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Health Care Insurance for Your Cat
July 07th, 2009 | Author:

Why You Need Health Care Insurance for Your Cat…My Story

Over the years, Ken and I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on health care costs for our cats and have never begrudged even one dime of it.  However there have been occasions when the procedures were unnecessary or did more harm then good or just didn’t make any difference at all.  I’m not talking about routine care but emergency services where major surgeries or treatments, overnight stays and xrays are required.  Unfortunately, we have never had health insurance for cats either.

Our Cornish Rex whose name coincidentally enough was Rex, had respiratory problems from the day he was born in a cattery in 1980.  At that time, there was no health insurance for cats.  When he was about 11 years old, we grew concerned that he just seemed to be struggling more then usual to get his breath and so we took him to the vet.  It came as a complete shock to us when the vet told us Rex’s vocal cords had collapsed and that was why he was struggling so hard to breathe.  His vocal cords were blocking his windpipe.  It suddenly made sense to us then why for a long time when Rex would talk to us, his mouth moved but no sound would come out. 

The vet told us he could do surgery but that the surgery wasn’t guaranteed to fix the problem, the surgery was rarely done and there were few vets who had experience doing them. This vet had none and of course the surgery was going to be extremely expensive. 

Desperate to do anything to save our Rex, we agreed to let them do the surgery.  BIG MISTAKE!! Rex was worse than ever and never really recovered from that surgery. We moved into an apartment with electric heat but it was too late by then to help in any way.  His coughing and sneezing would spread mucus everywhere he sat and our home became one big “cleaning up after Rex” job.  Bless his heart, Rex managed to live several more years after that but I think it was sheer determination on his part. I used to sit with him on my lap and under a blanket and plead with him not to go as I couldn’t bear to lose him. I was so selfish then and didn’t even realize it. Sometimes, he would have small strokes but after a minute or two, get right on up and carry  on.  He finally had the last stroke when neither Ken or I were home. I think he waited until we weren’t there to talk him out of it.  He died at the age of 15.  Still makes me cry.  

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That surgery put us in debt for thousands of dollars we could not afford at the time.  At the same time as we were going through this with Rex, our cat Stella fell off the balcony onto a row of upturned bricks and bruised her stomach.  So her vet bills to treat this were also over $1000! 

Although we tried to make payments eventually we defaulted on the debt.  The vet never bothered to chase us down for it.   Whether it was because he felt he’d botched the surgery or because he knew we just couldn’t afford the fees, we never knew or asked.  In our minds, the surgery was ill advised and our guilt over what Rex went through has never really been alleviated. If we had been able to have health insurance for cats in place at the time, the cost of the surgery would have been covered at least so that if anybody was going to take a hit for unnecessary vet costs, it would be the insurance company.  

Since then we have incurred thousands more in costs for Stella, who developed kidney disease when she was about 10, Sam who succumbed finally to liver cancer when he was 13 and Chico who had a cancerous lump on his tail at the age of 9.   Now for Chico, the vet offered lots of surgeries, tests, subsequent chemotherapy treatments and on it goes but made sure I understood this was aggressive type cancer and it would come back.  This time we opted for quality of life over quantity.  Chico is still with us 2 years later and as fat and happy as any cat could be.  I pray that continues.  I also pray that Jasmine, who has never been sick a day in her life, also continues to stay healthy.

Through all of these crises, we never had health insurance for cats.  Not only was it not commonly available with Rex and Stella, I thought Sam, Jazz and Chico were too old to qualify. NOT SO! 

Myth: You can’t get pet insurance for an older pet.
Fact:Just because your pet isn’t a puppy or kitten anymore doesn’t mean you can’t insure him. Pet insurance companies will usually issue a new policy to pets up to 8 or 10 years old, sometimes older if your pet undergoes a medical. Your premium might be higher than on a younger pet and some pre-existing conditions may be excluded. The best thing is to enrol your pet when he’s young and healthy and avoid pre-existing conditions however most insurance companies offer pet insurance to older pets and the good thing is once your pet is insured you can keep him insured, you won’t be kicked out because of your pet’s age.

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So if you take my advice and adopt an older cat (or even if your new feline is a kitten), if you keep them safe indoors and treat them like they are a member of your family, which they are, they are going to live a really good long time.  During their lifetime, you may be required to spend a lot of money on health care for them because as they get older, like you or me, more health issues can arise. 

Do you buy health care insurance for yourself and your family?  Your cats (and your dogs) are your family too and it is to the benefit of them AND you that you have health care insurance in place for when services are needed.  It will be a major relief for you that you don’t have to consider your financial situation when faced with decisions about your pets’ health.

Insure Your Pet's Health For Pennies A Day!

So ask for your quote today.  The cost is less then what you would spend monthly on lunches with coffee and when the day comes that you need to make a critical decision about your pet’s health but thankfully don’t have to consider how much money you have in the bank, you can thank me for the advice I’ve offered you here today.

Note that when requesting a quote, you should leave out Routine Care as part of the insured coverage.  Your premium will be significantly less in doing so.

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10 Ways to Provide Amusement and Exercise for Your Indoor Cats
July 03rd, 2009 | Author:

Indoor cats need to be inspired to do more then sleep, eat and watch the sun pass over. Exercise, games and entertainment are available to you very inexpensively to provide to your kitty that will not only inspire them to get off the couch, but also teach her a variety of lessons and help her to interact with you and your family, as well as other pets you may have in the house. Some experts believe that games can boost your cat’s I.Q. althought if MY cats got any smarter, I’d have to send them out to get jobs.

