Should I Get Pet Insurance for My Indoor Cat?

An outdoor cat has a different set of risks of illness or injury than an indoor cat — they may catch fleas or ticks, get into fights with other animals, contract various illnesses, or sustain injuries. But indoor cats can still be at risk of certain health conditions, parasites, and injuries. Let’s take a look at why getting cat insurance for your indoor feline friend may be worth it.

MetLife Pet Insurance can help reimburse vet bills if your indoor cat gets sick or injured. A Preventive Care add-on can help keep them healthy with reimbursements¹ for routine wellness expenses. 

Why Is Pet Insurance Worth It for Indoor Cats?

Pet insurance is great to have when it comes to paying for unexpected injuries and illnesses. Indoor cats can be just as prone to some of the same health risks as outdoor cats — which can make enrolling in a policy worth it. Here are some reasons why having pet insurance for indoor cats can help ensure they get the care they need while helping you save money.

Even indoor cats get injured

If your cat jumps from the top of the refrigerator to the floor or from the top of a bookcase to your bed, they run the risk of injuries — like broken bones or hurt paws — especially as developing kittens or as senior cats. Treatment for broken or fractured bones could mean a simple cast, or it could require surgery that can cost a few hundred or a few thousand dollars.

Muscle sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries can also happen while playing or exploring indoors. So can other accidents, like running into objects and hurting themselves, getting their tails shut in doors, or burning themselves from getting too curious around stoves or fireplaces. MetLife Pet Insurance can help cover costs related to injuries and accidents — like we did for Pennsylvania kitten, Chica. She suffered a leg sprain after falling between the stairs' banister, and her parents got reimbursed nearly $620 on a $680 unexpected vet bill.²

Indoor cats can get sick

Cats are curious, and they may get into something bad while exploring their home — like toxic household cleaners, antifreeze, toxic foods to cats, and toxic plants — or swallow small objects. And while outdoor cats may be at a higher risk, indoor cats can also get parasite infections — like fleas, ticks, and worms — as well as stings and bites from insects that get inside. All of these could mean an emergency trip to the vet, along with diagnostics like X-rays and blood work.

This is what happened to Shelly, a senior cat from Georgia, who accidentally ate craft beads lying on the floor and got sick. After X-rays to confirm the problem, a procedure to remove them, and a short hospital stay to recover, her parents paid a vet bill of over $7,800. But with their MetLife Pet policy, they got more than $7,000 of it reimbursed.³

With MetLife Pet Insurance you can get your cat the medical care they need if they get sick — just like Shelly — without worrying about the cost. Plus, you can help protect your kitty from parasites with cost coverage for routine preventive medication through our Preventive Care add-on.

Common health conditions can affect all cats

Whether you have an outdoor or indoor cat, all felines could develop health conditions such as:

• Diabetes
• Thyroid disease
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Chronic stomach issues
• Urinary health issues
• Dental problems
• Obesity (if they don’t exercise enough)

Depending on certain factors — like what your indoor cat is suffering from or whether it’s an ongoing health issue — vet costs may escalate quickly. The risk of illnesses, accidents, or developing health conditions can also rise with age. Pet insurance can typically help cover costs of treating these kinds of health issues, even those that occur over years.

Take Trina, a young cat from California, who was diagnosed with periodontal disease and needed regular cleanings and dental work to keep it from getting worse. In her second year, she had teeth extracted, and the procedure cost almost $3,200. But with their MetLife Pet policy, her parents were reimbursed over $2,500.⁴

Consider Investing in Cat Insurance

You never know when your cat might come down with an expensive illness or injury. This alone can make pet insurance worth it for your indoor cat. MetLife Pet Insurance’s award-winning⁵ policies can often help ease the financial strain when unexpected problems arise. But it’s important to enroll them before pre-existing condition exclusions might apply. Plus, if you add our Preventive Care plan to your policy, you can get up to 90% of routine wellness vet bills reimbursed¹ — like checkups, dental cleanings, vaccines, and spaying and neutering.

MetLife Pet’s cat insurance premiums can start as low as $9 per month, and they’re full of customizable options to help you better ensure your indoor cat has strong protection.⁶ And if you have a few felines in your home, you can put multiple pets on the same policy with a shared deductible⁷ when you enroll them in our family plan — the only one on the market.^8,9 To see what your rates might be, get your free quote today.