A Descriptive Analysis of Morbidity Patterns Among Insured Pet Cats in China Based on Insurance Claims

Population-level information on feline morbidity in China remains limited despite the rapid growth of the pet cat population. This study described morbidity patterns among insured cats in China using insurance claims from a major pet insurance provider, with diagnoses derived from veterinary records. Disease events were classified into hierarchical diagnostic categories and subcategories using disease names and clinical descriptions. The study population included 163,890 insured cats contributing 194,284 cat-years at risk. A total of 42,867 disease events were identified in 31,870 cats, and ~ 19.5% of insured cats had at least one disease event during follow-up. The overall incidence rate was ~22 events per 100 cat-years. Digestive disorders were the most commonly claimed disorders, followed by urinary disorders, infectious diseases, respiratory disorders, and dermatological disorders. Gastroenteritis and lower urinary tract disease were the most frequent diagnostic subcategories. Cats aged less than one year had the highest overall incidence rate. Male cats had a higher incidence rate than female cats, mainly reflecting the higher burden of lower urinary tract disorders. Descriptive differences were also observed among British Shorthair, Maine Coon, and Devon Rex cats. This study provides the first broad insurance-based description of feline morbidity across multiple diagnostic categories in China. The findings offer baseline evidence for future disease-specific epidemiological studies.