Should You Get Pet Insurance for Senior Cats?
While the best pet insurance for senior cats is insurance that your older cat can qualify for — psst! At Odie Pet Insurance we have no age limits — sometimes it may make sense to forego that cat insurance for older cats. That’s because pet insurance for older cats won’t give you the same value as pet insurance for younger cats since age can drive up your premium and deductible and they won’t cover pre-existing conditions.
On the other hand, senior cat insurance may be able to help you offset the cost of end-of-life treatments or cremation services. Also, since an older cat is more likely to develop a sickness or to need medical care, senior cat insurance can represent a viable solution if you can obtain a plan before sickness hits. Here’s what you may want to consider.
When Senior Cat Insurance Is a Good Idea
If you have an older cat that hasn’t yet reached old age, that can be the best time to enroll your aging cat in pet insurance. After all, the earlier you start with pet insurance for your cat, the less you’ll pay and the more coverage you’ll get. If you elect to pick up insurance for your cat before they develop any pre-existing conditions, that could save you a considerable amount on any health issues that develop since pre-existing conditions will not be covered under any new insurance policy.
Additionally, if you don’t have any savings set aside in the event that your cat gets sick, you may want to opt for senior cat insurance. A significant surgery could cost thousands of dollars or more, and that’s far more than the $50 or so a month that you may need to cover your cat over the next few years. If something does happen, your cat’s insurance will spring into action and help you save money on treatment.
Finally, any cat that’s prone to getting injured may be an ideal candidate for senior cat insurance. Some breeds or individual cats are just more active and likely to get hurt in their daily activities, and that could make pet insurance for a senior cat a great idea.
When Senior Cat Insurance Is Not a Good Idea
While it’s certainly up to you as the owner, sometimes pet insurance for older cats isn’t the best idea. If your cat is suffering from lots of pre-existing conditions, none of those treatments will be covered by senior cat insurance. That would mean spending money each month that you can’t really cash in on, and insurance may end up simply being an additional expense on top of all those expensive medical bills.
Also, if you have a bit of savings that you could use to cover any emergency that befalls your cat, you may want to forego the cat insurance and just spring for treatment if and when it comes up. You may even be able to save more money over the long run by not paying into insurance when your cat doesn’t need it — but it all depends on whether you can cover an illness or surgery if it does hit.
Reducing the Cost of Senior Cat Insurance
The number one way to reduce the cost of senior cat insurance is to enroll your cat in their own insurance policy as soon as you can. Doing so while they’re still a kitten is best, but even senior cat insurance can be beneficial as long as your cat has no pre-existing conditions.
Read more about the limits and benefits of pet insurance.