Insurance for a feral?

[misterginja]

Hi,

I thought would start a new thread about a community cat already posted about, since this is a new topic.

Since I might be rescuing a community cat this winter, am wondering about getting insurance if she isn’t in my care yet and has no medical records. Has anyone here ever done it or know if it’s possible?

I would like to get her insurance before rescuing even if I’m not ultimately her guardian, before she has her first vet exam where a multitude of health issues might be revealed with the lab work. As we all know, after the exam everything will be considered a pre-existing condition and not be covered.

Thanks in advance if anyone has info about doing this, or if can tell me it's impossible to do.

 

[fionasmom]

I have technically insured 5 ferals, three of whom have tipped ears. It may depend on the company that you use, as some do require an exam, but some do not. They insure based on age for the most part. The cats I mentioned have all been brought inside as pets.

I believe that pet insurance is a necessity nowadays if you have any intention of providing medical care for a cat or dog.

Microchip scanner recommendation
This is the cat you are talking about? She sounds just like Graycie, more or less. Spayed and ear tipped by someone else and then I adopted her. A cat with a tipped ear who is on the streets usually does not have an owner and was part of a TNR operation.

Personally, I would call/google some companies and ask about insuring this cat as if they were already your pet.

Speaking of insurance, last week two of my cats saw specialists...only because I have insurance. At the referral hospital where Graycie went, I found a pamphlet for a company called Pawlicy Advisor. I did try it out and found that it seems to give quotes from various companies without trying to sell you anything directly. pawlicy.com

There is another site called www.petinsurancereview.com I have not used it or reviewed it.

 

[misterginja]

Personally, I would call/google some companies and ask about insuring this cat as if they were already your pet.

Thank you, I will look more into this. Yep, this is for same cat from the microchip scanner post. I've been reaching out to clinics and seeing about rescuer rates, which will help, but it doesn't solve the aftercare if I end up fostering her for a while.

My resident cat does not have insurance and it was difficult to find a plan, nothing was being covered. He was brought to me as an adult and had existing medical conditions. So that's a big reason I am getting tapped out financially (he is worth it, but crazy how much prices have gone up the past few years). If the new kitty has a lot of health issues, I want to find out after insurance kicks in with her if possible. Then if/when she's rehomed, hopefully the insurance can transfer ownership with her.

Easiest would be if a rescue could help me out, but options have been limited due to lack of resources & influx of people abandoning their pets. And then there's the question of if she'll acclimate to a new person....trying to deal with one issue at a time though....

 

[Furballsmom]

nothing was being covered.

Yeah, this.

Hopefully you'll find something that works for your possible-new cat.

 

[fionasmom]

Once there are documented pre existing conditions, you get into policy limits. Sometimes it is still worth having insurance in case a whole new issue crops up later in the pet's life. My mistake was not insuring a 10 year old dog.

With 4 of my cats, serious problems did kick in after they were insured as healthy cats. In the case of three of them, they were kittens when I insured them, and in the case of Graycie I told them that she was about 5 as I knew that the vet would put an age down at some point if she received treatment down the road.

 

[misterginja]

With 4 of my cats, serious problems did kick in after they were insured as healthy cats. In the case of three of them, they were kittens when I insured them, and in the case of Graycie I told them that she was about 5 as I knew that the vet would put an age down at some point if she received treatment down the road.

You were so lucky with the timing. Did you have to guess at Graycie's age being 5 years, and the vet felt it was accurate? I don't know this little girl's age, am hoping it's not an issue if a vet clinic estimates her age, and it ends up way different than the estimate I give to an insurance company beforehand...am feeling paranoid about the details, because every experience I've had with pet insurance companies has been getting denied for anything and everything, technicalities and even a hairball treatment, because "he had a hairball documented in the past, it's pre-existing." I mean, what cat has NOT ever had a hairball in their life? I digress...

 

[fionasmom]

Not going to take up your thread with the story, but Graycie was in the area for about 5 years although not on my property. Once a dog or cat is no longer a puppy or kitten, age is often an estimate. In her case, I knew that I was in the ballpark.

How old do you think that your cat is?

 

[Furballsmom]

I just got this in my email inbox, and although it's a little more general and doesn't specifically address the original question, it has some good information;
https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/26698-bbb-tip-what-to-know-before-you-buy-pet-insurance

 

[misterginja]

How old do you think that your cat is?

She was an adult when I first saw her beginning of this year, so I think she's around 2 years old, it's hard to tell though. I guess am also basing it on how the longer they live outside, the more health issues become visible, and she wasn't in bad shape when I first saw her.

Now I'm thinking again, she already survived a winter outside if is at least 2 years old, it's killing me I don't know her backstory or if she maybe does have a shelter out of view from me.

