Insuring your cat: is it necessary?
Just like people, cats can, of course, fall ill or become injured, and in some cases, the resulting veterinary costs can be very high. As a full member of your family, you’ll always want to be able to provide your cat with the best possible care. Whether it’s necessary to take out cat insurance depends on your individual circumstances, but it’s certainly worth considering.
The main reason to insure your cat is to receive financial assistance with a large vet’s bill. This isn’t just beneficial for you, but for your cat too. After all, you’re more likely to take your cat to the vet if you have less to worry about in terms of the cost, especially when you’re in doubt about whether a visit is necessary. It therefore makes sense that more and more people in the Netherlands are taking out insurance for their cats.
How much does cat insurance cost?
This varies considerably and depends on a number of factors. For example, a male cat can sometimes be slightly more expensive to insure than a female cat. Male cats tend to roam a little more, which apparently increases the risk of injury.
With some insurers, you may also have to pay slightly more to insure one breed than another. This is because some cat breeds have a shorter (or, conversely, longer) life expectancy, or are more prone to certain health problems than others.
Your cat’s age also plays a part, and sometimes even where you live. The latter is mainly because vets’ fees can vary from one region to another.
The premium for cat insurance generally ranges from around €11 to €30 a month, although there can be occasional premiums above or below this range. If you opt for a higher excess, you could save a little more on your premium. You can calculate how much cat insurance would cost in your situation here.
Is insurance better value?
You can never say for certain in advance whether cat insurance will offer better value in the long run. It’s just like with people: one cat might suffer from frequent illnesses and ailments, while another may hardly ever need to visit the vet.
Instead of taking out insurance, you could also choose to set aside money yourself to cover any veterinary bills. In that case, you’ll need to bear in mind that you won’t have built up this amount straight away. If you set aside €20 a month – the same amount as the premium in this example – it would take around five years to save as much as a cat insurance policy could cover for a €1,500 vet’s bill.
Would you rather not run the risk of suddenly having to pay a large vet’s bill? Then it may be worth considering taking out cat insurance. Relatively speaking, you pay a small amount each month in return for being able to rely on your insurance when the need arises. Here, you can compare all the cat insurers in the Netherlands and calculate the premium for your specific situation.
