We all love our pets. After all, nothing beats coming home at the end of a hard day and being welcomed by a sweet, loveable dog, cat, or another animal. Pets add so much to their owners’ lives and also provide a way for us to relax and enjoy life more. For most of us, there is nothing we would not do for the pets in our lives.

On the other side of the coin, though, pets can be expensive. Just like their human counterparts, cats and dogs, and even animals such as birds and hamsters, can get sick. Some even acquire serious illnesses such as cancer, a diagnosis that most of us hope we never receive. When pets get sick, in addition to the worry that is involved, it can also be extremely expensive. Like humans, though, insurance for our pets is an option that most of us can take advantage of for a nominal fee.

Dogs and Cats Need Insurance, Too

What is Insurance for Pets?

Just like humans, pets can have their own insurance companies. These companies offer a variety of services, just like regular insurance companies that include many options in many different price ranges. Most often, pet owners can customise a policy that fits their needs, at a price they can afford. Insurance policies usually only cover cats and dogs, but will cover a variety of services and illnesses, including:

  • Veterinary visits, usually up to 80% of the cost of the visit
  • Accidental injury, for when your pet is injured or hurt in any way
  • Pet travel insurance, which covers the cost of any out-of-town, or even out-of-the-country veterinary visit while you’re on vacation
  • Pet boarding fees, which normally pay a certain amount per day of boarding
  • Illnesses that include most types of sicknesses

Many insurance policies also offer discounts on any additional pets you wish to insure. Moreover, most pet owners find the services of an insurance company to be life-saving in many circumstances. After all, who wants to watch their pet suffer or die simply because they don’t have pet insurance?

Finding a Reputable Insurance Company

Insurance companies for pets come with a variety of options. Many pet owners search online first for any and all of their pet’s needs. Going online to research an insurance company is a quick and easy way to compare and contrast their various services against the pet owner’s specific needs, in order to find the insurance company that is right for you.

Ideally, an insurance company will cover up to 80% or more, of both well visits and sick visits. A good insurance company is usually compassionate about pets. They are, in essence, “pet people.” If they are a family-owned business, this is even better. In addition, they should have many years of experience and should offer a variety of different policies in many different price ranges.

Companies offering insurance for pets should also be underwritten by a reputable insurance company, such as The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd., one of the leading underwriters of insurance for pets, as well as administered by reputable companies like PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd. These exceptional companies offer top-notch quality and services and allow the pet owner to be sure they are getting an excellent policy that will provide excellent services when the time comes.

What Else Should These Companies Do?

It is also best for pet owners to deal with an insurance company that is associated with a variety of other pet care companies, such as Pets Training and Board, which offers grooming, boarding and training services; and Pet Food Australia, a company offering high-quality pet food that is free from artificial colours and preservatives and strictly follows every standard that the pet food industry sets. Working together, these companies offer a comprehensive way to give your cat or dog the high-quality care that they deserve and need.

Coverage options should include the areas of routine care coverage, accidental injury, or accidental injury plus illness and major medical pet coverage. Like insurance for humans, insurance for pets also has different deductibles attached to it. Deductibles are reasonable, however, and the pet owner can usually choose the amount of the deduction they wish to enrol with. Normally, though, the deductibles range from £0 to £200 per annum, which is reasonable for most people’s budgets.

Regarding the various types of coverage, different coverages offer different options, including things such as basic illness, eye and ear coverage, cancer treatment, infectious diseases, lab and diagnostic tests, after-hours emergency visits, radiology, surgery, prescription drugs, hospitalization, and skin conditions. Pet owners should decide exactly which coverage they might need before purchasing a policy, as each of these areas can affect the total cost and may have variable deductibles. Most websites offer a way to compare the company’s different policies, so the pet owner can see a side-by-side list of the treatments covered and the costs associated with each.

Most pets can be insured from the age of eight weeks and need to acquire coverage before the age of nine years in order for the insurance policy to remain in effect. As with most insurance, it is best to obtain a policy before the pet gets sick or is injured to make sure that the visit will be covered. Also, many insurance policies have a thirty-day waiting period once the policy is in effect, and even longer periods may apply to certain situations, such as cruciate ligament conditions.

As with human policies, there are situations which may not be covered in a typical insurance policy. These include pregnancy, diet- or food-related issues, behavioural problems, pre-existing conditions, and grooming. Getting an insurance policy for your pet just makes sense. It covers a majority of the illnesses that can occur in a cat’s or dog’s life, you can use your own veterinarian, and it allows the owner to relax and not worry about any potential health problems in the pet’s life.