Pet insurance for older cats

It's best to start insuring your cat when they're still young and in prime mouse-pouncing condition. But if you’ve already waited until they’re older, well, hindsight is 20/20! Still, insuring an elderly cat can still be worth it — potentially. You'll need to weigh some important considerations.

There isn’t always much benefit to buying pet insurance for older cats with pre-existing conditions, since past conditions usually aren’t eligible for coverage unless they’ve been fully cured for 18 months**. And premiums for older cats are likely to be higher since older cats are more prone to developing health conditions.

The bottom line is that it all comes down to your finances and your pet's health status. Do your homework before signing up! It might still be worth it for you and your cat, but it might not be.

Yes, ManyPets covers newly-insured cats until they’re 14 years old (plus one day). But if you insure your cat when they’re younger, you can keep them insured no matter how old they get, so long as you keep them continuously insured and routinely cared for by a vet.

Age is just one of several factors that influence your premium; others include breed and location. All other factors being equal, a premium for an older cat is indeed likely to be higher than a premium for a younger one. Since older cats are significantly more likely to develop serious health conditions, this pricing structure helps ensure that we can pay out approved claims for all our customers.

Pet insurance can often ease the burden of paying for vet care, especially if your cat requires costly emergency or specialty care. If your cat doesn’t have any major chronic conditions — or if any of their past conditions have been fully cured for a significant period of time period** — it might be worth it to purchase pet insurance, despite the higher premiums.

But if your cat’s primary health conditions are likely to be considered pre-existing, pet insurance may not be worth it. Do your research!

Pet insurance can cover any conditions that aren’t excluded under your ManyPets policy.

Such exclusions include pre-existing conditions, conditions that arose during your waiting period, and preventative care, though preventative care may be covered under our optional (non-insurance) Wellness Plan.

Again, keep in mind that older cats are likelier than younger cats to suffer from pre-existing conditions.

ManyPets pet insurance does indeed offer coverage for euthanasia and cremation related to accidents and illnesses that qualify for coverage. Not all pet insurance companies can say the same. But for now, let’s just think about keeping your furry family member happy, healthy, and frisky well into their senior years.