As cats get older, their health begins to change. They become more sick. Old diseases can resurface. Therefore, to ensure their longevity, we need to take good care of them. Some pet insurance companies for senior cats offer lifetime coverage against these conditions. Even if cats have pre-existing conditions, these companies offer the best insurance plan options for customers. So, in this article, you can learn about the best pet insurance for senior cats with pre-existing conditions in the USA, UK, and Australia. Can you get pet insurance for rescued and adopted senior dogs? How to choose the best insurance?
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| Pet Insurance for Senior Cats with Pre Existing Conditions |
What types of coverage are available for senior cats in pet insurance, and whether it's worth it for senior cats, meaning whether pet insurance for senior cats will be worth it in 2025—let's find out further.
What Age Is Considered a "Senior Cat"?
It's important to know which age of cats falls into the senior category. Often, companies don't offer new policies to older cats, and premiums are higher. However, cats of all ages receive insurance to cover some, if not all, wellness and preventative care. As we've mentioned many times before, if a cat's pre-existing condition is curable and the cat doesn't fall ill within the prescribed waiting period, companies may reconsider providing coverage. So, let's take a look at the age at which cats are considered senior.
Cats' Health Changes According to Age
Cats 7 to 10 Years: This age is considered middle age for cats, and minor health problems often begin to appear.
Cats 10 to 14 Years: Cats this age are classified as senior cats, and their risk of chronic illnesses increases.
Cats 15 years or older: Cats this age are in the geriatric stage and require more frequent vet visits.
It should be noted that pet insurance companies begin increasing cat insurance premiums after age 10, and they also impose age limits after some time.
Is Pet Insurance Worth It for Senior Cats?
Pet insurance is definitely worth it for senior cats, as they are at risk for serious illnesses like cancer. If cats suffer from such diseases, you can imagine the cost of treatment. And these diseases aren't something that can be cured with a single treatment. These diseases require long-term treatment. Pet insurance does not cover all diseases. Some diseases are excluded, but pet insurance is still useful for senior cats against other risks beyond those excluded. So, let's explore the benefits of pet insurance for senior cats.
Key reasons it's worth it
- Cats who require regular vet visits receive regular checkups through wellness coverage.
- For unexpected accidents, the cost of emergency vet visits and surgeries, if necessary, is covered.
- Chronic, or pre-existing, conditions are also covered to protect cats for life.
- Pet insurance helps cat owners manage their budget and save money in the long run.
- Insurance premiums for 10-year-old cats may seem higher, but the owners experience less financial stress.
Do Pet Insurance Companies Cover Pre-Existing Conditions?
Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions for older cats? The answer to this question is yes, but it depends entirely on the pet insurance provider and the cat's natural condition. So, let's learn how to define this question.
Definitions
Pre-existing condition: Cats must already have existing or showing symptoms of a disease or injury before purchasing a pet insurance policy.
Curable pre-existing condition: Pre-existing conditions are curable diseases that resolve quickly and completely after treatment. Coverage may occur after a 12 to 24 month waiting period.
Incurable chronic conditions: Long-term illnesses that are not covered unless you choose a lifetime coverage plan. Most are excluded.
Key Points
- Waiting periods are common in pet insurance policies. Typically, a 14- to 30-day waiting period is provided for accidental situations.
- For curable illnesses, the waiting period is longer, ranging from 6 to 12 months, to allow for an assessment of the cat's condition.
- Coverage of some chronic illnesses, such as kidney disease, arthritis, or diabetes, depends on the insurance company's policy.
- Most policy providers do not cover pre-existing medications.
- Some insurance policies also do not cover hereditary and terminal illnesses.
Provider examples (USA)
Embrace: They cover curable conditions from pre-existing conditions and offer a 12-month waiting period. Premiums increase by age.
Trupanion: This company offers lifetime coverage to its customers. They don't have any payout limits. However, these providers don't cover pre-existing conditions in cats.
ASPCA: Covers ongoing illnesses, provided the cat remains completely healthy at the end of the waiting period. Their plans provide partial coverage for such conditions, and chronic conditions are excluded.
Spot: This provider flexible plans for the customer and also covers curable pre-existing conditions of the senior cats.
Pets Best: Their policies exclude some hereditary conditions, but they offer a wide variety of policies.
Considering all these points, we can understand how beneficial pet insurance can be for older cats.
