Pet Health Insurance Plans Help Owners Predict and Budget for Expenses
Do you believe that all dogs go to heaven?
Do you treat your pets like they are members of the family?
Are you one of the cat owners who bought your feline friends one of those cat climbing walls that prove that gravity does not apply to cats?
If you can answer in the affirmative to these questions, you are a top notch pet owner. You may take your dog on vacation with you, if even it requires paying an extra airline fee. You may be the kind of person who lets your pet sleep with you. In fact, you may be the kind of pet owner who makes more frequent grooming appointments for your pet than you do salon and haircut appointments for yourself. If you consider yourself a leader of the pack in the pet owning population, you are likely very concerned about the health of your animal as well.
Pet owners who want to be the most prepared for the healthcare needs of their animals often make the decision to enroll in pet health insurance plans. In fact, pet owners who have given careful consideration for the health concerns for senior dogs and cats likely have a monthly budget for these expenses. And while getting an insurance policy because of health concerns for senior dogs and cats may initially seem expensive, paying for premiums is often a wise financial decision. For example, knowing the exact expense of a monthly pet insurance premium can help you budget for later, less expected needs.
Somewhat similar to human health insurance, getting pet insurance helps you prepare for some of the more unexpected health concerns for senior dogs and cats. A monthly premium can, for instance, even offer the option of add-ons to policies that cover wellness visits and vaccinations. Having a less expensive copay for prescriptions and surgeries can make the sad news of finding out about health concerns for senior dogs and cats more bearable. Knowing that you have been paying a fee month by month on an insurance policy is a little like having a savings account that pays back with huge interest.
Pets Play an Important Role in the Lives of Many Families
Senior dog care and senior cat care is important to families because many times these pets have been in a home for years. In fact, in many families with young children, the pets have actually been with the family even before the children were born. When you understand the significance that pets have in a family you begin to understand the need for pet insurance or pet wellness plans. Consider some of these facts about pets and their owners:
- 76.43 million cats in the U.S. makes this a country with more felines than any other country.
- $20.46 billion is the amount that Americans spend on pet food each year.
- $12.56 billion is the amount that Americans spend on pet supplies and over-the-counter medicine each year.
- $13.59 billion is the amount that Americans spend on veterinary care each year.
- 50% or more of the pets in America are obtained from acquaintances and family members.
- 28% of dogs in America are purchased from breeders.
- 29% of cats and dogs in America are adopted from shelters and rescue centers.
- 46.3 million U.S. households have a dog. This number indicates that approximately 37% to 47% of all households in the America have a dog.
- 60 million feral cats are in the U.S.
As you read this article right now, do you have a cat or a dog in your lap or within 10 feet of you? when you finish reading this article do you need to take your dog for a walk? Chances are that you may have answered yes to at least one of those two questions. Pets play an important role in the lives of many Americans families. This means that as the holidays are approaching your family may be working on a family photo idea that not only includes the human members, but the feline and canine members as well.
If you have an aging pet that you treasure, you may have already considered looking into pet insurance policies. If not, isn’t it time that you take the time to check out the details?