Health insurance for cats

Yes. For our surgery and health insurances, your pet must be clearly identifiable with a microchip or registration number.

Please note that if your pet is not chipped, we will not be able to process any claims submitted until a chip number is available. Chipping can be covered by the yearly preventive budget available in each of our full health insurance packages (up to €35 in Mini, €100 in Midi, and €140 in Maxi).

Lassie surgery and health insurance policies have a general waiting period of 30 days and a special waiting period of 18 months for specific diagnoses from the start of the insurance. However, the general waiting period does not apply to necessary treatment in the event of an accident, under the preventive care flat rate, or for telemedicine. If you have chosen tomorrow's date as your start date, your insurance will be active from midnight.

There is no waiting period for dog liability insurance.

Yes, you can get a discount on your surgery insurance premium with Lassie by taking courses & quizzes! At Lassie, we want to help you prevent illnesses and injuries in your cat before they happen! That's why you can take courses on preventative measures that teach you how to care for your dog - like what diet is right for a kitten or how to care for outdoor cats.
Answer subsequent quizzes to test your new knowledge. If you answer all the quiz questions in a course correctly, you'll earn points that you can use to get a discount on the price of your OP insurance.

We also want every pet owner to benefit from a preventative approach to pet care. That's why we also have the Lassie recommendation program, where you can invite others to join Lassie and receive additional discounts for yourself and others!

Operation cost protection

The insurance reimburses costs for:

• Medically necessary operations (also under partial anesthesia) up to 4 times the rate of the German Veterinary Fee Ordinance (GOT) for the restoration of the state of health

• Pre-surgery examinations and special diagnostics in the period of 10 days before the planned operation

• Follow-up treatment until the 30th calendar day after the operation

• Proportionate subsidy of up to €500 for the use of prostheses, if they are necessary from a veterinary point of view

Health and accident protection

The insurance reimburses costs for:

• Medically necessary treatments up to 4 times the rate of the German Veterinary Fee Ordinance (GOT), if your animal suffers from an illness with clinical symptoms or has been involved in an accident

• Outpatient and inpatient treatments, including board and lodging in a veterinary clinic

• Medications, consumables, and supplies, if prescribed or ordered by your veterinarian

• Special diagnostics such as MRI/CT (only in the Maxi tariff)

Preventive care budget

Regardless of veterinary necessity, the following insurance benefits are considered an insured event and are reimbursed up to the amount of the annual preventive care budget specified in the tariff:

• Issuance of an EU pet passport, including insertion of a chip or tattoo

• Health check and preventive examinations

• Protective vaccinations

• Worming cure

• Flea and tick prevention

• Dental care, plaque removal

• Castration or sterilization without medical indication (only in Maxi tariff)

Additional benefits

• Reimbursement of accommodation costs in a boarding kennel up to 300€ per insurance year, if you need unplanned inpatient treatment in hospital.

• Cat behavioural therapy and medication for 12 months post-traumatic event (only in Maxi tariff)

• Free access to 24/7 online vet Pfotendoctor

• Access our free Lassie app

• Free courses in caring for your dog

• Protection overseas for up to 12 months

For certain tariffs, there are limits to the amount covered:

Mini
Operation cost coverage: Unlimited
Coverage of treatment costs: €3.000
Preventative budget: €35

Midi
Operation cost coverage: Unlimited
Coverage of treatment costs: Year 1 - €1000, Year 2 - €2000, Year 3 - Unlimited
Preventative budget: 100€

Maxi
Operation cost coverage: Unlimited
Coverage of treatment costs: Unlimited
Preventative budget: 140€

There are also certain situations, surgeries, and/or treatments that Lassie cannot cover. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Treatment measures and operations due to previous ailments that existed/began before the start of insurance - i.e. something for which your pet was treated, medicated, examined or showed symptoms within the last 24 months.

• Treatment measures or operations due to congenital, genetic hereditary diseases as well as breed-specific diseases (e.g. repair of malformations or deformities), regardless of when the disease was first observed. This exclusion does not apply to diagnoses specifically listed in 2.2.1. and associated conditions of the special waiting period.

• Treatment procedures or surgeries for injuries/illnesses that existed/started prior to the effective date of coverage or during the waiting periods and are considered chronic (i.e., illnesses that have existed for 8 weeks).

• Treatment and surgery for illnesses that normally could have been prevented if subsequent vaccinations had been given without gaps:

  • Dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and rabies.

  • Cats: Calicivirus and rhinotracheitis virus (feline rhinotracheitis), panleukopenia (feline epidemic diarrhea), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), feline leucosis, and rabies.

