Best insurance for 14 y/o cat?

[meowmeow666meow]

First, I’m on mobile and am having a hard time navigating this site. If there is a better forum for this question, or other resources here, please direct me!

Basically my question is the title of this post, but feel free to read the rest for more background.

I recently lost a 13 y/o kitty to cancer. I’m completely devastated, but I also racked up about 5k in vet bills. It was completely worth it but now on top of losing my precious cat, I’m worrying about my new debt.

I have another cat still, a 14 y/o who is currently perfectly healthy, but I know that could change at any minute. If or when that happens, I don’t want the stress of money again.

She has some pre-existing conditions. She has feline herpes. She had hyperthyroidism, cured with radioactive iodine therapy. She also had stomatitis awhile back and had a bunch of teeth removed.

I’m looking at some big companies like Trupanion, ASPCA, etc. Surprisingly they mostly good reviews on website like consumer affairs, US News etc. But they all have deplorable reviews on Yelp, with many people saying they find any reason to deny a claim.

Cost of plans isn’t a huge concern for me. Mostly I want a plan with a company that is the least likely to reject a claim.

Pet insurance is new for me and I’m mostly just curious to see what people here say, or if there is a consensus for least shady / dishonest company.

Thank you!

 

[fionasmom]

I have ASPCA for three cats and have had no trouble with them at all. Before you select a company and plan, remember that if you change the plan later to get a lower deductible, for example, it will usually create a new policy with even more exclusions. So choose the coverage that you want carefully. There are many good companies and I am not trying to push you in the direction of ASPCA as I enrolled the cats, who were very young and healthy at the time, in a panic after the debacle of my old dog's veterinary bills.

So this is my story of having an elderly pet and wanting insurance. My GSD, who will be 15 in a few days, has not had good health despite his longevity. He had several condition as a younger dog such as Cushings disease, hypothyroidism, among other. One day, I called around for some quotes and found that, as we know, there were going to be a number of exclusions including the Cushings which is expensive to treat. It is a go big or go home disease in dogs. They wanted, on an average, $100 per month with exclusions. I thought that $1200 per year, not even covering Cushings, was outrageous. So I did not insure him.

A few months later there is a black growth on his leg which turns out to be melanoma. He had an amputation and immunotherapy at a special referral clinic. It was easily $10,000. The irony is that this dog never had one single skin condition or cancer in the past and the insurance would have covered this claim.

Personally, I would insure the cat. Many on TCS have been happy with Trupanion. There are a few companies that claim to insure pre existing conditions, but they all sound wonky to me. If you choose carefully and disclose all your cat's documented conditions, ask about waiting periods if they apply, etc. you should be fine.