Four reasons to buy pet insurance for a puppy or kitten

When you bring a new puppy or kitten home, there are likely lots of things on your to-do list, from housetraining your new friend to lots of socialization, playtime and snuggles. But there’s another important task as a new pet owner that you’ll want to accomplish: Buying pet insurance for your puppy or kitten.

Buying pet insurance as soon as you get a new furry family member is essential for many reasons. Here are four important reasons why getting kitten or puppy insurance should be at the top of your to-do list as the owner of a new dog or cat.

1. Getting covered right away ensures your pet’s insurance coverage won’t be limited by pre-existing conditions

All pet insurance providers deny coverage for any of your pet’s pre-existing conditions.¹ This doesn’t mean you cannot get covered — you can and should still buy insurance for a pet that has a pre-existing medical problem. Pet insurance can still cover thousands of other conditions. However, under many pet insurance policies, once your pet develops a pre-existing condition, you won’t be able to get pet insurance to cover treatment costs associated with that particular ailment. For example, if your cat develops diabetes or your dog gets cancer before you get covered, your insurance policy would exclude coverage for those illnesses.

If you insure your dog or cat while he or she is still young and healthy, you can reduce the chances of them developing a medical problem that will be excluded from your pet insurance coverage.

Just be sure to read your pet insurance policy carefully because there may be some limitations on coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions with certain pet insurance — even if your pet is asymptomatic before you get an insurance policy for the first time.

2. Puppies and kittens need tons of routine vet care early in their lives

The first year or so of your pet’s life can be a very expensive year for responsible pet owners. You’ll need routine pet wellness exams to make sure your pet is growing and developing properly. You’ll also need to get your puppy or kitten a series of vaccines early in life to protect against common but serious pet diseases such as parvovirus or rabies. Some of these vaccines not only keep your pet healthy but are also required by some state and local laws, or landlords.

Getting a comprehensive pet insurance policy that offers wellness care coverage can help you pay for the routine care your pet needs.²

3. Seeing the vet early is important for catching and diagnosing kitten and puppy health problems

Going to the vet isn’t something most animals really enjoy doing, but having your pet seen early by a veterinarian is important to establish preventive care routines and allow you to intervene early if your kitten or puppy has a health issue. Catching a pet disease or hereditary condition early, before it becomes a major problem, can make it more manageable to treat. This can potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in vet bills, and could even save your pet’s life.

4. Getting accident and illness pet insurance coverage can help puppies and kittens if they get into trouble.

Young dogs and cats are curious by nature, which can often get them into trouble. Whether it’s a cat that escapes and gets into a fight, or a dog that eats your socks, your young animal’s adventures can lead to expensive vet visits and costly pet emergency treatments.

Getting accident and illness pet insurance coverage early on is important. That way, if your animal ends up getting injured, your pet insurance will be there to help you cover the costs of care to nurse your pet back to health.

Make sure you get your pet covered with pet insurance

As your puppy or kitten get comfortable in their new home, take the time to look for pet insurance coverage that fits your pet and your lifestyle. Pet insurance can give you peace of mind knowing you’ll be able to care for your furry companion throughout their life. Bringing home your new pet is the beginning of a beautiful relationship and, when you get pet insurance coverage right away, you can ensure you’ll get to enjoy all the love your pet can bring to your life — without worrying about a pet health issue and expensive vet bills for your family down the line.