• Non-exclusively pain-relieving dental treatment, dentures, fillings, and treatment procedures or surgery for dental or jaw abnormalities.

• Treatment measures or operations as a result of musculoskeletal health impairments due to:

  • Wobbler syndrome (cervical spondylosis).

  • Cauda equina (lumbosacral stenosis)

  • Growth disorder of the forearm (Radius curvus)

  • Degenerative myelopathy (DM) (genetic spinal cord disease).

• The following diseases:

  • Positional anomaly of the testicle (cryptorchidism)

  • Congenital hernias (umbilical, inguinal, diaphragmatic hernia)

For a complete list of exclusions, please refer to the Lassie Policy Terms and Conditions.

Eligible for insurance are cats from the 8th week of life at the start of insurance, which are healthy or already have pre-existing conditions (acute, chronic or breed-specific diseases). Please note: Special restrictions and exclusions of benefits apply to insured animals with pre-existing conditions.

Lassie cat health insurance, like other insurance policies, does not cover past medical conditions (i.e., something for which your pet has been treated, medicated, examined or shown symptoms within the past 24 months).

Provided your cat has not shown any symptoms for 24 months and no treatment, medication or examination has been carried out for this previous illness, costs for treatment and surgery will again be reimbursed if medically necessary within the scope of the Insurance Terms & Conditions.

Veterinary costs vary from cat to cat and from region to region, and of course depend on your dog's health condition and the examination and treatment required. Even a routine check up can cost anywhere between €26 and €45, and the prices only increase with time and difficulty of the issue.

Here’s an example:

• Gastrointestinal inflammation: €195 to €450

• Operative wound care: €245 to €650

• Ear infection: €280 to €580

• UTIs: €340 to €540

• Tooth extraction: €350 to €570

Additionally, you may also need to pay for medication, materials such as bandages, canulas and needles, third party laboratory services such as blood or tissue analysis, and/or a flat-rate fee of €50 during emergency service times.

A visit to the vet can often run to the hundreds or even thousands of Euro. We all hope our cats will always remain healthy, so it’s easy to underestimate the true costs you’ll face should anything happen. Just like in humans, cats can face lots of different illnesses and injuries throughout their lives, from mild to serious. Common issues that need intervention from a vet in order to keep your kitty healthy include gastrointestinal inflammation, cat flu, gingivitis, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract infection, and much more!

These illnesses can usually be dealt with with regular visits and medication, however in the worst case, your cat will need emergency surgery to save their life. In moments like that, you don’t want to be thinking about finances! Surgery is something you should be prepared to face. Here are some common surgical interventions for cats:

• Tumor removal

• Wound care

• Ligament repair

• Broken bone repair

• Thyroid removal

Lassie’s full health insurance protects you and your cat against the costs of these common operations, as each of the three tariffs offers unlimited insurance for medically necessary surgery. In addition, other vet-recommended treatments and medications are also covered (the maximum coverage amount depends on your chosen tariff). Find the best option for you and your cat using our online sign up in our app or on our website to compare surgery and health insurances

The insurance premium depends on the scope of services and the tariff. The age and breed of your cat also influences the price of the insurance, among other things.

Don't forget that you can also lower your price by €25 per policy every year if you are active in our app. Take courses in the app on health and handling your cat, then answer quiz questions and earn points. You can then redeem them for a discount on your insurance premium.

Calculate your prices now and compare Lassie insurances.

All three Lassie health insurance plans for cats cover the costs of medically necessary operations in unlimited amounts. For veterinarian-recommended treatments, however, the maximum reimbursement amounts per insurance year differ depending on the selected tariff. For example, Lassie's Mini tariff covers a maximum of €3,000 per insurance year for medical treatment, while the Maxi tariff covers an unlimited amount for insured medical treatment. Another difference is in the amount of the annual preventive budget, which you can use for flea and tick prevention, vaccinations or health checks, for example. Here’s an overview of the annual preventive care budget per tariff:

• Mini: €35/ year

• Midi: €100/ year

• Maxi: €140/ year

Want to learn more about Lassie cat health insurance rates? Answer a few questions about your furry friend in seconds and compare prices and rates.

Yes, your insurance premium is affected by the deductible you choose. With Lassie Health Insurance you have 2 choices: 20% or 0% variable deductible. If you choose a 20% deductible, your insurance premium will be lower because you will pay 20% of the costs yourself in the event of a claim. If you choose a 0% deductible, Lassie will reimburse the entire cost in the event of a claim, up to the benefit limit defined in the tariff per insurance year. For this reason, your choice of 0% deductible means a higher insurance premium. Calculate your insurance premium now and see how the deductible you choose influences your individual price.

