I'm so Happy, I can't stand it!
Talk about a red-hot topic. Is pet health insurance necessary? Is it very helpful? Firstly, one of the things you need to know (especially if you are a first time pet owner), is when it comes to the costs of veterinary services, they can be very expensive. But, don’t run out and buy that policy just yet…
Your first step is to shop around. Do some research on the internet – visit various veterinary clinics and collect the various brochures that they have on display. You are going to need to commit to sitting down for a couple of hours to study this issue and take some notes which allows you to compare the benefits of each prospective plan. Also pay attention to those items that a company is NOT covering – things like chronic conditions (allergies, asthma, diabetes, etc.).
With this information summarized, now it’s time to analyze the data. Look carefully at the benefits verses the costs and start to think about what your true needs are. Now it’s time to look at some reviews on the internet – you are looking for the good, the bad and the ugly. People are usually pretty brutally honest about their opinions about things, so you should start to see who is good and who is better. Also, another good step is to find different forums that talk about pet insurance to interact with fellow pet owner more directly.
Okay, so you’ve narrowed things down. Before you sign anything, make sure you read the fine print. Look for decreasing coverage due to your kitty’s age. This is really boring stuff, but you really need to pay attention. The insurance company is protecting its own interests with that fine print, not yours.
Hey, who's the small fry?
There is a definite transition time period when bringing your new little furball home for the first time. It is important to realize that a kitten, like a young child is curious and wants nothing more than to test the boundries of its existence (climbing up the drapes, up your leg, etc.). It’s all about expectation alignment, ultimately – know that this is the way it is. The way that you can save your sanity during this ‘young’ time is to adequately prepare. How? By creating a Kitten Safe Zone – a space, an area where kitty can roam and explore without seriously damaging itself and your stuff.
Here’s a suggestion on how to do this… Find a cardbox of some size – say three feet cubed – very common and easy to find. Now, inside the box, organize it such a way that you have a sleeping area, a paper area for going potty on (or if you can fit in a small litter box – great!), a place for water. Also, don’t forget the fun stuff – the toys, although they can be pretty small. This system is great because it’s a place where you can put kitty and you’ll know it’s safe – peace of mind!
Realize that your little feline is going to get tired of the box eventually and is going to want to bust loose and explore elsewhere. Know that he is going to try to escape any way he can – so make sure that box is made a solid cardboard and be careful about sitting the box on a table surface where he can knock it off if he were to hit side hard enough. Also, you want to make sure that you don’t put the box in direct sunlight – for obvious reasons. You may not be thinking about the sun factor if you leave early in the morning to go to work, not realizing that the noonday sun could be beating down on that box for hours while you are away. Also, you should keep the box away from drapes – the drapes give him a target to jump for – and he may just make it.
On the other side, the box is not meant as permanent storage for your cat – but to a safe haven so that you have some peace of mind that you can leave for a while and know he’s not destroying your home.
