Cat Insurance - Worth It?

Hello all!

Firstly, I'm new to these forums! So I'd like to say hello to everyone.

I acquired my first cat ever about a year ago and his name is Neffer! He is a Devon Rex / Sphynx mix.

Just a few days ago I saw he peed out some blood so I took him to the vet. He's got Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, which I believe is quite common with Male Cats. The bill was $210 but she also suggested that I should get his teeth cleaned for $400 due to the Stage 1 tartar buildup. She recommended I might look into pet insurance, but I'm a little hesitant based on my research.

Firstly, I assume all insurance companies are out to make money......and probably would find a million reasons to deny my claims.

Secodly, I'm also assuming there's no way they would cover his 'dental cleaning', so I'm starting to think I should avoid the insurance and just bite the bullet on vet bills.

Finally, my parents just had their 8 year old Matlese's teeth removed due to an infection. The operation cost them $800. Now to me, I think it's quite unnatural to have to get your pet's teeth professionally cleaned. They don't do it in nature...and although I understand that a handful of animals probably die due to infections in their gums, I feel like spending $400 every 1 1/2 years is far too expensive. I also feel like his teeth will be completely fine! I feed him really good food, and sure, I'll also take the step to cleaning his teeth when I can, but as long as he isn't in pain due to his dirty teeth... I see no reason to get them professionally done.


Alright this turned into somewhat of a rant :headslap: but I'd appreciate anyone's feedback. I'm new to cats :)


Thanks in advance!

Oh my goodness, what a cutie Neffer is!!! He looks very kissable :lovestruck:.

As for insurance, I think you do really have to read the fine print and do lots of research on the various plan options (some do cover dentals, but you have to pay higher premiums). Most won't cover pre-existing conditions, so anything related to bladder/urinary tract health for Neffer would be out. There's a decent site here that compares the various plans: http://www.petinsurancereview.com/index.asp

I personally prefer to set aside some money each month into a special account just for my kitties. I also feed them the highest quality food I can (raw and premium canned), which I think is the best health insurance out there. What do you feed Neffer? If kibble, you might want to consider going to only wet food due to his FLUTD, and since he has dental issues, a raw diet would likely help in that department. http://feline-nutrition.org/

Thanks a ton! That seems to be the general response I've received from most my friends too. Put some money aside, and it will probably cover any problems he has in the future :)

PS - I came home and he was in my bed in that position!! I didn't set up that photo at all :)

As the daddy to 2 sphynxes, it's cool to see some hairless cousins :highfive:

I have insurance and the real problem I see with it and we were talking about that today is that in my case, at least the company we are with in case your cat (or dog) get sick they don't cover the vet bills at the spot but you have to submit a claim and imo what gives me peace of mind about insurance is to have someone to cover those bills in that moment because I probably won't have enough cash available to do it and the way I see it that defeats the purpose of having insurance.
I've been thinking about opening a saving account exclusive just for pets because what I need is the cash to pay on the spot or else how are you going to provide that attention you want for your beloved pets? (I ask myself)
You get your money back but the problem is the timing, not when I really need it the most.
That's the main issue I see with pet insurance.

I am really glad that I decided to get insurance for my Choc Lab Sasha. We have our policy with Truepanion and have never regreted the choice. We applied for insurance when Sasha was 8 weeks old, I figured that she would live to at least 13 so with that in mind and the premium at the time it worked out to about $5000. Sasha is very active and has gotten into her share of trouble, we have claimed over $15,000 and there is no way that I would have saved that amount.

Her recent claim of dental work, she broke 3 bottom teeth (my poor baby) the 2+ hour of surgery, teeth cleaning and meds came to $2400.00.

The choice is always yours, I highly reccommend Truepanion.

Pets insurance will not cover pre-existing conditions , and I am not sure if they'll yearly check up . You should read the fine print very carefully and I would write down questions you want to ask if you do decide to check into this.