Reviewed by Dr. Fiona Lee
Do cats need pet insurance? The answer is yes—and not just if they spend time outdoors. You might think that outdoor cats are more likely to get sick or injured, but indoor cats have their own share of feline illnesses and can incur serious and expensive healthcare problems, making indoor cat insurance a good choice. Here are six reasons you should get pet insurance for your indoor cat.
1. Indoor Cats Can Get Injured
Cats and kittens are curious by nature. They love to hunt, pounce and claw, as well as jump up, down and onto things they shouldn't. They also eat things they shouldn't, and ingesting nonfood items (such as string or hair ties) can result in serious health conditions like GI obstruction or even perforated bowels.1 Landing on something unstable or causing something to crash onto them can cause sprains, dislocations and broken bones. These conditions can be both costly and scary for you and your pet.
Average treatment costs for common cat injuries
| Condition | Average Cost |
| Foreign Body Ingestion | $4,636 |
| Dislocated Joint | $2,076 |
| Broken Bone | $2,772 |
*Pets Best 2023 claim data
2. Indoor Cats Can Get Sick
Indoor cats can get sick, just like outdoor cats. Keeping your cat inside protects them from transmissable diseases and predation by wildlife,2 but it doesn't help them avoid common cat health problems such as cystitis, digestive upset, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, leukemia, bladder stones and heart disease.
In addition, it has been shown that cats who are strictly indoors are at much greater risk for idiopathic cystitis and inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, hyperthyroidism and even dental disease.3, 4 Indoor cat insurance may help you prepare for these potential costs.
3. Indoor Cats Gain More Weight
Indoor cats are much more prone to obesity, which increases the risk of many chronic diseases in cats, such as diabetes and arthritis.5
The costs associated with treating chronic diseases like diabetes can be cumulatively staggering. Purchasing pet insurance to help defray these costs may mean the difference between appropriately and effectively managing diseases and turning down necessary medical care for your cat.
4. Cats Can Incur the Same Amount of Medical Bills as Dogs
Cats are often (but not always!) much smaller than their canine counterparts, but the cost of treating cats can be just as expensive. While cats tend to have fewer veterinary visits overall, when they do have an illness or injury, the costs can still be exorbitant.
Research reveals that cat owners with pet health insurance are able to spend 81% more for veterinary care each year than owners of cats without pet health insurance.6
5. The Cost of Care Increases With Age
As your cat ages, it becomes more likely that they will need veterinary care. Many older cats develop chronic conditions that need management, like arthritis or hyperthyroidism.7 Insuring your cat at a younger age may reduce the chances of a future condition being considered pre-existing. However, pet insurance for older cats is still an option. At Pets Best, for example, there are no upper age limits on pet insurance, and a policy can cover many other future conditions your cat may develop.
6. Your Cat's Wellness May Increase Their Lifespan
Keeping your kitty healthy with regular checkups can help them live longer.8 When you have pet insurance for your indoor cat, money doesn't have to be a barrier to getting your cat the medical and wellness care they deserve.
One of the greatest joys in pet ownership—for the patient, for the client and for the vets and nurses—is the ability to treat the patient to the fullest extent without cost restraints that can reduce the level of care a pet receives. In fact, 16% of owners in one survey said they had lost a pet because they couldn't afford veterinary care, and nearly 33% of owners without pet insurance said they had avoided taking their pet to the vet for financial reasons.9
Veterinary medical advances have brought far more treatment options than ever before, but these often come with a high price tag. Optional routine care coverage offered through indoor cat insurance can help by compensating you for costly routine veterinary bills.
Pets Best Insurance for Cats
Is pet insurance worth it for an indoor cat? The answer is yes. Whether you're welcoming a kitten into your home or easing into the golden years with an already-established feline family member, consider indoor cat insurance. Pet health insurance allows you to budget for your cats' healthcare, and it can provide peace of mind in the case of pet health emergencies and unexpected illnesses.
With cat insurance for your indoor cat, you can prepare for an unexpected accident, illness or emergency. And at Pets Best, you'll have immediate support for your questions and concerns, thanks to our 24/7 Pet Helpline.
Learn more about cat insurance plan options at Pets Best.
Sources/ Citations
1. "My Ate String: Dangers, What to Do & Treatments," Laci Schaible (05/2020), Hill's Pet, https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/healthcare/what-to-do-if-cat-eats-string
2. "Spatial and temporal overlap of domestic cats (Felis catus) and native urban wildlife," Daniel J. Herrera et. al. (11/2022), Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.1048585/full
3. "External and internal influences on disease risk in cats," C. A. Tony Buffington (4/2002), Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/220/7/javma.2002.220.994.xml
4. "Risk factors and clinical presentation of cats with feline idiopathic cystitis," P. Defauw et al. (12/2011), Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1016/j.jfms.2011.08.001
5. "Obesity," P. Nguyen and M. Diez, in S.J. Ettinger and E.C. Feldman, Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine Expert Consult, 7th ed., Elsevier, 2010, pp. 643-651.
6. "Does pet health insurance make sense for clients?" (7/2021), American Veterinary Medical Association, https://www.avma.org/blog/does-pet-health-insurance-make-sense-clients
7. “The Special Needs of the Senior Cat," (12/2016), Cornell Feline Health Center, https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/special-needs-senior-cat
8. “11 Ways to Help Your Cat Life Longer," (10/2020), PetMD, https://www.petmd.com/cat/slideshows/11-ways-help-your-cat-live-longer
9. "2024 Pet Insurance Survey: Fearing Costs, 30% of Pet Owners Have Avoided the Vet," Kristina Zagame (6/2024), MarketWatch, https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/pet-insurance/pet-insurance-survey/