The first thing you should go and do is have you cat examined by a vet. It seems infected and if it does hurt her, you should go and have it checked out.

When it comes to pet insurance, pre-existing conditions are not covered. These are conditions that have been noted or treated prior to taking out the insurance. So if that lump turns out to be a symptom of an illness that requires more term, it wouldn’t be covered.

On the other hand, it could be just a cist. If so, hopefully the procedure of removing it won’t cost too much and you could still get insurance to cover all other conditions.

Finally, you gonna find it difficult to find a cheap premium for your cat. As pets get older, they get more likely to require treatment – and claim. Insurers know that only too well and therefore charge higher premiums for older pets. You just have to weight the pros and cons:

- is your cat likely to receive treatment in the future?
- has she ever received treatment before (think about what’s gonna be excluded from the policy as pre-existing)?
- would you prefer to pay a monthly premium or an unexpected vet bill?
- you may be able to afford one heavy vet bill, but what if your cat needs ongoing treatment for the rest of her life (think lifelong cover v per condition/12 month insurance)?

I hope this is of help to you. If you have further questions, please feel free. I do hope your cat will be ok and that lump isn’t too serious.

Nancy Ewing
Nanl88@aol.com