Congratulations on your new family member!Enjoy this time—kittens grow up so fast. A 2-month-old cat is the equivalent ofa human toddler, but by the time they are 1 year old, they’re already a feline“teenager.”

Even though your kitten is young and playful,and you may think they don’t need it, it’s never too early to think aboutgetting your kitten pet insurance.

Do I Need Insurance for My Kitten?

Thankfully, most kittens manage to get toadulthood without major health problems, but some risks are quite common inthis stage of life:

·       Kittens are susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseaseslike feline distemper, feline leukemia, and some types of upperrespiratory infections while they are in the process of receiving their initialvaccines. It is not until a couple of weeks after their last set of vaccinesthat they can be considered fully vaccinated.

·       A kitten’s immune system is still a work in progress. They maybe unable to fight off diseases, like ringworm, that don’t affect adultcats as frequently.

·       Most kittens have parasites until they receive appropriatemedications. Intestinal worms, coccidia, ear mites, and fleas arecommon in kittens. These parasites can make them miserable and sometimesdangerously ill.

·       Kittens are curious! They may get themselves into situationsthat lead to injuries, or they eat things like string or toxic plants thatmake them sick.

Purchasing kitten insurance as soon as youcan maximizes your ability to pay for whatever treatment your feline friendmight need. And the sooner you get it, the less risk of a health problem beingclassified as a pre-existing condition that won’t be covered.

How Does Kitten Insurance Work?

It’s important to understand how kitteninsurance works before you get a policy. You may be surprised to find out thatmost pet insurance policies don’t pay for care up-front.

You pay your veterinarian when your kittenis treated. Then you send a copy of your bill (the claim) to your insurancecompany, and they’ll reimburse you for anything that’s covered under yourpolicy. First, they will subtract your deductible, and then they will paya portion of the bill according to your reimbursement percentage.

Let’s say the bill was $200. You pay thevet $200 and send the claim to the insurance company. Your deductible is $100,so now the amount left is $100. The reimbursement percentage on your policy is90%, so the insurance company pays you back $90.

Another point to note is that wellness carefor your cat—things like vaccines, checkups, and routine laboratory testing—areusually not covered by traditional kitten insurance. The two types oftraditional plans are accident-only and accident and illness, and wellnessplans are available either as standalone policies or as add-ons to thesetypes of plans.

What Does Kitten Insurance Cover?

So, what does kitten insurance cover? Theanswer varies from policy to policy, but when you first start your search, it’shelpful to organize your options into three main categories:

·       Accident andillness plans are the most common type of kitten insurance. They coverthings like diagnostic tests, prescription medications, treatments,hospitalization, and surgery when they’re needed due to illness or injury.

·       Accident-only plans arecheaper than accident and illness plans, but they won’t offer any benefits ifyour kitten gets sick. And sometimes the insurance company doesn’t consider anevent an accident, even if it’s something that you would.

·       Wellness plans coverpreventive care, not expenses associated with a kitten becoming sick orinjured. Wellness plans are available as an add-on option if you’re purchasingtraditional kitten insurance or as a standalone policy. A few companies coverwellness care as a part of a more all-inclusive insurance plan. Products andservices that are often covered by kitten wellness plans include:

o   Routinecheckups

o   Commonlyrecommended vaccinations

o   Testing forfeline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus

o   Heartworm,flea, and tick preventives

o   Fecal testsand deworming for common intestinal parasites

o   Microchipping

o   Spay/neutersurgeries

How To Get Kitten Insurance

Once you have an idea of the type of kitteninsurance you’re interested in, it’s time to dig into the details. Get onlinequotes from at least two or three reputable companies. Carefully read thepolicies to understand what is covered, what is excluded, and what your costswill be. Here are a few specifics to watch out for:

·       Maximum payouts(caps)—Most kitten insurance policies have a maximum amount thecompany will pay, either per year or per incident.

