Cat insurance: how it works and when it is needed

Adopting a kitten always brings joy and happiness to the family, but it also involves the commitment to ensure the best conditions of life, so that it can live serenely and happily, as a member of the family in all respects. It is therefore essential to take care of its health, bringing it regularly to the vet to check its state of health, for basic treatments and for the various vaccinations.

Why it is advisable to insure your cat

All cat owners, sooner or later, have to face medical treatment if their pet falls ill or is the victim of an accident. The medical expenses incurred for your cat are therefore an item not to be underestimated in any family budget. It could be advantageous to consider taking out an insurance policy for the pet of the house, which covers veterinary expenses can sometimes be very useful.
Insuring the cat can also serve to reimburse any damage caused to third parties by the family pet.

What cat insurance covers

There are various types of insurance coverage that can be used to protect your 4-legged friend. Normally, when you insure your cat, the policy includes, in addition to the reimbursement of damages that the animal may cause to third parties or their property, also coverage for costs related to the health of the cat, reimbursing, within a ceiling, the expense incurred for the veterinarian or any medicines.
In some cases you can also choose a “prevention package” that includes vaccinations and homeopathic treatments, or you can request coverage for emergency transport of the injured cat to a medical center.
You can also insure the animal in case of death or in case the cat is stolen or lost; in these sad eventualities the insurance company will pay the commercial value of the animal.
Finally, it is also possible to guarantee board and lodging to the cat in case the policyholder is unable to take care of the animal or the heirs do not want to take care of it. The insurance will reimburse the costs of the animal’s retirement until the animal dies or is re-homed.

What to consider when insuring your cat and how much it costs

The cost of insuring cats can vary depending on two main factors: age and breed of cat. Insurance for a young, healthy and non-bred cat has a rather low annual cost, while the rates can increase if the cat is sick or of breed, so much so that the annual premium can increase by as much as 70%. Even for kittens aged six months to a year, the premium increases considerably.
Before taking out an insurance policy for your cat, it is therefore advisable to ask the company which parameters should be taken into account, in order not to risk that the amount to be paid becomes too high.

In conclusion, taking out an insurance policy for animals can make the difference in order to face the expenses linked to the well-being of the cat; expenses, which often could be too expensive for the pockets of many, especially if unexpected. The owners of cats in this way will not be forced to make a painful choice: that of not being able to take care of their four-legged friend, with dramatic consequences.