I recently lost my beloved feline buddy to squamous-cell carcinoma and am contemplating adopting again. I did not have pet insurance and spent thousands out of pocket on his cancer care - no regrets, but I'd prefer to minimize costs if I ever get another cat.
I've been talking to a rescue about a ~4 year old FIV+ neutered male cat that's currently being fostered and needs a permanent home. He's currently in good health with no known history of secondary infections, but he lived on the street for a while and there are no medical records for at least the first half of his life.
I've been researching pet insurance policies, and while they're all very clear about not covering preexisting conditions, I'm not sure what the implications are for FIV+ cats, since there's no actual treatment for the virus itself. Are secondary infections that the cat develops after the policy is purchased always considered preexisting conditions? Even if the infection is one that's common in FIV- cats?
The list of potential FIV symptoms that can manifest when the disease reaches chronic stages is very long and overlaps with many other common diagnoses. Are there ways for vets to test for viral loads in FIV+ cats to definitively determine whether things like fever or inflammation or appetite changes are a consequence of the disease? In practice, how likely is an insurance policy to pay out in the event that an FIV cat develops, hypothetically, an upper respiratory infection or dental disease?
I'm prepared to shoulder the additional time and expense associated with a special-needs cat. I just can't figure out whether insurance is a good investment when a cat has already been diagnosed FIV+.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/anbn5i/pet_insurance_and_fiv_cats/
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