·       Waiting periods—Oftentimes,your policy won’t go into effect immediately. If your kitten requires careduring this waiting period, which can vary from a few days to weeks or evenlonger for certain health problems, the insurance company won’t cover it.

·       Exams—Someinsurance policies expect you to pay for fees associated with office visits andphysical examinations. Check and see if telehealth visits are covered, too.

·       Hereditary orcongenital conditions—Some feline health problems are passed down from parent tooffspring (hereditary) or are present at birth (congenital). For example, theextremely flat faces of Persian cats put them at high risk for eyeinjuries and dental disease. Make sure any health problems that are commonfor your kitten’s breed are covered.

·       Complementary care—Certaintypes of treatment, like behavioral therapy, physical rehabilitation, andacupuncture, may or may not be covered.

·       Multi-pet discount—Do you havemore than one pet? If so, check if the insurance company offers a multi-petdiscount.

Before long, your kitten will be all grownup. It’s often best to stay with the same insurance company as your cat entersadulthood if they have been diagnosed with a condition or had symptoms to avoidpre-existing condition exclusions.

Make sure you like the plans that areavailable for older cats, and that you won’t be forced to purchase a new policyif you move. Continual coverage for chronic diseases also becomes moreimportant as cats get older. Unfortunately, some cat insurance policies onlycover conditions in the year they are diagnosed.

Finding Affordable Kitten Insurance

Kitten insurance policies are available atmany different price points. In general, the more you pay, the more that willbe covered. However, there are ways you can tweak your coverage if your monthlybudget is tight:

·       Raise your deductible. The deductible is the amount you must paybefore the insurance policy’s coverage starts to take effect. Higherdeductibles usually mean lower monthly premiums.

·       Lower your reimbursement level. The reimbursement level is thepercentage of your kitten’s care that the insurance company will cover (90%versus 70%, for example) after your deductible is met. A lower reimbursementpercentage will reduce your monthly premium.

But don’t overlook the benefit of spreadingout your expenses. It’s much easier to budget for a recurring monthly premiumthan having to deal with large, unexpected veterinary bills.

There’s no way around the research neededto find a kitten insurance policy that’s right for you, but the satisfactionthat comes with knowing you’ll be able to care for your feline friend is worththe time it takes!

Do I Need Insurance for My Kitten?

Thankfully, most kittens manage to get toadulthood without major health problems, but some risks are quite common inthis stage of life:

·       Kittens are susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseaseslike feline distemper, feline leukemia, and some types of upperrespiratory infections while they are in the process of receiving their initialvaccines. It is not until a couple of weeks after their last set of vaccinesthat they can be considered fully vaccinated.

·       A kitten’s immune system is still a work in progress. They maybe unable to fight off diseases, like ringworm, that don’t affect adult catsas frequently.

·       Most kittens have parasites until they receive appropriatemedications. Intestinal worms, coccidia, ear mites, and fleas arecommon in kittens. These parasites can make them miserable and sometimesdangerously ill.

·       Kittens are curious! They may get themselves into situationsthat lead to injuries, or they eat things like string or toxic plants thatmake them sick.

Purchasing kitten insurance as soon as youcan maximizes your ability to pay for whatever treatment your feline friendmight need. And the sooner you get it, the less risk of a health problem beingclassified as a pre-existing condition that won’t be covered.

How Does Kitten Insurance Work?

It’s important to understand how kitteninsurance works before you get a policy. You may be surprised to find out thatmost pet insurance policies don’t pay for care up-front.

You pay your veterinarian when your kittenis treated. Then you send a copy of your bill (the claim) to your insurancecompany, and they’ll reimburse you for anything that’s covered under yourpolicy. First, they will subtract your deductible, and then they will paya portion of the bill according to your reimbursement percentage.

Let’s say the bill was $200. You pay thevet $200 and send the claim to the insurance company. Your deductible is $100,so now the amount left is $100. The reimbursement percentage on your policy is90%, so the insurance company pays you back $90.

