If you own a cat, then you’ll want to make sure it has the happiest and healthiest life possible. While cats are generally quite resilient, they sometimes require medical treatment, whether for a health condition or because they get injured.
Paying for treatment out of your own pocket, especially for operations, can be very expensive. For this reason, many people choose to take out a cat insurance policy.
Some of the benefits of getting cat insurance are:
- Peace of mind that your cat will get the best treatment if/when they need it
- Various insurance types to suit all budgets
- Flexible payment options
- Getting quotes is a quick and easy process
A guide to cat insurance
Having cat insurance when you own a cat may not be a legal requirement but it is something that many people get the benefit from. Vet bills can easily add up and having cover in place will give you peace of mind that your cat will get the best treatment when they need it.
Getting cat insurance quotes is a very quick and easy process. If you’d like to get quotes now, simply click the green button. Otherwise, read on to find out more about cat insurance, including the types of policies you can get and some great ways to save money.
Did you know?
What types of cat insurance policies are there?
Below are some of the main types of cat insurance policies you can get:
- Lifetime cat insurance – A lifetime cat insurance policy will cover your cat for the duration of its life. Many people opt for this type of policy since it provides the most peace of mind. The cost of your cover can increase as your cat gets older but often these increases are capped.
- Time-limited cat insurance – A time-limited cat insurance policy needs to be renewed each year with any new health conditions covered for a period of 12 months. After this time, they’ll be considered pre-existing conditions and will be taken into account in the cost of your new policy when you renew. This type of cover is usually cheaper than lifetime insurance.
- Accident only cat insurance – If your main concern is accidents, then this type of policy may be right for you. Accident only cover is generally much cheaper than the two cover types above but it will also provide minimal cover and doesn’t provide for things like health conditions or your cat going missing or being stolen.
What types of things aren’t covered by dog insurance?
Some of the things that are typically excluded on a dog insurance policy include:
- Neutering and spaying
- Vaccinations
- Claw-clipping and other types of grooming
- Pest treatments
How much does cat insurance cost?
What you pay for cat insurance will depend on a few key things. Below are the main ones:
- Age – The age of your cat is a big factor that affects how much you’ll pay for insurance. As you would imagine, younger cats are cheaper to insure since they’re generally healthier and less likely to develop problems when compared to older cats.
- Medical history – Another factor is the medical history of your cat. For very young cats, this generally isn’t an issue but if your cat is well into adulthood, then it may have previous medical conditions that need to be taken into account.
- Living circumstances – The living circumstances of your cat will also affect how much you pay for cover. This includes things like whether it’s allowed outdoors, if you have a large garden or if your house is facing a road. Anything that affects how likely it might be to get knocked over or injured in some other way.
Did you know?
What types of things are covered in a cat insurance policy?
A typical cat insurance policy will include cover for things such as:
- Hereditary health conditions – Any health conditions that your cat has had since birth may be covered by your cat insurance policy. Not all providers will offer this type of cover and there may be a limit on how much the policy pays out, especially for on-going problems that are likely to be expensive in the long term.
- Injuries from accidents – If your cat fell from a high place or was knocked over by a car, it would likely require medical treatment and this would be covered by most cat insurance policies, including accident only cover. There is often an excess to pay for these types of claims, so it’s worth finding out what this would be when taking out your cover.
- Treating or extracting damaged teeth – Dental problems are very common for cats, particular if owners allow them to drink cat milk or cream that has a lot of sugar in it. Most cat insurance policies will include cover for emergency dental treatment, although other types of dental care such as teeth cleaning, may not be covered.
- Behavioural therapy – Cats can be very neurotic animals, as any cat owner knows. Although the quirks that cats have are often harmless, there’s certain behaviours that some cats display, such as anxiety or aggression, that would benefit from treatment. Not all cat insurance policies include behavioural therapy, so this is something you should find out before taking out cover.
Are there any exclusions?
Some of the things that typically aren’t included in a cat insurance policy include:
- Neutering or spaying
- Claw clipping and other types of grooming
- Vaccinations
- Flea or worming treatments
Saving money on cat insurance
Below are some excellent ways to keep the cost of cat insurance to a minimum:
- Get cover when your cat is young – One of the best ways to get cat insurance at the best price is by taking out a policy when your cat is still young. The older cats get, the more likely they are to develop health issues, so to avoid overpaying for cover, it’s nearly always better to get a policy when your cat is young and healthy.
- Get your cat microchipped – Another good way to keep costs down is by getting your cat microchipped. Depending on where you got your cat from, it may be microchipped already but if not, it’s definitely worth doing. Not only will this give you peace of mind if it were to go missing but it could also reduce what you pay for insurance.
- Increase excess on the policy – The excess is the amount you would pay towards a claim if you needed to make one. The higher your excess, the lower the monthly cost of your policy. Of course there’s a risk/reward balance to get right but it is a reliable way to reduce the cost of your cover.
- Keep your cat indoors – Although some people may consider it cruel to not allow a cat to go outside, many cats are content to be indoor-only pets and this of course makes them much safer and not likely to be knocked over or injured in some other way.
- Shop around – A very obvious way to save money when looking for cat insurance is to get quotes from multiple providers. By getting many quotes, you can easily compare them next to each other and choose the one that offers the best value for money.
In summary: Buying cat insurance
Although many people consider cats resilient animals that aren’t likely to need vet treatment, this simply isn’t the case. Issues such as accidents and tooth damage are very common with cats and the cost of getting treatment can be very expensive when you’re having to pay for the whole thing yourself.
A good cat insurance policy will cover your cat for all major treatments and give you full peace of mind.
Get affordable cat insurance quotes now!
To get cat insurance quotes from specialist providers now, simply click the green button below. Once you’ve answered some basic questions about yourself and your cat, you can then compare your quotes easily and pick the best one!
Cat Insurance FAQs
Am I covered if my cat is lost or stolen?
Some policies may cover the original purchase cost of your cat if it goes missing or is stolen, provided you have a receipt. You may also be covered for advertising and reward costs in some policies.
Are dental issues covered?
Dental treatment for cats is usually covered if it’s emergency treatment that’s needed as a result of an accident (your cat getting knocked over for example). Regular treatments such as cleaning and extraction usually aren’t included.
If my cat dies, will I receive any payout?
Some policies have what is known as ‘death benefit’ where you’ll be paid a lump sum if your cat dies.
Is it worth getting my cat microchipped?
Yes, even if this doesn’t save you any money on your insurance, it’s still worth doing since it will make it possible to locate your cat if it goes missing.