Even though cats are smart and wary little creatures, they do get sick or injured from time to time. Pet insurance for cats can be a lifesaver in such situations, as most cat owners usually ignore the expenses when injuries or illnesses come around.
One of the best-ranked pet insurances nowadays is Lemonade Pet Insurance.
Embrace Pet insurance offers a health care policy for your pet.
Veterinary bills can be as high as the White House’s ceiling if your cat endured an accident and you want to save its life. To avoid paying thousands of dollars at once – you’ll want to hear what we have to say about cat insurance.
Let’s start by explaining what cat insurance is in the first place.
What is Pet Insurance for Cats?
Pet companies offer to reimburse you for the bills you’ve paid at the vet. While you have to pay the bill yourself and get reimbursed later, certain cat insurance companies provide a Direct Vet Pay option to make it even easier for you.
Imagine not having to worry about going to the veterinarian and wondering how on earth will you pay their expensive bills. With a little help from a ‘friend’, AKA – a cat insurance company – your problem might magically disappear.
But let’s not get carried away in fairyland.
Pet insurance does cost money, after all. Yes, they provide peace of mind, but you have to choose wisely when selecting the proper coverage.
What is the Best Cat Pet Insurance: Ratings
Many pet insurance companies out there will offer you pet insurance for cats. All these companies have one base coverage plan, and the devil is in the details. Some of the best companies for insuring your cat include:
According to general reviews, Lemonade comes first as the best insurance provider for cats with 4.6 stars. Embrace is a close second pet insurance company with 4.5 stars and it’s established as the best overall insurance provider for pets. Other worthy cat insurance providers include Prudent Pet as the best for extra coverage and Healthy Paws.
Comparison of Pet Insurance Plans for Cats
The plans offered by pet insurance companies can be divided as follows:
- Accident and illness plans – The most popular and comprehensive plan offered by all insurance providers. It covers a broad spectrum of illnesses and accidents, including congenital and hereditary conditions, cancer, heart diseases, etc.
- Accident-only plans – These plans are intended for pet owners who don’t want to purchase full coverage but instead want their cats covered only for emergencies related to accidents or injuries.
- Wellness or preventive care – This is an add-on covering routine treatments with the vet to help you save money on regular visits and maintain your cat’s health. Embrace, Prudent Pet, and Lemonade have this add-on for preventive care.
What Insurance Companies Offer?
Lemonade offers one illness and accident coverage plan that you can upgrade with add-ons. The plan for your cat should include health emergencies like broken bones, heart disease and cancer, poisoning, and more. Lemonade doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, behavioral and elective treatments.
The reimbursement rates for Lemonade are 70%, 80%, and 90%, with the deductibles varying between $100, $250, and $500. A plain coverage plan can start as low as $11 for a 1-year-old to $36 for 9-year-old cats.
The Unlimited Plan by Prudent Pet will provide you with limitless annual coverage. Prudent Pet offers three plans: The Essential Plan, The Ultimate Plan, and the Accident-Only Plan. The annual coverage for the Accident-only and Essential plans is $10,000.
The deductibles are $100, $250, $500, and $1,000, and there is a 79%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement rate. A basic Essential plan fluctuates from $18 for a 1-year-old to $50 for a 9-year-old cat.
If you’re into additional savings, Embrace is the right choice for you. There is an option of purchasing a Healthy Pet Deductible, which means that if your cat is to stay healthy for several years – you might end up paying nothing for a claim. Embrace is also a good option if you are a proud owner of multiple cats (10% discount), and military personnel (5% discount).
The reimbursement rates at Embrace are 70%, 80%, or 90%, whereas the deductibles are $200, $300, $500, $750, and $1,000. A 1-year-old cat can have insurance coverage as low as $16, and a 9-year-old can be insured at $50.
What is the Best Pet Insurance for Senior Cats?
Many insurance companies do not offer enrollment and insurance policies for your senior four-legged friends. It’s always smart to start insuring your cat at an early age because that way, certain cat insurance providers will allow you to continue the policy, even though your cat surpassed the maximum age limit.
Cat insurance providers that will enroll a senior pet include ASPCA, Pets Best, and Hartville. If your cat is older and has no pre-existing conditions – these are the right companies for your pet.
Since cats develop specific conditions in their senior years, doing detailed research and choosing a specific coverage based on your cat’s needs is mandatory.
Hartville offers a Full Coverage plan for older cats within the price range of $45 to $135. The Accident-only plan can be purchased at a price ranging from $12 to $29, and the Optional Preventive Plan is the same as for all the other cats, priced from $10 to $25.
ASPCA also offers pet insurance for senior cats. The Full Coverage plan for older cats ranges between $30 to $100. The Accident-only plan comes at a price from $8 to $21, and the Optional Preventive Plan is the same as for all the other cats, ranging from $10 to $25.
What is the Best Pet Insurance for Diabetic Cats?
Cats tend to develop diabetes just like humans do. It’s a manageable condition, but it requires good care and daily commitment. Some customers say that taking care of a diabetic cat costs around $30 per month.
But what do the insurance companies say?
The most common conclusion is that insurance companies are not fond of pets with diabetes, therefore making them ineligible for new policy enrollment. Diabetes insipidus and mellitus are the two types of diabetes covered by Nationwide. There’s one condition, though – the cat must be already insured when it develops the condition.
If there’s one conclusion we can denote – it’s that you should always insure your cat at a young age. Although cat insurance companies claim they cover diabetes – they will only do so if your cat is already injured.
What is the Best Pet Insurance for Cats: Conclusion
Caring for cats is a bit cheaper than dogs, but unexpected expenses constantly arise. The insurance plans offered by different companies don’t vary much in price as they differ in their insurance plans.
Embrace is our top recommendation, especially if you have a healthy cat that will qualify for the Healthy Pet Deductible plan.
ASPCA might be the right choice for you if you own a senior cat. As for diabetic cats, un-furr-tunately, there is no good news. Unless they have been insured prior to developing diabetes – there isn’t much you can do except to treat it out of your own pocket.
