Why Pet Insurance Belongs in Your Kitten Kit

Most of us send our kittens off to their new homes accompanied by a packet of information: food samples, toys, vet records and lots more essentials and goodies. We want our kittens to get off on the right foot! Unfortunately, with the rapidly increasing cost of vet care, there are sure to be unforeseen expenses as the kitten matures, and very few of us educate new owners on how to manage the risk of major vet bills down the road.

- Iris Zinck

In this writer’s opinion, it’s time to change that.

A pedigreed kitten represents a significant investment for the average person. You can show them how to protect that investment and reduce the impact of future vet expenses by recommending the purchase of a pet insurance policy. In addition, the more informed you are as the breeder as to how pet insurance works, the better equipped you will be to help your kitten clients make smart decisions with their policy purchase.

According to veterinarian Dr. Matthew McCarthy, quoted in a recent article in US News and World Report, pet owners should “get insurance as soon as you bring your new four-legged family member home or right after their first veterinary checkup”.

The Nuts and Bolts of Pet Insurance

Unlike human medical insurance, pet policies operate as reimbursement programs. You pay for everything upfront at the vet’s office, but if you’ve thought ahead and invested in a pet insurance policy, the insurance coverage just might come through before the credit card bill is due! Some companies even arrange to deposit your payment directly into your bank account.

But first, your kitten clients need to make some decisions about how they want to structure their policy. Typically, a pet policy will have a yearly maximum payment ($5,000 and $10,000 are the most frequently used), an annual deductible that the client pays before the policy benefits kick in (this can usually be customized) and a reimbursement rate (generally 80% or 90%). Shopping for pet insurance is usually done on-line, as most pet insurance companies offer quotes on their websites. Those that don’t will be happy to provide you with one over the phone.