Why should I take out pet insurance?
For most of us, pets are part of the family, so when a beloved four-legged friend suffers an illness or injury, it is upsetting and, very often, extremely expensive.
Vet bills can make a significant dent in your finances, so it’s worth planning for unexpected costs so you’re covered if your pet needs medical treatment.
Read our vet fees and costs guide
There are four types of pet insurance:
Accident only: Provides cover for vet bills if your pet is injured in an accident. It’s the cheapest type of pet insurance.
Time limited: These policies provide cover for a specific time, usually 12 months, to cover accidents or short-term illnesses.
Per condition: Also known as ‘maximum benefit’ cover, per condition policies allocate a fixed sum of money to treat each illness or injury.
Lifetime: This type of cover is more expensive than the others but protects your pet over the course of its life.
What does pet insurance typically cover?
When you take out a pet insurance policy, some features come as standard. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Vet fees/medical treatments cover
- Kennel and cattery fees (should your pet need to stay for recovery)
- Liability cover
- Advertising costs and rewards
There are exceptions to what pet insurers will pay out for, so it’s important to check the small print when taking out a policy.
Exemptions usually include cover for routine check-ups, pre-existing medical conditions and behavioural problems.
How much is pet insurance?
Pet insurance can cost as little as £30 a year, but the price you pay is determined by the policy type, the type and breed of your pet and how long you need cover for.
How to reduce the cost of pet insurance
As well as insurance for cats and dogs, you can take out cover for smaller pets, such as rabbits, and for birds and exotic animals such as reptiles.
It always pays to shop around for cover to see what policies and prices are best suited to your pet and your budget. Here are some money-saving tips to help bring down the cost of cover:
- Keep your pet healthy: Whether it’s feeding your pet a nutritional diet or keeping on top of its vaccinations, having a healthy pet will help lower your premiums. Our dedicated pet health page has lots of useful tips on how to keep your pet healthy.
- Opt for a higher excess: Your premium is likely to decrease if you’re willing to pay a higher excess on any claim you make. But keep the excess affordable in case you have to pay it.
- Take out multi-pet cover: Some insurers offer a discount of between 5% - 10% if you insure more than one pet on a single policy.
- Pay annually: Paying for your policy upfront is usually cheaper as some insurers charge interest on monthly instalments.
- Anthony, York
17 Jan 2017
- Colin, Brigg
17 Jan 2017
- Paul, West Malling
17 Jan 2017
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What do I need to run a pet insurance quote?
Before comparing pet insurance policies, we’ll ask you a few questions to make sure we meet your requirements. The actual questions will depend on the type of pet you’re insuring, but generally we’ll need the following information:
- Your pet’s age
- Breed or size of your pet
- Health of your pet (and if it has been neutered)
- If you bought your pet, how much it cost
- Behavioural history
- Medical history
Why compare quotes with MoneySuperMarket?
Before picking a pet insurance policy, it’s important to compare those available by using a site such as MoneySuperMarket.
The right pet insurance policy for you might not be the cheapest, as cheaper policies often do not provide all the cover you require. Running a pet insurance comparison means you’ll be able to see what is re available for your pet and at what price, and choose the right one for you.
When you're looking for insurance for your pet, we want you to have as much choice as possible so that you can choose the right policy. We can’t promise to have quotes from every single company, because some companies don’t want to be included on comparison websites. You can find out more about how we work here.
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