If your cat is involved in an accident, please seek help from a vet as soon as possible. If you are not sure whether a visit to the vet is necessary, with Lassie cat health insurance you can also talk to a vet from our partner Pfotendoctor by video phone call free of charge - 24/7, and on weekends and holidays. If you’ve already been to the vet and need to submit a claim, please use the “Submit claim” button in the “Insurance” tab in our app, or send an email to schaden@lassie.de. Learn more about what to do in case of an accident or claim. 

If you’ve adopted or purchased a cat from abroad, you can only buy the insurance to start on the day your cat arrives in Germany. 

Remember that cats traveling into Germany need to be vaccinated against rabies, and need a microchip or tattoo and EU pet passport. You can buy insurance from us without a veterinary certificate, however, especially if you’ve adopted a cat from overseas, we would also like to draw your attention to the following:

The health insurance does not apply to disease caused by parasites or infection that your cat brought with them when it was brought to Germany. As with all pet health insurance providers, we do not cover issues that your cat has experienced within the 24 months prior to the start of the insurance coverage (e.g. anything for which your cat was treated, examined, or showed symptoms for).

With Lassie's cat health insurance, you always have the option of booking a video consultation with a professional veterinarian from our partner Pfotendoctor if you are worried about your cat. You can book an appointment directly in the Lassie app, and the consultation itself will take place via the Pfotendoctor app. In case this is not possible for you, you can also indicate that you would like to be contacted by phone when booking the appointment.

It is important that you enter your Lassie insurance number in the Pfotendoctor booking form so that we can assign the consultation to your insurance. That way, we pay Pfotendoctor directly, and it is free of charge for you! After booking the appointment, you will receive an SMS shortly before the start of the appointment with the access data for the video call, which you must enter into the Pfotendoctor app. Through the video function, it is possible for the vet to view your cat via the camera and can thus provide advice and give you recommendations for action. Many common concerns of cat owners can be solved with the help of Pfotendoctor, without having to go to the vet.

Please note that it is not possible for Pfotendoctor to issue prescriptions via video, so an additional appointment at a veterinary practice is essential if your cat needs prescription medication.

No. You don't need a veterinary certificate or a health check to insure your cat with Lassie. You can quickly purchase insurance for your cat in just two minutes via the Lassie website or app. We trust you to provide truthful and complete information when you take out insurance.

A separate surgery or health insurance policy must be taken out for each cat, as the insurance benefits only apply to the respective insured cat. To take out Lassie insurance for one or more cats, fill out our online form for each cat, including specific details - for example, the breed or the cat’s age. In just 2 minutes, you can easily take out another cat insurance policy online.

Yes of course! With Lassie you are free to choose the vet you and your cat prefer. We cover all costs up to 4x GOT Satz, so you can rest assured that we’ll help you cover your costs, no matter where you choose to go.

The price of the insurance for your cat is calculated based on multiple factors, including your cat’s breed, sex, age, and location. You can calculate your price in a few moments by answering some questions in our online form, then comparing the costs and services of each of Lassies cat health insurance tariffs.

It’s likely that older cats need to visit the vet more often than younger cats, as certain illnesses and issues only appear in old age. To keep your cat in the best possible health throughout their life, it is a good idea to keep the insurance while they age.

At Lassie, your cat can be insured from 8 weeks of age, and we have no upper age limit so you can insure even your oldest cat. Age plays a role, not only in the general health of your cat, but also in the cost of keeping them healthy. Therefore, it also has an impact on what you’ll pay for their insurance.

Just like your own health insurance, cat health insurance covers the costs of necessary medical care for your four-legged friend. Depending on the tariff, Lassie cat health insurance reimburses the costs for veterinarian-recommended medical treatments, necessary surgeries, as well as costs for surgery preparations and follow-up treatments within a defined period of time, among many other things. In addition, Lassie health insurance for cats include an annual preventive care budget, which can be used, for example, for a yearly health check, vaccinations or dental prophylaxis.

Cat health insurance is not required by law in Germany, however it is strongly recommended by many veterinarians. Whether your cat is in perfect health, or already has had some problems in the past, it is always sensible to get health insurance to ensure you can always afford the best care for your furry friend. A monthly or yearly contribution to a health insurance is a small price to pay for the peace of mind you’ll have, knowing that your cat will be insured against expensive veterinary treatments or operations.

Lassie reimburses up to 4 times the GOT rate for necessary veterinary medical treatment or surgery in all Lassie pet health insurance tariffs: Mini, Midi and Maxi.