Common Senior Cat Health Issues That Need Insurance
Older cats suffer from a variety of common health problems, which can save thousands of dollars in treatment costs with pet insurance. The following table explains what pet insurance covers for common cat health issues.
Table for common health issues and insurance coverage.
These are the health conditions covered by insurance for cats. Thus, insurance coverage covers the health conditions of cats. This shows that cat insurance plays a vital role in covering the cost of treatment for serious illnesses like diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, or arthritis. The cost of treating these conditions is prohibitive for ordinary people without insurance.
Types of Pet Insurance for Elderly Cats
Senior cats are more likely to have a variety of health issues due to their advanced age. These include emergencies like serious illnesses or surgery. To keep the cost of treating these conditions manageable, you need to purchase pet insurance with good coverage. We'll explain some of the types of pet insurance for elderly cats below. Each of these types offers good and comprehensive coverage. So, let's explore the types of pet insurance for senior cats.
Available Pet Insurance Types for Senior Cats
➡️ Hybrid Plans: In this plan, everything from accident to illness and wellness coverage is covered combinedly. These plans are flexible, and cat insurance coverage may be available for senior pets.
➡️ Wellness Plans: These are called cat wellness plans for older cats. As we all know, a wellness plan includes routine checkups and vaccination coverage for your cat, as well as dental care.
➡️ Accident-Only Plans: Cover accidents like fractures and injection injuries, but do not provide coverage for other illnesses. These are the cheapest plans.
➡️ Illness + Chronic Plans: These plans provide coverage for both chronic and newly diagnosed illnesses, excluding pre-existing conditions.
➡️ Lifetime Coverage Plans: This plan's coverage is considered best for chronic illnesses. It's a little more expensive, but it covers ongoing conditions year after year.
When comparing, consider:
- Waiting period for pre-existing conditions
- Deductible
- Co-pay
- Maximum payout per year
Best Pet Insurance for Senior Cats With Pre-Existing Conditions (2025)
The table below lists some of the top US providers of pet insurance for cats with pre-existing conditions. Providers in the UK and Australia are also listed.
Table for USA-focused comparison of top providers
UK Senior Cat Insurance
➡️ Waggle: One of the friendliest and most affordable options online. Considered good for senior cats.
➡️ ManyPets: Covers some curable pre-existing conditions along with accident + illness. You get flexible plans here.
➡️ Petplan: Partial chronic coverage and illness cover.
Australia Senior Cat Insurance
➡️ Knose: Offers preventative care add-ons and is a good insurance provider for older cats.
➡️ PetSure: This provider also offers coverage for partial chronic illnesses.
➡️ Bow Wow Meow: Optional wellness coverage is available along with accident and illness cover.
Cost of Insuring Senior Cats
Are you considering insurance for senior cats? First, be sure to understand the cost of pet insurance for senior cats. Below, we've listed the cost of insuring cats by country.
Pet insurance costs for senior cats are as follows:
USA
- In the US, the monthly premium for pet insurance for senior cats ranges from approximately $30 to $100.
- This cost depends on the cat's pre-existing condition, coverage, and age.
- Deductibles range from $100 to $500, and co-pay rates range from 10% to 30%.
UK
- Pet insurance for senior cats ranges from £15 to £60.
- Insurance providers here offer a waiting period of 14 to 30 days for accidents.
- And 6 to 12 months for curable pre-existing conditions.
Australia
- Monthly insurance premiums range from AUD $25 to $70 for senior cats.
- Wellness add-ons are available for senior cats.
How to Choose the Best Senior Cat Insurance
Consulting with a vet or comparing various websites can help you choose the best insurance. If you don't want the headache of wasting your money on insurance, keep the following tips in mind before choosing the best senior cat insurance.
Some Tips for Choosing the Best Senior Cat Insurance
➡️ Prefer insurance after consulting a veterinarian or comparing insurance websites.
➡️ Choose policies with reasonable waiting periods and co-pays.
➡️ Try to cover as many pre-existing or chronic conditions as possible.
➡️ If regular checkups for your cats are too expensive, be sure to add a wellness add-on to your plan.
➡️ Be sure to check the exclusions and coverage limits in senior cat insurance policies.
Insurance for Rescued or Adopted Senior Cats
Insurance companies offer specialized coverage plans for adopted or rescue cats. We don't know the medical history and trauma of these cats. Therefore, these rescued and adopted cats are more likely to have pre-existing conditions. But there's no need to worry, because even if some conditions are excluded, some rescue centers and insurance companies still offer coverage and wellness or preventative care plans for cats.
