You may think that outdoor cats are more likely to get sick or injured, but indoor cats have their own share of illnesses too. Indoor cats can incur serious and expensive health care problems as well. Here are five reasons your indoor cat or kitten needs pet insurance just as much as your outdoor cat.
1. Indoor cats can get injured
Cats and kittens are curious by nature. They love to hunt, pounce, and claw, as well as jump up, down and onto things they shouldn't. They also eat things they shouldn't, and ingesting non-food items (like string or hair ties) can result in serious health conditions like a GI obstruction or even perforated bowels.1 Landing on something unstable or causing something to crash onto them can cause sprains, dislocations and broken bones (to name a few). These conditions are both costly and scary for you and your kitten.
Average Treatment Costs for Common Cat Injuries
| Condition | Average Cost |
| Foreign Body Ingestion | $2,419 |
| Sprain | $272 |
| Dislocated Joint | $1,431 |
| Broken Bone | $1,243 |
2. Indoor cats can get sick too
Indoor cats can get sick, just like outdoor cats. Being indoors doesn't protect them from common cat health problems, including cystitis, digestive upsets, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, leukemia, kidney failure, heart disease and more.
There is quite a bit of evidence showing that indoor cats are actually more prone to illness. A study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery suggests that an indoor lifestyle actually creates an increased risk for certain diseases in cats.
It has been shown that cats who are strictly indoors are at much greater risk for idiopathic cystitis and inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, hyperthyroidism and even dental disease.2,3
3. Indoor cats gain more weight
Indoor cats are much more prone to obesity, and in turn, obesity increases the risk of many chronic diseases in cats such as diabetes and arthritis. 4
The cost associated with treating chronic diseases such as diabetes can be cumulatively staggering. Having Pet Insurance to help defray these costs can sometimes be the difference between appropriately and effectively managing diseases or not.
4. Cats can incur the same amount of medical bills as their canine counterparts.
It is true that cats are often much smaller (but not always!) than their canine counterparts, but the cost of treating cats is just as expensive as other animals. It is true that cats tend to have fewer veterinary visits overall, but when they do have an illness or injury, the veterinary costs can still be exorbitant.
According to studies, cat owners with pet health insurance are able to spend 81% more annually for veterinary care than owners of medicalized cats without pet health insurance.5
5. Cost of care increases with age
As your cat ages, it will become more likely that it will need veterinary care. Many older cats develop chronic conditions that need management, like arthritis or hyperthyroidism.6 Insuring your cat at a younger age can reduce the chances of a future condition being considered pre-existing. However, pet insurance for older cats is still an option, and at Pets Best, there is no age limit and a policy can cover many other future conditions that your cat may develop.
6. Your cat's wellness can increase their lifespan
Keeping your kitty healthy with regular check ups can increase its lifespan.7 Money doesn't have to be a barrier to getting your cat the medical and wellness care they deserve.
One of the greatest joys in pet ownership, for the patient, for the client, and for the vets and nurses, is to be able to treat the patient to the fullest extent without the cost restraints that can reduce the level of care a pet receives. In fact, over 40% of pet owners surveyed cited having pet insurance for their cats helps them to avoid the need to make painful choices about care based on finances.5
Veterinary medical advances have given far more treatment options than ever before, but these often come with a high price tag. Optional routine care coverage offered through Pet insurance helps by compensating you for those expected costly routine veterinary bills.
Pets Best Insurance for Cats
Whether you're welcoming a kitten into your home, or easing into the golden years with an already established feline family member, always consider cat health insurance regardless of whether or not your cat goes outside. Pet health insurance allows pet owners to budget for their cats' health care and provides peace of mind in the case of pet health emergencies and unexpected illnesses.
With cat insurance for your indoor cat, you'll have peace of mind in the case of an unexpected accident, illness or emergency!
Learn more about cat insurance plan options at Pets Best.
Sources
1"My Ate String: Dangers, What to Do & Treatments," Dr. Laci Schaible (05/20) Hills Pet https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/healthcare/what-to-do-if-cat-eats-string, accessed October 25, 2022
2C A Tony Buffington. External and internal influences on disease risk in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. April 2002;220(7):994-1002. 119
3Defauw P., et al: Risk factors and clinical presentation of cats with feline idiopathic cystitis. J Feline Med Surg 2011 Vol 13 (12) pp. 967-75
4Nguyen P, Diez M: Obesity. In: Ettinger SJ, Feldman ED (eds): Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine Expert Consult, 7th ed. Elsevier 2010 pp. 643-651
5John Volk. The Secret to Increasing Pet Health Insurance in Cats. American Association of Feline Practitioners. Brakke Consulting. 2017
6“The Special Needs of the Senior Cat," Cornell Feline Health Center, https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/special-needs-senior-cat, accessed October 25, 2022
7“11 Ways to Help Your Cat Life Longer," PetMD, https://www.petmd.com/cat/slideshows/11-ways-help-your-cat-live-longer, accessed October, 25, 2022