Can you get pet life insurance? Most adults have heard of the concept of life insurance, which is a specialized type of insurance designed to cover funeral costs of a deceased person and protect their family from financial woes in the event of their death.
This type of insurance can be crucial to make sure a mortgage, college tuition, and other major expenses still get paid in the event of a tragedy.
If you’re a proud pet owner who prioritizes a high level of financial planning, you may be wondering: can you get life insurance for pets? Though this type of life insurance may seem strange when looked at with the same stipulations as human life insurance, pet life insurance can have some major benefits for certain owners.
Life Insurance for Pets: How Does It Work?
Though there are a few key differences between pet life insurance and its human counterpart, one of the primary differences is that while adults with a life insurance policy typically contribute financially to their families, most pets aren’t bringing in a paycheck.
If your pet does bring some income into your household through things like pet modeling or dog show competitions, pet life insurance is an even more reasonable consideration for you.
Essentially, pet life insurance is designed not to help you continue your previous lifestyle after your pet’s death like a typical life insurance policy would, but rather to cover any expenses relating to your pet’s passing as well as the expenses of replacing your pet after a death, loss, or even theft.
Just like regular life insurance policies, pet life insurance has certain limitations that will prevent you from getting coverage for your pet in certain circumstances.
If you’re wondering if you can get pet life insurance when your pet is already at an advanced age, has a hereditary health issue, or suffers from a pre-existing condition, the answer is likely no.
Certain breeds of dogs and cats are more likely to develop certain conditions that would prevent them from being covered by a pet life insurance policy. Ask your vet for more information about your pet’s specific health predispositions and what types of issues and causes of death are likely to disqualify your pet from coverage.
Benefits of Life Insurance for Pets
A proper life insurance policy for your pet can be a great safeguard against income loss if your pet participates in any income-earning activities such as modeling, acting, breeding, or competing.
Though the average pet isn’t making any money for their family, a high-performing competition dog or a cat that regularly models for cat food brands can bring in thousands per month in income.
If you’re used to your pet bringing money into your household, you could experience serious financial strain should your pet suddenly pass away, get lost, or even be stolen, which happens more than you might think with animals.
You likely spend a good deal of your own income on your pet’s health and happiness each month between vet visits, food, treats, and toys.
A pet life insurance policy can help to protect those investments and make sure you have the capital you need to lay your pet to rest in a dignified way while also finding a new pet to join your family.
Regular Pet Insurance or Pet Life Insurance: Which One Should I Get?
As you’re wondering, “Can you get pet life insurance?” another important question to ask is whether a standard pet insurance policy would be more appropriate for your circumstances.
Regular pet insurance covers a variety of issues related to your pet’s health and well-being and will typically reimburse you if you have to pay for a surgery, a specialized vet visit, or similar health treatment.
Additionally, pet insurance is a great way to protect yourself financially in the event that your pet causes bodily injury to another person. Basically, everything other than the untimely death of a pet is monetarily covered in your typical pet insurance policy.
Is Life Insurance Worth It for Pets?
Pet life insurance policies are much more geared toward replacing lost income or covering funeral and pet replacement expenses than they are towards protecting you against things that could happen while your pet is alive such as an unexpected injury or the harm of a third party.
Most pet owners will be perfectly satisfied with the amount of coverage that they receive from a typical pet insurance policy, especially if they don’t have an animal that is at greater risk of theft.
However, if your pet generates income for your household in one way or another, you may want to protect that income against the untimely loss of your pet with a life insurance policy.
