious injuries and parasites that a dog may otherwise be exposed to. Conversely, if a cat does manage to escape the house and gets injured or sick, the vet bills could be that much more extraordinarily expensive. So it’s important to make sure your pet insurance policy reflects your unique needs as a proud cat owner.

Importance of Cat Insurance

The importance of cat insurance is the same as it would be for yourself or your children: to protect the health and well-being of your feline friend without getting into financial ruin trying to care for them. Whether you need help with regular wellness visits and preventative care, weather your curious kitty keeps pressing their luck with their nine lives, or whether you simply want peace of mind that you won’t have to take out a second mortgage or forfeit all of your savings if they break a bone, making sure you purchase cat insurance for your pet is more important than ever.

Cat Insurance Costs

Age of Cat

The vast majority of pet insurance providers do not post restrictions on cat insurance for kittens or middle-aged cats. But the older your pet gets, the harder it will be to find an affordable policy – and some companies may reject you if they think your cat is too old to insure.

Cat Breed

Certain breeds, especially pure-breeds, are likely to develop expensive medical ailments which could either raise your monthly premium or force the company to reject you for cat insurance.

Location

Some areas are more dangerous than others when it comes to owning a cat. Keeping your cat indoors is best for mitigating these challenges and keeping your cat insurance policy relatively affordable.

Cat Insurance by State

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois

Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana

Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island

South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Cat Insurance by Breed

There are three things about purebred cats which can make or break your cat insurance budget: where you get your animal, the care they received before they found a forever home with you, and the specific diseases that breed is vulnerable to. We’ve already listed examples above of breeds that can be problematic for pet health insurance companies to cover. If you inadvertently purchased your purebred feline from an unscrupulous breeder or if you rescued them from a shelter, any lack of proper care or exposure to dangerous conditions can make your furry family member that much more vulnerable to ailments and therefore more expensive to insure. It’s important to have a conversation with your pet insurance company to make sure that they are familiar with the care that your cat’s breed needs.

Cat Insurance Companies

Healthy Paws

Like all pet health insurance companies, Healthy Paws excludes pre-existing conditions from their list of available coverage. If you’re looking for cat insurance for a kitten or a cat younger than 2 years of age, you should keep in mind that Healthy Paws does not provide coverage for spay/neuter procedures or vaccinations. When it comes to adult cats, the coverage exclusion list for Healthy Paws cat insurance also includes annual check-ups and teeth cleaning. Furthermore, examination fees will be 100% your financial responsibility if you purchase a Healthy Paws policy for your cat. On the bright side, you can get financial reimbursements for illnesses, accidents, hereditary conditions, tests, x-rays, prescriptions, and even some alternative treatments with Healthy Paws. There are no networks, so you can use any licensed vet in your area. There are also no caps on payouts, whether annual or lifetime. Healthy Paws boasts that 99% of their claims are processed within two days of receiving them.

Embrace

Embrace pet insurance has cat insurance plans which will help protect your pet at any age. It starts with an optional wellness rewards program which offers between a $250 to $650 annual allowance for annual vet visits along with routine care. This wellness reward allowance may also pay for certain vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, and a life-saving microchip which can help you locate your pet if it is ever lost. Depending on your plan, you can get up to 90% of your cat’s vet bills covered with Embrace. There are no specific medical networks or restrictions on which vets you can use as long as they are properly licensed to practice medicine in your state. As with many other pet insurance companies, you won’t have to worry about breed specific conditions, sudden illnesses and injuries, or chronic conditions. Unlike some other pet insurance companies, you may be able to receive coverage and reimbursement for vet exam fees, behavioral therapy, and a maximum of dental illness claims up to $1,000 per year.

Pet Plan

When you get past the overabundance of cat puns and take a closer look at petplan insurance, it can offer some Very real cost-saving benefits. If you’re trying to get insurance for a kitten, you can purchase your policy the moment He or she turns 6 weeks old. That policy will stay with you and your kitten for life. Even if you’re trying to ensure an older cat, you can get affordable and effective coverage (with the exception of pre-existing conditions, of course). Because pet insurance exists to financially protect you from sudden accidents and new, unexpected illnesses, you won’t lose coverage for filing too many claims or getting too expensive. exam fees are covered with petplan, Hazard Imaging and diagnostic treatments. You can file claims on non non routine Dental treatments, but you have to have proof that your cat what’s not suffering from any known dental problems in the 12 months prior to the first day of coverage. you can get reimbursement for alternative therapies as well as referrals and specialist treatment. There is no coverage for wellness care or routine visits with petplan. and as you would expect from a pet insurance company there are exclusions which will not cover pre-existing conditions.

