should i get my cat insured?

I have a cat. Her name is Skoda, and she is thirteen years old. She has been insured since the day she walked into the veterinary clinic where I worked, when she was a couple of months old. It took me about two minutes to decide she was coming home with me. And about an hour to decide I was getting her insured.

She's been insured her entire life. I've never made a claim. And I don't consider the money wasted — because this means that she has been healthy, which for me is worth more than any money spent on treating her.

Pet insurance, like any form of insurance, is a game of risk. We hope we never have to use it, but it provides peace of mind when we have it.

Skoda has been lucky. But for a cat who has become unwell, the value of pet insurance comes from the choices it makes possible. The veterinary world is advancing, and although we don't have all of the treatment options available in the human medical world, diagnostics, treatments and management progress every year. Along with these advancements come the options of referral to specialists who deal with the rare and less common conditions, as well as perform more complicated surgeries. Pet insurance can make these options more reachable.

As with any insurance, pet insurance is a game of risk. You hope you never have to use it, but if you do, it provides a safety net, helping you to treat your cat in the way you think is best. Either way — whether you never make a claim, or you're glad you have it when it matters most — that's a win.

Stuart Ralph BVSc
Veterinarian and founder of WellCat