Mixed Breed Cat Insurance FAQs

What is cat insurance and why is it useful for Mixed Breeds?

You may think, why do I need cat insurance for my mixed breed cat? While maybe you didn’t purchase her from a breeder, she’s a member of your family that you want to keep around for as long as possible. Pet, or cat, insurance is medical insurance for your feline. The idea is that you purchase pet insurance to help protect your cat’s overall health. Purchasing cat insurance will help with medical expenses for your mixed breed cat while supporting the financial costs of the veterinary care that’s required to keep your cat in the best of health. It’s important to note that cat insurance alone may not cover the entire vet bill, but it will save you a lot of money by covering a significant part of that cost. Purchasing and utilizing cat insurance is easy, just select a plan, make the monthly payments to keep the policy active, and that’s it. You’ll submit receipts for reimbursement from your insurance provider when you need it.

In most cases, your mixed breed cat is mischievous and healthy, but even a “normal” cat faces unforeseen health problems. Be on the lookout for gastrointestinal issues, vomiting, skin irritations and urinary tract conditions. Those are all assuming your cat is strictly an indoor cat, if your family feline also ventures outside, the potential for risk increases significantly with the potential for communicable diseases like Feline Leukemia (FeLV), or cat fights that can lead to punctures, thanks to bites from other animals, scrapes and broken bones (and good luck to anyone who’s had to deal with a cone of shame on a cat, it is no picnic). Facing these issues will need the help of a veterinarian to provide ongoing care, treatment and medicine. Purchasing a pet insurance policy means your family feline will receive any necessary treatment without scratching the heck out of your bank account.

How old does my Mixed Breed Cat need to be insured?

You know how cute those little guys are as kittens, so be sure to protect her as early as possible. Pet insurance providers want those kittens to be at least eight weeks old in order to begin insurance coverage, but you really want to enroll your mixed breed cat in a pet insurance plan the moment you bring her home for the first time. Most, if not all, pet insurance policies use the age of the pet to determine the premium, which means the younger you can enroll your kitty in a plan, the better. Now, if you went a step further and adopted a more senior mixed cat breed (you rock and your mixed breed cat is so lucky to have landed in your home), you should still reach out for pet insurance. Just because your cat is older doesn’t mean she’s out of the running for pet insurance.

What are common insurance claims for the Mixed Breed Cat?

The good news, mixed breed cats are healthier than pedigree breeds because they don’t face the genetic problems that are typically associated with over-breeding. But, like all cats, mixed breed cats are susceptible to common bacterial and viral infections such as panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and rabies. The advantage, and maybe disadvantage, of your mixed breed cat is that there’s no written genetic history to lean on. The general list of health issues can include gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, skin irritations, and urinary tract conditions. If your cat goes outside, plan on dealing with the potential for catfights that can lead to punctures, thanks to bites from other animals, scrapes, and broken bones. Regular checkups with your veterinarian are key to catching health issues before they become severe.

What services for my Mixed Breed Cat are covered by cat insurance? What services are excluded from coverage?

There’s a long list of potential issues for your mixed breed cat, which is why it’s good that cat insurance can cover a lot of what’s on that list. Your cat insurance policy will likely cover surprise injuries or accidents, perfect for that outdoor adventure seeker. Coverage can also include surgery, medication, medical tests, emergency care, and exam fees. Some cat insurance plans will cover hospitalizations and preventative care along with treating infections or broken bones, scrapes, and strained muscles.

Services that are not included can also vary by plan, but in general, most cat insurance policies will not cover the cost of care for pre-existing conditions, which is why it’s so important to enroll your mixed breed cat in a policy as soon as possible. (It’s important to re-emphasize that if you’ve brought home an older cat, that doesn’t automatically exclude you from purchasing a pet insurance policy. Older kitties are eligible for cat insurance too.)

How does reimbursement work?

Like many insurance plans, you, the cat person in charge, are responsible for the bill and will need to pay your vet upfront. After payment, you’ll submit the vet bill for reimbursement to your insurance provider. Your mixed breed cat insurance policy will then reimburse you for a certain percentage of that bill. Your insurance provider and your type of policy will determine how much money you’ll receive back.

Should I enroll in a high-deductible or low-deductible plan?

