Cat insurance and personal experiences?

[merrynyamu]

Hello Everyone!

I am thinking of adopting a cat from my local shelter. However, before getting one, I wanted to be prepared in terms of knowing how to deal with kitty-emergency-finances.

I have read some of the posts in the forum regarding insurance, however, most of these are regarding general pet insurance. I want to know specifically about cats. I have read some pros and cons - some say it is better to skip insurance and save money in a separate account, others say insurance will help for bigger bills, yet others say that you need to lay a claim and cannot get the money immediately.

I am going to be a graduate student so when it comes to money, I might not be able to afford hundreds of dollars (>500$ in one setting) for vet bills in case of an emergency all in one setting (borrowing might be an option but paying it back may take quite some time), so my question is whether or not it is worth getting insurance SPECIFICALLY for cats - an indoor cat whom I might take out on walks on a leash. Are there specific diseases that cats are very prone to? Can you guys give me some personal experiences regarding insurance for cats? And is it better to save up money instead? The issue in that case, again would be that I might save up a few hundred over time, but if I have to spend a lot of money (>500$), I may not have it on hand.

Another question is, what is the amount that is paid for basic cat insurance.

Also, I don't mind spending extra money on good food if it prevents having to spend on vet bills and because I want my cat to have the best I can provide. I just will have difficulty dealing with heavy bills in case of emergencies.

Thank you! I hope you're all having a lovely day!