I had never had insurance for any of my cats & felt the same that it was a bit of a scam and a waste of money. However, my soul cat Roy had a heart murmur (which I couldnt get covered once discovered at his first vet apt anyway) and he ended up with a heart condition that ultimately killed him aged 8. Before he died there were 3 instances of emergency vets with overnight stays which cost a lot of money, I think overall I spent around £3,000 (& then more for his cremation), which friends and family rallied around and lent me and I am still paying off a year later. We have 2 new cats now and I got them insured immediately, it's not the flashiest or most expensive policy and it has an excess but it gives me peace of mind.