Accident-only cover for cats, with no illness or routine care included.
A flat $30 per month that does not increase with your cat’s age or after a claim.
No annual limit, sub-limits or payout caps on eligible accident claims.
Pros
No annual payout limit, which is rare in the Australian market.
Fixed monthly premium that does not rise with age or claims.
Covers cats of any breed, age or size.
Cons
No cover for illness, so conditions like cancer, diabetes or arthritis are excluded.
Routine care, dental and preventative treatments are not covered.
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Focused, accident-only cover: 9 Lives covers accidental injuries only, which tend to be the most common and most costly unexpected vet expenses for cats.
No payout limits: 9 Lives has no annual limit, no sub-limits and no payout caps on eligible accident claims.
A flat price for life: The monthly premium remains at $30 and does not increase as your cat gets older or after you make a claim.
No lock-in contract: With 9 Lives, you can start or stop your cover whenever you like, giving you greater flexibility over your budget, though you will need to resit the waiting periods if you take out a new policy.
GapOnly® claiming: GapOnly® is available at participating vets, which allows cat owners to pay only the gap between the vet’s invoice and the eligible claim benefit at the time of treatment.
Backed by PetSure: 9 Lives is promoted and distributed by Luna Pet Health and underwritten by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd, Australia’s largest pet insurer, spanning over 25 years of claims experience.
What is covered?
9 Lives covers accidental injuries, which refers to any sudden and unexpected event that causes physical injury to your cat. Once you have paid the $250 excess for an accident, the policy reimburses 100% of the eligible vet costs that follow. Covered events and treatments include:
Fractures from falls off furniture, stairs or other high places
Ingestion of foreign objects such as string or toys and hairball blockages
Poisoning from toxic plants, medications or cleaning products
Insect bites from bees, spiders or ants
Burns, eye trauma, claw injuries and smoke inhalation
Snake bites and tick paralysis
Motor vehicle incidents and injuries from other animals
Emergency vet visits, tests and diagnostics, surgery, hospital stays, medication and follow-up care
What isn’t covered under 9 Lives Pet Insurance?
As an accident-only policy, 9 Lives does not cover illness or routine care. Exclusions include:
Illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, allergies and infectious disease
Pre-existing conditions
Routine care, including vaccinations, wellness checks and dental cleans
Desexing, elective treatments and preventative care
Behavioural conditions, medicated baths and shampoos, accessories and training
For the full list of exclusions, please refer to the 9 Lives PDS.
Waiting periods and excess
A 2-day waiting period applies before you can claim for most accidental injuries. A longer 6-month waiting period applies to cruciate ligament conditions. Remember, a $250 excess applies to each accident, before 9 Lives can reimburse you in full.
How to submit a claim
You can claim with 9 Lives either through GapOnly® at a participating vet, or by lodging a claim yourself.
Using GapOnly® at a participating vet
Your cat is treated at a participating GapOnly® vet clinic.
Your vet submits the claim through GapOnly® at the time of your appointment.
The claim is assessed against your policy terms and conditions.
If approved, you pay only the gap between the vet’s invoice and the eligible claim benefit.
Lodging a claim yourself
Log into your 9 Lives account and start a new claim.
Upload your supporting documents, such as the vet invoice and clinical notes.
Submit your claim and keep your claim reference somewhere safe.
Wait for the 9 Lives team to assess your claim and confirm the outcome.
FAQs
9 Lives charges a flat $30 per month for cat accident cover. Unlike many pet insurance policies, this premium does not increase with your cat’s age or after you make a claim.
No, 9 Lives applies no annual limit, no sub-limits and no payout caps on eligible accident claims. Once you have paid the $250 excess, the policy reimburses 100% of eligible vet costs.
No, 9 Lives is an accident-only policy, so illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and allergies are not covered. It is designed to cover sudden, unexpected accidental injuries.
9 Lives covers cats of any breed, age or size. There is no upper age limit for taking out a policy.
9 Lives policies are issued by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd and promoted and distributed by PetSure’s authorised representative, Luna Pet Health Pty Ltd.
Ceyda Erem is Finder’s senior writer for insurance and has almost 10 years of experience writing about personal finance. Formerly a copywriter for several business and finance clients, Ceyda has written hundreds of articles, guides, blogs and more to ensure Australians stay in the loop about how to best manage their money. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Writing from Macquarie University.
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