Compare Pet insurance

About pet insurance

If your pet gets ill, injured or stolen, costs can soon escalate. To fix a cat’s broken leg alone can amount to over £800 in vet bills.

Bearing in mind pet insurance policies can start from as little as £60 a year, and the average lifespan of a cat is 12 years, 12 x £60 = £720. Pet insurance is a great idea.

Coverage of pet insurance

Pet insurance policies cover the following:

• Vet fees, both UK and overseas.
• Third party liability.
• Pet replacement costs (should your cat be lost or stolen).

Things to consider

Before you choose a policy, you should bear the following in mind:

• A number of insurers will refuse to cover your pet if it is over a certain age.
• The excess on your policy can range from £25 to £65. For some of you it may be worth paying a higher excess and a lower premium, for others it may be the other way round.
• Keep your pet insurance premium low by locating the animal in a safe place around the house. Pets kept outside or in dangerous areas such as the kitchen are deemed higher risk by insurance companies.
• Many insurance policies will exclude such eventualities as emergency boarding, accidental death or quarantine costs. Check before you take out the policy.
• Basic starter policies will only cover the rudimentary issues. The more advanced policies will cover such complexities as the cost of advertising and a reward should your pet be stolen.
• Most policies cover up to the first £5000 of any given condition.
• Be truthful when applying for pet insurance, or the likelihood of receiving a payout when something goes wrong is low. If your pet has a heart murmur or any other condition, declare it.