Montana (MT) Cat Insurance FAQs

What does cat insurance cover?

Cat insurance, along with the majority of pet insurance plans including dogs and puppies, usually covers vet expenses related to emergencies like infections, broken bones, allergic reactions, and sudden surgeries.

Typically, your pet insurance will not cover expenses related to standard vet visits, like wellness exams, vaccinations, and spay/neuter operations. Most pet insurance plans also do not cover any pre-existing health condition your cat or kitten has.

Additionally, depending on your pet insurance company, you may be able to purchase add-ons to your basic cat insurance plan that cover some of the standard expenses.

In Montana, how much will cat insurance cost me?

Your average monthly payment will be around $20 for a kitten and $25 for an adult for an average domestic shorthair cat’s basic insurance plan. For a large cat’s basic insurance plan, like the larger breed Maine Coon, the average will be around $25 for a kitten and $30 for an adult.

By location, Helena, MT seems to have higher monthly rates on average for pet insurance than areas like Billings and Missoula.

Is it worth insuring my cat as a Montana pet owner?

When considering getting your cat or kitten covered by insurance, you may feel like this is just another monthly expense. However, when your kitty has an unexpected emergency that requires veterinary attention, pet insurance can significantly reduce how much you pay out of pocket for that vet visit.

Feline emergencies often catch pet owners off guard, and some are even forced to euthanize their pets because they couldn’t afford the treatment, so you will be protecting your cat and yourself by having pet insurance on hand.

How do I use pet insurance?

Typically, pet insurance in Montana will reimburse you for between 70 and 90 percent of what you pay out of pocket for an emergency vet visit. The process, in order, usually looks like you paying your vet and then submitting a claim to your pet insurance; later, after you’ve paid your deductible, you will be reimbursed.

How long after getting cat insurance can I submit a claim?

Typically, the waiting period between purchasing pet insurance and using that insurance is about 14 days, if not a little longer.

Which is better, a high or low deductible?

When choosing between a pet insurance plan with a high or low deductible, it is important that you thoughtfully consider your current financial position. Typically, if you purchase a plan with a low deductible, you will be paying a little more per month so that, in the case of your cat having a sudden veterinary emergency, you can pay less.

Check out your insurance company’s website to see if they provide an easy-to-use quote calculator that can help you when deciding between a plan with a high or low deductible.

How old does my cat need to be for me to get them insurance?

While pet insurance for puppies only requires them to be between 6 and 8 weeks old, kitten insurance usually requires that they be at least 8 months old before you can get them covered. Any vet emergencies that happen before you get your kitten covered will have to be paid directly out of pocket, so we strongly suggest getting your kitten covered before their first birthday. We also recommend this because it is cheaper to get a kitten covered than an adult cat.

However, buying your cat pet insurance at any age can still be a beneficial decision for your wallet and your kitty’s wellbeing.

Will any vet in Montana take pet insurance?

Earlier, we described how you use pet insurance by paying your vet directly. This means that there is no direct exchange or contact between your veterinary office and your pet insurance company, giving you full freedom to choose any vet you’d like.

Accordingly, all Montanan vet clinics and animal hospitals take pet insurance.

5 Useful Strategies for Keeping Your Cat Safe & Healthy in Montana

Beyond broken bones and surgeries, we have the responsibility of looking after our pet’s daily needs. Moreover, we are in charge of keeping them safe in the house, when we take them on walks, and even just in our backyards. Here are 5 helpful strategies for ensuring your cat’s safety in Montana:

1. Watch out for Deer and Elk

When driving with your cat in the car, be extra vigilant for deer, elk, and moose as all three have been known to cause some wicked car accidents in Montana.

2. Don’t Leave Pets in your Car

Speaking of cars, a general pet safety tip is to never leave your pet unattended in the car, particularly in the summer months. Montana is known for heat waves that easily soar into the 90s, maybe even over 100 degrees, meaning the inside of your car can range between 130 and 175 degrees.

3. Make Sure Your Outdoor Cat has Shelter

If your cat or kitten is an outdoor cat or simply visits outside, make sure to adjust their access to shelter in the winter months since snow can fall pretty heavily in Montana–up to 300 inches across the state annually.

4. Make sure you Collar your Cat

Another good safety tip is to make sure your cat is wearing a collar with updated tags. Additionally, you might consider having them microchipped even if they are an only-indoor cats.

5. Always be Aware of Wildfire Danger

Wildfires are Montana’s single greatest natural disaster, making current identification on your pet’s collar even more important should a wildfire come near your home and your cat or dog run off. Over 300,000 acres were burned in last year’s wildfires alone, so if a warning goes out for your neighborhood, secure all indoor and outdoor pets.

Conclusion

By the end of this article, we hope that you have started to feel more comfortable as you decide on pet insurance for your cat or kitten.

While it may feel like one more payment on your monthly checklist, pet insurance can be an essential buffer in the case of veterinary emergencies. We recommend getting your cat or kitten covered as early as you can, once they have reached the 8-month age requirement. No matter how old your kitty is, though, we believe getting them covered by pet insurance can help put your mind–and finances–at ease.

Ready to get started? After countless hours of research, we’ve found that Lemonade pet insurance consistently performs the best with the lowest monthly premiums.

SwiftScore Ranking Methodology for Montana (MT) Cats

We ranked the best pet insurance policies for Montana (MT) Cats based on a variety of important factors including the following:

• Average monthly price for a 2-year-old Montana (MT) Cat with a $500 deductible located in the 59101 zip code (Please note: prices will vary greatly based on your location)
• 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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