Is Cat Insurance worth it?
Are you wondering if it is really worth it to subscribe to a mutual health insurance for your cat? Even if the answer is obviously yes, note that there are a number of aspects that you must know and absolutely take into account before you start. This is why you should take the trouble to read the general conditions of sale.
To help you take stock of the issue and avoid unpleasant surprises, we've provided you below with everything you can expect when purchasing cat insurance.
What to expect when you want to take out insurance for your cat?
When it comes to the health of animals as sensitive as cats, insurance for your cat is often a good solution. However, while health is priceless, in insurance it is almost always about money.
So, depending on your budget, you will judge if it is worth it or not, you can help yourself with an insurance simulator for cats, it allows you to see it a little more clearly in this jungle of contracts of insurance for feline.
Compare Insurance for Cat
Thanks to a good online animal insurance comparator like the one available on Univers Chat, it will be very easy for you to carry out this research, and you will obtain the results in a few clicks and a few minutes.
13 things you must look at in particular
Here are 13 points that you must particularly observe when taking out an insurance contract for your animal, not that these points are problematic in the choice of your service, but especially that you are not surprised the day you need this warranty.
Restrictive subscription conditions
It is obvious that any contract is signed subject to well-defined conditions. In cat insurance, they are often very restrictive and sometimes unanimous among all companies. Just as your house is not insured when it has started to burn, so your cat must be in good health, tattooed, vaccinated and no more than 10 years old to take out insurance.
A cost that should not be overlooked
In general, insurance does not pay all of your feline's health costs, which can very quickly be high. You will have to pay a part called the deductible, and apparently affordable monthly contributions that will be used to cover your animal under very specific conditions. So that your cat is well covered, you will have to choose the most expensive formulas, which can go up to 800 euros per year.
Automatic coverage in the event of hospitalization
This is an advantage that delights many owners and this is why the majority of insurers offer it. Indeed, if you fall ill or die, the insurance takes care of the transfer of your cat to a friend, a relative or a specialized organization to keep it.
Variable guarantees
Be very vigilant by reading the general conditions of sale before committing yourself, because the formulas, which are a priori complete, vary according to the insurer and the costs are managed differently. For preventive costs such as vaccination for example, some companies do not cover you, and even if most insurers offer a fixed annual price, the latter differs between companies and is negligible compared to the veterinarian's bill.
Many restrictions
Read the general conditions of sale carefully. You will note that in many cases, the cost of tattooing or your cat's ID chip will not be reimbursed to you. You can also say goodbye to reimbursement of your expenses if your animal is hunting, suffers from an unsupported pathology, or requires rehabilitation, physiotherapy or osteopathy sessions.
Deductibles vary by insurer
For each loss that requires a visit to the vet, you will almost always have to pay a fraction of the cost, which varies considerably depending on the insurance company. If it is zero at Otherwise, it is however worth 2 euros at Animaux santé, and at least 20 euros at Animomut, Carrefour and ECA assurances.
Reimbursements capped
It is known that the mutual cat reimburses you only a part of the costs related to the care administered to your small feline, the reimbursement is therefore variable from one insurance to another. For full plans, the reimbursement rate ranges from 70 to 80%, within an annual limit (ceiling) defined by the insurer and which varies between € 1,500 and € 2,500 depending on the plan.
Variable reimbursement periods
In insurance, you first pay all of the veterinary costs and part of it is reimbursed to you then, within a period which varies from 48 hours to 30 days, see here the reimbursement process. As for the waiting periods, period between the date of subscription and the first reimbursement, they vary according to the insurer but remain very long (around 2 months), except for cases of accident where they are 2 to 3 days.
Contributions that can skyrocket
If your little furball, for example, has to undergo major surgery during the year, don't be surprised to see your contributions soar (they can sometimes increase by more than 50%!). Note that the insurer generally reserves the right to reassess your contributions at each annual contract expiry date. Obviously, you can terminate your contract and go elsewhere, as long as your feline is not too old.
Less attractive offers when the animal gets olderolder
Theyour cat, the more fragile he is (and therefore often sick), and the more the reimbursement limits with your insurer decrease. Depending on the age of your animal, certain guarantees may also be reviewed and subscription formulas may be refused to you.
A contract that can be broken by the insurer
If your cat is very often sick or the victim of accidents, the insurer may decide to terminate the contract that binds you. Subscribing with another insurer is therefore no longer possible for you, because remember, your animal must be in good health for a first subscription.
Death not always covered
For some insurers, the contract does not include cover for euthanasia costs if your animal is the victim of a serious accident or has an incurable disease. In others, on the other hand, it is included or optional and in these cases, read the conditions carefully to know what exactly is involved.
A capped death benefit
If your insurance contract provides for a death benefit to cover the costs of euthanasia and cremation, note that this can be capped, varies according to your subscription formula, and decreases considerably with the cat's age.
