Pet Insurance
If you would spend whatever you could afford to save your cat’s life, you should have health insurance for him or her.
I have coverage for my house cats with VPI (http://www.vpipetinsurance.com/ ) . There are other companies, and your vet may have a recommendation. Shop around.
As with any insurance, make sure that you understand what is covered and what is not, deductibles, etc. With the many live-prolonging treatments that were not available even a few years ago, and their high price, health insurance is as necessary for your pets as for humans. If you can afford it, get it now. When you pet is diagnosed with a serious illness, it’s too late to buy coverage, as preexisting conditions are not covered.
Various plans are available. My cost is about $300 a year for a young healthy cat. This policy does not cover annual exams and shots, only illness or injury. I did buy the extra cancer coverage. I receive a 5% discount through my labor union. The premiums almost always go up each year.
The cancer coverage saved James’ life. I would not have been able to afford the surgery without insurance. James was diagnosed with colon cancer at seven years old, and lived to be 14.
When Honey developed hyperthyroidism, the insurance covered half the cost of Thyro-Cat I-131 treatment. I couldn’t have afforded it otherwise.
As with any insurance, don’t expect your costs to be made whole. There are deductibles, maximums for each illness, yearly maximums. In short, all the problems of human health insurance. Always check your policy and renewal statements. Once, a preexisting condition was added incorrectly. It was promptly removed when I protested.
Cost will be an issue for most people. The only thing more important than good veterinary care (& the insurance to pay for it) is nutritious food. Instead of spending money on toys, gourmet food, etc. for your companion animals, buy health insurance. Your dog doesn’t care if his lease or ball is new, and your cat will be just as happy playing with a ball of paper as a new toy.