I just got this in my email inbox, and although it's a little more general and doesn't specifically address the original question, it has some good information;
https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/26698-bbb-tip-what-to-know-before-you-buy-pet-insurance

Thank you for this, I've been looking through the links from fionasmom and reading a ton of reviews tonight of pet insurance companies---the poor reviews of most of the companies are getting discouraging

 

[misterginja]

Hi, the insurance issue isn't worked out yet, but with temps dropping I'm going to make a vet appointment for her next month before appointments fill up. And then I don't know---there's no plan other than not letting her freeze to death outside.

I don't know if I should start a new thread for this, but I'm trying to figure out timing of when to bring her inside for an appointment. She's not going to be trapped because comes to my windowsill and already tries to come inside my place. I'm basically going to just "gently" nudge her into a carrier while my resident cat is locked in a separate room.

Trying to decide if should bring her in the morning of the appointment, around mealtime so she doesn't have a long wait time in my bathroom before we leave. The concern with this option is that she might get scared & run off, then won't return until night for her dinner.

Other option am considering is to try the night before and have her in my bathroom overnight---the problem with this option is that she'll be meowing and stressed all night, most likely keeping myself and senior cat stressed & awake all night, and he's dealing with a lot of health issues. Since she isn't being trapped, she'd be running around loose in my small bathroom until we leave.

I'm so nervous about this whole thing.

 

[misterginja]

Hi, the insurance issue isn't worked out yet, but with temps dropping I'm going to make a vet appointment for her next month before appointments fill up. And then I don't know---there's no plan other than not letting her freeze to death outside.

I don't know if I should start a new thread for this, but I'm trying to figure out timing of when to bring her inside for an appointment. She's not going to be trapped because comes to my windowsill and already tries to come inside my place. I'm basically going to just "gently" nudge her into a carrier while my resident cat is locked in a separate room.

Trying to decide if should bring her in the morning of the appointment, around mealtime so she doesn't have a long wait time in my bathroom before we leave. The concern with this option is that she might get scared & run off, then won't return until night for her dinner.

Other option am considering is to try the night before and have her in my bathroom overnight---the problem with this option is that she'll be meowing and stressed all night, most likely keeping myself and senior cat stressed & awake all night, and he's dealing with a lot of health issues. Since she isn't being trapped, she'd be running around loose in my small bathroom until we leave.

I'm so nervous about this whole thing.

Ok, think I'm answering my own question...just realized, how am I going to have her tested for parasites unless I can get a fecal sample, so it's going to have to be the night before the appointment that I bring her in...and hope that she uses the litterbox...for urine sample, the clinic probably will have to do it via cystocentesis...

 

[fionasmom]

There may be some panic or upset about being in the bathroom, but that would be almost any cat including some pet cats who are concerned about a change in their routine. I have to hide a carrier in the shower and close the door in order to get my avatar into the bathroom in order to crate her for an appointment. At times, she does have to stay in the bathroom for a period of time.

If you need the specimen, you are probably right to put her in the bathroom over night. Try to make it comfortable for her and don't overreact yourself if she meows. It can happen, but you are doing the right thing to help this cat even if she does not see it that way.

 

[misterginja]

There may be some panic or upset about being in the bathroom, but that would be almost any cat including some pet cats who are concerned about a change in their routine. I have to hide a carrier in the shower and close the door in order to get my avatar into the bathroom in order to crate her for an appointment. At times, she does have to stay in the bathroom for a period of time.

If you need the specimen, you are probably right to put her in the bathroom over night. Try to make it comfortable for her and don't overreact yourself if she meows. It can happen, but you are doing the right thing to help this cat even if she does not see it that way.

Thank you for the encouragement, she has an exam set up for next month...out of curiosity, for the ferals you've rescued, did you find that they used the litterbox right away?

 

[fionasmom]

Yes, almost everyone immediately knew what to do. Two exceptions were two cats who had lived only on cement for their entire lives. One transitioned to litter over time and Graycie never has but she is willing to use a litter box with a pee pad in it. However, if you have your cat in a bathroom where an accident may not be the worst thing you still might get a sample to bring to the vet.

 

[misterginja]

Yes, almost everyone immediately knew what to do. Two exceptions were two cats who had lived only on cement for their entire lives. One transitioned to litter over time and Graycie never has but she is willing to use a litter box with a pee pad in it. However, if you have your cat in a bathroom where an accident may not be the worst thing you still might get a sample to bring to the vet.

That's good to hear, am glad you have a solution with Graycie--never thought of that as an option, pee pad in litterbox if other methods don't work. Will remember that.