FIGO

If you consider yourself a tech savvy millennial, then you might find some added value with a FIGO pet insurance policy. Well, this is actually true if you’re tech savvy in general, regardless of age. One of the major selling points that FIGO talks up is its Pet Cloud phone app. The Pet Cloud is virtual data storage for all things related to your cat’s health. With your mypetcloud.com email address, you can upload and send documents related to your animal’s health and go completely paperless. The cloud can also give you access to 24/7 vet support, help you set up reminders for appointments and vaccinations, and can even connect you with pet friendly restaurants, discounts, and dog walkers. Some other good features of FIGO include optional coverage for veterinary exam fees and an annual – as opposed to per condition – deductible.

Pet First

At first glance, Pet First insurance may seem to follow a little bit of an old-fashioned business model. But the classics are usually classics for a good reason. Their website features a very informative page explaining to pet owners all of the things that pet insurance and car insurance actually have in common. Some of the highlighted similarities include pre-existing condition stipulations, out-of-pocket expenses, and justification for premium cost calculations. Pet First also claims they have the shortest waiting periods in the entire pet insurance industry. They offer healthy pet discounts, they’re willing to cover all breeds and ages of cats, they offer a healthy kitty discount, and won’t require you to go through a pre-approval exam process or ask your veterinarian to provide a summary of your pet’s current health before offering you a policy.

Trupanion

Many different types of insurance and insurance companies will pay out claims directly to the policyholder – in this case, you – so that you can distribute the funds however you see fit. Trupanion does things a little differently. They claim to be the only animal insurance company who will directly pay your reimbursement money to your veterinarian – in as little as five minutes on top of that. They’re underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company. When your pet insurance company handles disbursements the way trupanion does, you’re only responsible for your deductible and your agreed-upon portion of the total bill. Many pet insurance companies these days will require you to pay all costs upfront and only reimburse you for the money you’re eligible for after you file the claim and your pet insurance company successfully processes it. With Trupanion, you also have better rate guarantees than with some other pet insurance companies. The policy you purchase on day one will carry the same rates and the same amount of coverage regardless of your cat’s age and the number of claims you file.

Pets Best

Purchasing pet insurance for your cat with Pets Best comes with many clearly explained, flexible options. Like all pet insurance, they cover emergencies, accidents, and illnesses. They also offer hereditary condition coverage. You can choose between a 70% – 90% reimbursement rate, you can customize your annual deductible, and also your yearly limits. You have the option to add exam fee coverage if you wish. You can also add a pet Wellness Plan to your policy if you feel you might need help paying for routine care. Just keep in mind that Pets Best may not cover you if your cat needs prescription drugs, an experimental/investigational treatment, or if you have more than one foreign body ingestion emergency. However, less coverage usually means a more affordable monthly rate, so you should keep that in mind when making your decision.

ASPCA

Some finicky cat owners may be concerned about the fact that ASPCA pet health insurance doesn’t cover cosmetic procedures or breeding costs associated with your cat’s healthcare. It does, however, provide coverage for accidents, illness, dental disease, hereditary conditions, and behavioral issues, among many other things. Whether your cat needs diabetes treatment, emergency surgery after eating something dangerous, or a life-saving microchip, the ASPCA has you covered. Compared to some other pet insurance companies, you won’t get coverage for any investigational or experimental treatments. You also won’t be required to neuter or spay your cat in order to get coverage (but for most cats, this is highly recommended and beneficial to their long-term health). The ASPCA also gives you the option of adding routine care coverage to your plan starting at around $10 per month (or more, depending on the care your cat needs).

Nationwide

Nationwide is a very big, powerful name in the insurance industry, and they are trying to cultivate an equally substantial reputation for themselves when it comes to pet insurance. They promise cat owners like you a plan that provides the broadest available coverage you can get anywhere. You can use any vet you want, and you can get a comprehensive cat health insurance plan for potentially as little as $35 a month. Unfortunately, your cat’s age as well as their breed may limit your available coverage from Nationwide or make your coverage more expensive. You may also be required to get an initial exam or a healthy pet note from your vet. Furthermore, their coverage for ear and eye conditions as related to older cats might not be very substantial. But for younger, healthier, more common breeds of cats, you can get valuable coverage for a lot of common cat health problems. These include kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and an feLV/FIV test. You can also get coverage for holistic and alternative treatments.

Mark Romero is the head of content for PetHelpCenter.com . He has been doing research in the insurance industry for the past six years and has two lovely rescued pups named Luke and Leia.
Mark Romero
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