Once you determine what kind of budget you have to spend on your mixed breed cat pet insurance, you just need to pick the plan that best fits into that budget. The higher the deductible means you’ll pay a lower monthly payment. That lower monthly payment will equal a larger deductible payment right at a time when you may not want to have to worry about money and would rather think about how to make sure your mixed breed cat gets better. The other option is a lower deductible plan. This will cost you more each month in your regular payment, but you’ll have less of a financial surprise during a stressful medical emergency.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Mixed Breed Cat Safe & Healthy

Whether you’ve brought home one mixed breed cat, or a few, adding any pet to your family is an exciting time.  It’s amazing how fast we fall in love with these furry little personalities.  Suddenly keeping them around for as long as possible becomes a high priority.  This is where pet insurance for your mixed breed cat helps.  Here are a few more tips to keeping your purr-fectly happy pet healthy.

1. Activity

Cats like to sleep and sleep a lot, but they still need exercise. The best option for your mixed breed cat is to keep her inside. A cat tower, a scratching pad, and lots of cat toys will keep her active. (The great thing about cats is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on toys – a crumpled-up ball of tinfoil will do the trick as easily as a fancy cat toy.) Mixed breed cats are like a fingerprint, each is unique in her own way. They’re beautiful, friendly, and happy to be in a house, or apartment, as long as they have room to run around and terrorize the household equally.

2. Family Friendly

In addition to a unique look, your mixed breed cat can each have her own unique personality. In most cases she can get along with small children and other animals, including cat-friendly dogs, and in fact may even appreciate another animal companion, especially if you’ll need to leave them alone for any length of time. As long as she has a place to curl up, either hiding in her own private spot or sleeping on top of you, she’ll be good to go.

3. Nutritious Diet

Having a big fat cat can make her look super cute, but it can lead to another long list of health issues including diabetes, cancer, heart disease and hypertension. Keeping your mixed breed cat at a healthy weight is an important step in her health management. Most cats prefer to eat a little bit as often as 10-15 times a day. This is one of the reasons it’s important for your feline to have an active lifestyle as lots of feeding, but not a lot of movement, can quickly lead to weight gain. You should plan to work with your vet on your mixed breed cat’s diet to ensure she’s getting the proper nutrition to keep her healthy. Remember, your mixed breed’s diet will need to change as she ages.

4. Love and Affection

Mixed breed cats are known to be independent, almost aloof, but that doesn’t mean they won’t bond with their humans at home. In many cases, you will find that your cat will be under your feet the moment you come home after being away for the day (they pretend not to care, but we know the truth). Be sure you have lots of snuggle time to spend cuddling with your mixed breed cat.

5. Regular Grooming

Fortunately cats do a good job of taking care of their own grooming. We can help with brushing and maybe even a chamois cloth, but in general, your mixed breed cat has this grooming thing covered (unless your mixed breed is a Domestic long-hair. In that case you may need to give her some extra help keeping that fur clean and brushed). You may need to step in for a few other basic care necessities as well like regular nail trimming, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing (no cat wants to walk around with gingivitis).

Conclusion

Your mixed breed cat is likely so thankful to be part of your family. Helping to protect her with cat insurance is an important step you can take to make sure she stays with your family for as long as possible. There are a number of pet insurance options to choose from and the enrollment process can be confusing. As a cat person, my goal is to guide you in the right direction to figure out what works best for you, your family, and your pet. After choosing a policy, pay the monthly payments and you’re done. There’s a lot of reasons why your mixed breed cat may need to see a vet. Purchasing that peace of mind with pet insurance will keep your mixed breed cat healthy and will ensure you don’t have to face the stress of a jarring vet bill on your own.

After extensive research, we conclude that Lemonade pet insurance offers the best cat insurance policy at the lowest monthly for Mixed Breed cats.

SwiftScore Ranking Methodology for Mixed Breed Cats

We ranked the best pet insurance policies for Mixed Breed Cats based on a variety of important factors including the following:

• Average monthly price for a 2-year-old Mixed Breed Cat with a $500 deductible located in the 90210 zip code
• Coverage and benefits
• Key policy details including accidents and illnesses, surgeries, annual check-ups, cancer treatment, lab tests, and more
• AM Best rating of the underwriter
• Reimbursement percentage
• Annual benefit amount
• Technology and user experience
• Ease of sign up
• Policy language clarity
• User reviews

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