Pet Insurance; How to Save your Bacon.

One of my veterinarian clients recently visited to see her new kitten, anxiously awaiting for him to grow old enough to go home. She said something that I don't think is discussed enough, and that is pet insurance.

Insurance can be a hard sell. It's impossible to predict expenses that don't exist, or to fathom an accident that hasn't happened. So let me share some of my research and experience.

Today I priced a popular pet insurance, available to everyone. For only $18.82 a month, and a $250 annual deductible, you can get up to 90% coverage off most veterinary expenses. For $4 a month extra, you can get preventative care included. So for about $274 per year, you can have extensive coverage for your pet. Prices can vary depending on location and age of the pet. Of course there are some things that aren't covered, but the list of non-covered situations is minuscule compared to what they do cover. If you don't want a deductible, you can increase your monthly payment and avoid the annual hit. The company that I reference here allows you to use any licensed veterinarian world wide.

Let me share a veterinary visit I had this last year. It was unforeseeable and unexpected. It happened when my husband was carrying a basket of laundry downstairs. One of our young, future mothers ran in front of him on a stair tread, directly under where he stepped. He started to step and then felt her under his foot, slightly tripping, keeping him from putting his entire weight on her. He redirected himself but it was too late, he'd hurt her. She jumped from the stair, and was unable to stand up completely. She immediately threw up and evacuated her bowels. Off to the emergency veterinarian, as it was Saturday and our vet wasn't open.

The emergency vet rushed her to the back, got her started on oxygen and took a full body x-ray. The doctor also gave her some pain medication, which seemed to help her calm down and return her heart rate back to normal. She was kept under observation for two hours. In the end, she had no broken bones, no internal bleeding, but she was bruised and she hurt. We were so lucky.

This emergency situation would have cost us $900. After our insurance coverage, it cost us $90. We'd already met our $250 deductible. If we hadn't met our deductible yet, it would have been $340, still giving us a savings of $560 for this one visit.

I researched pet insurance companies as of May 2023, found on here. I recommend you research those you're interested in and compare the coverage and cost. Here are links to some of the insurance companies. Figo, Trupanion, Spot, Fetch, ManyPets, Best Pets, Embrace, HealthyPaws, ASPCA and Pumpkin. I am not sponsored by any of these companies. I highly recommend you insure your kitten so you, your kitten, and your wallet are protected.