Should I get pet insurance for my cat?

What is pet insurance?

Pet insurance is a policy you take out to help cover the cost of veterinary care if your cat becomes ill or is injured. In return for a monthly or annual premium, your insurer will reimburse you, or the vet practice, for eligible treatments. Policies vary widely, but most will help with the cost of diagnostics, surgery, medication, and sometimes even other therapies such as physiotherapy and behaviourist assessments.

Just like health insurance for humans, pet insurance offers financial protection and peace of mind when unexpected health issues arise.

Types of pet insurance

Pet insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are many types of policies to choose from, and understanding the differences can help you make the right choice for your cat:

• Lifetime Cover
  This is typically the most comprehensive option. Lifetime policies cover ongoing conditions such as arthritis or thyroid issues, with an annual limit that resets each year. As long as you renew the policy, your cat remains covered for lifelong conditions.

• Maximum Benefit (Per Condition) Cover
  This policy sets a financial limit for each condition. Once that amount is reached, the condition will no longer be covered, even if your cat still needs treatment in the future.

• Time-Limited Cover
  These policies offer cover for a set period (usually 12 months) from the start of treatment for each condition. After that, any further treatment becomes your responsibility.

• Accident-Only Cover
  As the name suggests, this type only covers treatment related to accidental injuries. It’s often the cheapest, but it won’t help with illnesses, which the majority of insurance claims tend to be for.

Other key things to check before you buy

• Excess and co-payments
  These are the amounts you pay yourself when making a claim. Some insurers also increase co-payments as your cat ages, so factor this into your long-term planning.

• Cover for older cats
  Many policies have age limits for new cover, so it’s wise to insure your cat while they’re young.

• Premium increases after claiming
  Many pet insurance providers will increase your premiums at renewal if you make a claim, but some providers (e.g. Pet Proactive and Petplan) don't.

• Preventative care exclusions
  Routine check-ups, vaccinations, flea and worm treatments are not covered by pet insurance, so plan for these expenses separately, for example by becoming a member of our Healthy Cat Plan.

• Claim process and limits
  Check how claims are submitted, how long they take, and whether there are caps per condition, per year, or over the pet’s lifetime. We can do direct insurance claims (where the insurance company pays your bill directly, rather than you paying and claiming it back) with most, but not all insurance companies - click here for our insurance claims policy.