Another point to note is that wellness carefor your cat—things like vaccines, checkups, and routine laboratory testing—areusually not covered by traditional kitten insurance. The two types oftraditional plans are accident-only and accident and illness, and wellnessplans are available either as standalone policies or as add-ons to thesetypes of plans.

What Does Kitten Insurance Cover?

So, what does kitten insurance cover? Theanswer varies from policy to policy, but when you first start your search, it’shelpful to organize your options into three main categories:

·       Accident andillness plans are the most common type of kitten insurance. They coverthings like diagnostic tests, prescription medications, treatments,hospitalization, and surgery when they’re needed due to illness or injury.

·       Accident-only plans arecheaper than accident and illness plans, but they won’t offer any benefits ifyour kitten gets sick. And sometimes the insurance company doesn’t consider anevent an accident, even if it’s something that you would.

·       Wellness plans coverpreventive care, not expenses associated with a kitten becoming sick orinjured. Wellness plans are available as an add-on option if you’re purchasingtraditional kitten insurance or as a standalone policy. A few companies coverwellness care as a part of a more all-inclusive insurance plan. Products andservices that are often covered by kitten wellness plans include:

o   Routinecheckups

o   Commonlyrecommended vaccinations

o   Testing forfeline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus

o   Heartworm,flea, and tick preventives

o   Fecal testsand deworming for common intestinal parasites

o   Microchipping

o   Spay/neutersurgeries

How To Get Kitten Insurance

Once you have an idea of the type of kitteninsurance you’re interested in, it’s time to dig into the details. Get onlinequotes from at least two or three reputable companies. Carefully read thepolicies to understand what is covered, what is excluded, and what your costswill be. Here are a few specifics to watch out for:

·       Maximum payouts(caps)—Most kitten insurance policies have a maximum amount thecompany will pay, either per year or per incident.

·       Waiting periods—Oftentimes,your policy won’t go into effect immediately. If your kitten requires careduring this waiting period, which can vary from a few days to weeks or evenlonger for certain health problems, the insurance company won’t cover it.

·       Exams—Someinsurance policies expect you to pay for fees associated with office visits andphysical examinations. Check and see if telehealth visits are covered, too.

·       Hereditary orcongenital conditions—Some feline health problems are passed down from parent tooffspring (hereditary) or are present at birth (congenital). For example, theextremely flat faces of Persian cats put them at high risk for eyeinjuries and dental disease. Make sure any health problems that are commonfor your kitten’s breed are covered.

·       Complementary care—Certaintypes of treatment, like behavioral therapy, physical rehabilitation, andacupuncture, may or may not be covered.

·       Multi-pet discount—Do you havemore than one pet? If so, check if the insurance company offers a multi-petdiscount.

Before long, your kitten will be all grownup. It’s often best to stay with the same insurance company as your cat entersadulthood if they have been diagnosed with a condition or had symptoms to avoidpre-existing condition exclusions.

Make sure you like the plans that areavailable for older cats, and that you won’t be forced to purchase a new policyif you move. Continual coverage for chronic diseases also becomes moreimportant as cats get older. Unfortunately, some cat insurance policies onlycover conditions in the year they are diagnosed.

Finding Affordable Kitten Insurance

Kitten insurance policies are available atmany different price points. In general, the more you pay, the more that willbe covered. However, there are ways you can tweak your coverage if your monthlybudget is tight:

·       Raise your deductible. The deductible is the amount you must paybefore the insurance policy’s coverage starts to take effect. Higherdeductibles usually mean lower monthly premiums.

·       Lower your reimbursement level. The reimbursement level is thepercentage of your kitten’s care that the insurance company will cover (90%versus 70%, for example) after your deductible is met. A lower reimbursementpercentage will reduce your monthly premium.

But don’t overlook the benefit of spreadingout your expenses. It’s much easier to budget for a recurring monthly premiumthan having to deal with large, unexpected veterinary bills.

There’s no way around the research neededto find a kitten insurance policy that’s right for you, but the satisfactionthat comes with knowing you’ll be able to care for your feline friend is worththe time it takes!