Sure, cats are pretty clever at creating their own games but it doesn’t hurt to give them a little creative boost now and then. Furthermore, when your cat is playing a game with you participating or even just watching them, it takes the game to a whole new level for your cat. My Jasmine just loves to make me laugh and will react with even more vigour and friskiness if she knows we’re watching and laughing at her.

Here are some ideas for games you can easily set up and play with your cat. These 10 games idea have been taken from Felinestein: Pampering the Genius in Your Cat by veterinarians Suzanne Delzio and Cindy Ribarich.

1. Tap the Paper Bag

I’m sure everyone knows that cats just love paper bags. When you empty a paper sack of groceries, place the sack on the floor and then tap the end of it. Watch as your cat flies into the bag making a heck of a racket but having loads of fun. You can keep his interest by tapping various areas on the bag when your cat in it comes to rest. As an alternative, roll a ball or crumpled piece of paper into the sack and watch your cat slide into the sack chasing the moving object.

2. Table Tennis Without the Table

Ping pong balls are perfect toys for your cat as they are lightweight, roll easily and do no harm to your cat or your furniture. A lot of games can be played with a ping pong ball. If you have a long hallway, roll the ball from side to side and watch your cat chase it down the hall or if you have stairs, toss it down the stairs for your kitty to race after. My Sammy used to bring the ball back up the stairs for me but I’ve never had another cat do that.

You can also roll the ball around in the bathtub or in any uncarpeted room of the house where there’s room for him to run.

3. Flashing

Penlights, flashlights or lasers light up and down the wall and across the floor driving your cat to distraction. Moving it quickly and erratically, make sure you watch where you steer your cat with it as you don’t want her pouncing over that expensive heirloom sending crashing to floor. Do not shine these lights into your cat’s eyes as you will momentarily blind them and cause them discomfort.

4. Losing Her Marbles

Using a a marble or one-inch rubber ball placed in egg cartons, one that fits 2 or 3 dozen eggs, show your cat the marble by moving it from one hollow to another. Your cat will then have fun trying to scoop the marble out of the egg carton to the floor where he can roll it to his heart’s content and if you’re using a rubber ball, bounce it back into the egg carton and let your cat start all over again. If you’re using a marble, make sure you recover it when the game is over or your housemates will be all over you about the pain they suffered after having stepped on it.

5. Your Cat Helps with Housework?

While you’re doing housework, you can tie a piece of string or wool around your ankle with an eight- to ten-inch length of it trailing behind. Your cat can chase the string as you walk but be careful not to step backwards or you’ll accidentally step on your cat. You might also want to make sure you have long pants or good thick socks as your cat will probably land on your feet in her pursuit of the string.

6. Kitty Kondo

Any box any day is a source of amusement for cats. But if you want to get really creative, tape together several different sized cardboard boxes that are large enough for your cat to get in and move around. Then cut some holes in the top of the boxes and inside the boxes so that he can move from one box to the other from the inside. Drop a ping pong ball in one of the holes and watch as your cat has a great time bouncing the ping pong ball from one cardboard box to another. Hours of amusement value for absolutely zero cost.

7. Three Feet of Fun

Using a yardstick, slide it under a throw rug or scatter rug letting an inch or so show on the other side of the rug. Watch your cat attacks the yardstick while you move it to escape those deadly paws. Any long object will do for this game but make sure the edges are not sharp because your kitty will want to bite at it and we don’t want her mouth to be hurt.

8. Treasure Hunt

This is absolutely the best game according to my Jasmine. She actually hunts these things at night after we’ve gone to bed and you can hear her yowling just like a jungle cat while she’s got her prey stuck in her mouth. Make these toys by putting some dried catnip in the toe of some socks and tying the ends. Once your cat has played with them for awhile and made them his own, hide the toys around the house for him to find. You can place them under cushions, under the bed or furniture, behind curtains, on windowsills, your cat will eventually hunt them down and kill them.

9. Wind Up and Let Go!

Child’s windup toys that are small enough to look like prey to your cat which would be about the size of a large rat, are great for cats to pretend they’re on the hunt. Just wind up the toy and let it roll across a vinyl floor. My cats are actually not too amused by this game and get bored pretty quickly. One swat and they walk away but then my cats are old and wise and not so easily fooled. Younger cats will appreciate this game more.

10. Gone Fishing!

One of the most popular toys to come out recently is the fishing-pole style toys. The pole is made from flexible plastic for safety in case your cat leaps into it accidentally and the string is made with 50-pound fishing line. Purchase a pole-toy that has a three-inch swatch of fabric folded in half or streamers or feathers that are tied to the end of the fishing line. You can swing the fishing-pole toy to a radius of six or seven feet all from where you’re sitting. These toys are excellent ways to exercise your cat if you are confined to a wheel chair and when your cat is finished playing with the toy, put it away so he doesn’t chew on and swallow the string.

For more activities that will teach your cat and boost her IQ at the same time, read Felinestein: Pampering the Genius in Your Cat by Susanne Delzio, Cindy Ribarich (HarperCollins, 1999). This book includes 100 games and activities, suitable for every type of owner and every personality of cat, that will get your cat exploring, thinking, and making decisions. Remember, the time you invest in playing with your cat is time invested in enhancing the rapport your have with him.

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