Cat insurance helps senior cats by:
- It provides protection against future illnesses for rescue cats.
- Insurance coverage may cover the cost of treating chronic and underlying illnesses.
- Wellness coverage can help manage expenses like vaccinations or regular checkups.
- If your cat has a minor pre-existing illness, further treatment expenses may also be covered.
Filing Claims & Early Diagnosis
Regardless of age, it's important to take good care of your cat. Whether it's regular health checkups, proper vaccinations, dental care, or other health precautions, we need to take care of them. Why is such care necessary? When you schedule regular vet checkups for your cat, vets can quickly detect any changes in your cat's body. Any symptoms of illness or pre-existing illness can be diagnosed quickly.
The sooner you detect an illness, the sooner treatment can be started. This reduces the chances of your cat losing a life due to illness and can extend their lifespan. Therefore, insurance is a tremendous help in providing all these health care services to your cat. So, you should also know how to file a claim for this cat insurance.
Insurance Claim Filing Process for Senior Cats
Step 1: If you treat your senior cat for any illness, emergency surgery, accident, etc., you will have to first make a policy claim to cover the hospital expenses.
Step 2: Collect and preserve the veterinary records and receipts from the vet who treated you.
Step 3: Your claim will be evaluated and approved by the companies after a certain period of time.
The sooner your cat's illnesses are diagnosed, the greater your claim benefits.
Conclusion
So, pet insurance coverage is available for senior cats with pre-existing conditions. In countries like the USA, UK, and Australia, pet insurance is gaining popularity due to rising veterinary costs. In this article, Best Pet Insurance for Senior Cats With Pre-Existing Conditions, we've gathered most of the information related to cat insurance. Every common cat health issue can be covered with insurance. We understand that pet insurance can help senior cats receive quality care, better treatment, and a healthy life. Its benefits extend not only to cats but also to cat owners, including financial savings, pet protection, and peace of mind. Pet insurance provides medical health care coverage not only for typical senior cats but also for rescued or adopted cats. Therefore, pet insurance for senior cats with pre-existing conditions may be worth it.
FAQs
Q1. Can I get pet insurance if my cat has diabetes?
Answer: Companies that provide pet insurance for cats first check whether the cat has any chronic or pre-existing conditions. And if so, they have solutions for that. They keep you on a waiting period before providing coverage. If the cat is healthy during this time, they resume coverage. Similarly, if your cat has diabetes, you will receive insurance and coverage for curable and ongoing diabetes, but after a waiting period.
Q2. How old is too old for cat insurance?
Answer: It's worth noting that after 10 years, cats are classified as senior. After this, pet insurance providers provide coverage for cats up to a maximum of 15 years. After this, if the cat is over 15 years old, it becomes difficult to obtain a new cat insurance policy. If coverage already exists, the premium cost increases with age. This means that cats over 15 years old are considered too old for insurance.
Q3. Does pet insurance cover arthritis or kidney disease in cats?
Answer: When you insure a cat and the cat doesn't have any pre-existing conditions, arthritis and kidney disease are covered under pet insurance. Insurance companies also verify whether these diseases are curable. You may receive partial coverage based on that. Some providers may also fully cover these conditions in their policies, so check based on your location.
Q4. Which pet insurance covers pre-existing conditions for cats?
Answer: Most insurance companies don't cover cats with pre-existing conditions. However, Embrace Insurance Company of the USA provides coverage for curable pre-existing conditions in cats. There is a 12-month waiting period for this. Pre-existing conditions may be covered only if the cat remains fit and shows no signs of a chronic illness during this period.
Q5. What do senior cat insurance plans cover?
Answer: Senior cat insurance plans vary depending on the insurance company to determine the type of coverage they offer. Generally speaking, senior cat insurance covers wellness add-ons, chronic conditions if possible, and accidents and illnesses. If you have adopted rescue cats, insurance companies also provide some specialized coverage plans for them.
Q6. What are the waiting periods for cat insurance with pre-existing conditions?
Answer: Basic cat insurance usually has a waiting period, during which insurance companies analyze the cat's health condition. Coverage is only provided if the illness does not recur before the end of the waiting period. However, if a cat develops a chronic illness after the waiting period, it is covered. This waiting period typically lasts 14 to 30 days. However, if you have a pre-existing condition, you may be given a waiting period of 6 to 12 months or even longer, depending on the company.