Last month my 12 year old tabby Mochi refused to touch her favorite tuna pate. I thought she was just being a drama queen, but two days later she was coughing nonstop on my living room rug. The emergency vet bill alone slapped my wallet so hard I still get a knot in my stomach thinking about it. She was officially considered a senior cat after her 11th birthday, remember? And every other plan I tried before had locked her out for pre-existing kidney signs I noticed only that year. Not a single one would pay a dime for stuff I swear came out of nowhere while I blinked at my spreadsheets paying bills. That’s when a random cat parent buddy on our Portland neighborhood WhatsApp group tossed me and the link for that pet insurance portal specifically built with senior cats in mind, you guys. I dragged my feet an entire weekend staring at it over my morning oats before I clicked through, convinced every last insurance website hides some garbage trick and tries emptying my last paycheck under weird tiny text. But man this thing worked differently at first glance.
What pre existing get covered too for old cats?
Here’s the thing I never thought I’d actually see. Most portals for younger kitties automatically flag any vet note from the last twelve months as some kind of chronic condition to permanently cross off. I filled out Mochi’s entire health form directly on that portal, input the vet visit record I had from last March where they noted her slightly elevated kidney numbers. I nearly typed up the entire sad backstory about when I first caught her trying to jump onto the kitchen counter and completely missed, sprawled on the tile all confused for a solid 10 seconds. Before I even finished double checking my contact number, one of their real support team from Oregon, not a call center half way across the world, sent me a customized quote via Slack? I mean no first robot call voice no endless looping phone trees at 7PM when you come home from work covered in overtime grime. Shockingly they would actually cover her monitored kidney checkups three times a year if I kept the plan active beyond 90 days, no preclusion fine print that only the super users find six months after they sing up accidentally. My other friend’s 14 year old Sphynx with the grain allergy also got approved yesterday here too after previously getting rejected from three of those big nationwide brand plans.
No they don’t make you prove this is a perfectly happy totally new condition out of nowhere later down the road.
Okay pause for a sec, one thing I didn’t notice till the insurance verification representative walked through a couple plan differences on a 15 minute evening video chat from their home office sweater on everything fluffy cat hair: you have to upload medical history prior cats that have hit 10 years that you may have half scribbled on old vet receipts crumpled in that old junk drawer next to your twist ties. Don’t guess or make anything up half heartedly trying to get a cheaper monthly number. Tell them the whole tiny dumb annoying little thing you did to hold her, like I had lied briefly when I first mentioned “oh she basically never has accidents any more” before panicking and remembering oh wait last Christmas day accidentally peed a tiny spot behind the couch at my sister hosting party outing. My old previous big plan tried claiming it was permanent incontinence which magically never did not count under plan. They’d laugh this one out and marked it just vacation incident stress temporary record logged for reference to cover themselves fully ahead. It takes maybe an extra ten honest minutes right sign up now, saves literal weeks upon week of fights later when something very serious serious goes wrong absolutely.
Is premium more than regular kitty policies are? My pal with the 9 pound domestic shorthair thought the same way at first, scrolling different quote tab in pet insurance portal with her. Their calculator has all sliding price based on their real actual vet prices for city town instead zip code instead dumb age tier flat charge,remember some company raise same $65 a month no exceptions for every 13 year cat whether lives deep rural Wyoming or Manhattan vet clinic where every visit cost nearly two the rural price by total different dollars numbers fact total. I did price comparing math myself slowly tonight eating: paying ~$42 each month for Mochi including all that blood work every quarter plus arthritis pain meds that we just found out she needs now, my last regular old junk younger only plan for her two years ago bare bones useless barely cheap totaled almost $36. Then had extra $28 each out visit to add senior benefit. Literally six dollars monthly extra my budget absolutely total nothing near stress no bill panic 2AM Saturday driving an hour to open ER vet who just will not take half payment plans. I will be putting aside $20 a tiny personal emergency anyway that still covers all non-covered costs small random.
Wait I also just realized after browsing that actual portal for two full entire evenings sitting on couch with Mochi curled heavy top of right leg at warm spot—they don’t just push you whatever random has highest agency commission different policies links unlike tons non specialized pet web portals online try shameless do you without caring for cats themselves clearly. Their filter menu sorted 7 legitimate real current different actual providers currently actively operating made us able filter specifically limit maximum vet copay cannot exceed $100 total any kind visit, and eliminate all of weird huge $2k deductibles clauses make basically you not use the insurance ever without empty out account savings completely exhausting every last dollar you put away. That’s biggest difference whole game compared all those scam advertisement links pop top our Google senior cat policy search pages months ago all useless every trick of wording language found one by one by mistake very slow time exhausting whole process nearly a lazy weekend ruined I’m not overexaggerate even just very little actually there real site cat lovers care.
I’m not the best type follow consistent through blog posters person, you guys I swear I forget water boil time every ten minutes here. But when Mochi we get that dental cleaning approval completely next month covered that other insurance company was denied entirely it will pain all teeth those gums terrible, and my co-worker whose 16 year old cat hyperthyroidism meds full partial coverage after her first using claim, without hoops made me stop ignoring write post stupid share right on medium tonight half while on couch. None us here decided this life point get another stupid kitten again with all that energy cats senior right now we adore most all the chonky naps silly messes left and mess on throw blankets when we just back home work long day home they need that extra care but we not sacrifice groceries monthly pay insane bill no thought needed over panic anymore we made right good call decision once there perfect pet insurance portal created absolutely really yes our beloved cats over ten years existed some nobody lazy made for younger kittens.
Check couple plan details little over there carefully use realistic monthly budgets while their purring sleeps right now all the cats life are all still absolutely worth time few minutes go click open before all things wrong sudden shock hit us. They trust humans like do no fail after the years all they warm kept company and gave peaceful night every busy day. Really do my final little earnest share honest recommendation right tonight not try scam my life cats too same everyone fellow cat parent deep exactly feels that way.
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