Understanding cat insurance

[LagoDiComo]

Hi everyone
We are currently with Argos, the premium for the first year was £14 a month but now for the second year renewal its £17. Bobby is estimated to be somewhere between 2 and 3 years old, neutered, no known health conditions.
I had a look at Petplan and they are quoting me £25 a month for the lifetime cover. I figured if I'm going to pay more, maybe it's better to go for lifetime cover (and Petplan seem a really good option), so that any new conditions are covered for the long term but I'm worried that that £25 will also go up and up as Bobby gets older (it already seems very high for a junior cat). Just wondering about what others are paying for similarly aged cats and whether premiums do really jump up as the cat ages. There's no point paying a bit more now if the premiums then become unmanageable later on. I would really like to get some kind of 'level term' where the amount might be high to begin with but doesn't move (like my critical illness insurance). TIA!

They do go up a bit every year I'm afraid... Like with any insurance, it's a gamble - you hope you'll never need it but if you do, then it's worth its weight in gold.

When you compare prices, make sure you're comparing like for like. Many of the cheaper ones are not lifetime which makes them useless in many cases.

For example my eldest DCat is now 16 and has hyperthyroidism and recurring urinary infections. The medication for hyperT alone is about £30-40 per month, plus at least twice yearly blood and urine tests that are somewhere around £200 each. Because I have lifetime cover, Petplan pays it even though it's been 3 years since her diagnosis now. Her urinary issues similarly have been going on for years now and there's always the cost of consultations, urine tests, antibiotics etc. on top of the ultrasound scan she had.

Unfortunately the premiums do seem to go up each year. I'm with Pet Plan for my dog, it went up last year (can't remember how much - was mimimal) and I've just had the renewal through for this year and it's gone up £50 for the year. I do believe Pet Plan are the best though especially with their lifetime cover and the fact that most vets will only deal directly with them. As said above, it's worth its weight in gold if you ever do need to claim!

I use bought by many as they do a fixed for life cover meaning it will never go up as the pet ages. Never had to claim yet.

I’ve been switching every year, for low premiums & cashback via Quidco - I always get the top level lifetime cover, so-far-touch-wood nothing major but once one of them gets something chronic I’ll have to stay put (for that one at least)

Currently paying £21pm for 3 moggies aged 5, 4 & 2 (youngest is male) with Tesco.

(& got £50 cashback on that)

I would be careful if you switch every year as many insurance companies won't cover any pre-existing conditions.

No, I know - that’s why I said I’ll stick if one of them gets something chronic. So far all are in good health 🤞🏻

Make sure you're also looking at the value of the cover e.g. are they covered for £3k per year or £7k per year.

I'm pretty sure you're looking at a high cover rate for yours, as mine are on a lower annual cover at the mo (upping it this year) and are just under £30 for the pair. Lifetime cover of course, saw the amount my DSiS was paying every month for her cat's meds & it was the same as the cover costs me for 2!

As long as your cat is in good health, OP, I would definitely shop around at renewal. It's possible your premium is a bit higher as you have no definite age for your boy (they might be hedging their bets there) but I'd give it a go. Get a few quotes, see if you're happy with the cover they offer, & then check quidco/topcashback to see what they're offering on each company.

This is my Tesco cover - it has a £60 excess per cat, cost roughly £7 each.

Cover level: Premier £7,500

Cover Type: Total vet fees limit of £7,500 per year, reinstated annually, to give you ongoing cover. Gives you cover up to your vet fees limit each year, for one-off or on-going conditions with no treatment time limit. Vet fee limits are reinstated each year if your policy is renewed.

I spoke to Argos and they said that Bobby had moved into a new age range, moving from 2-3 (as he is estimated to have been born in August 2018). Said the fact he is male was a factor (obviously that's an average as Bobby is not a fighter in the slightest) and that in general insurance premiums have gone up due to an increase in the 'insurance premium tax'. I don't have buildings or contents insurance so this is the only place I'd really notice that. Also we got a 10% introductory discount for first year.

Still seems a bit high. It's £17 a month for lifetime cover with £7,000 a year claim limit. Excess is £115. LapdanceShoeShine your Tesco policy sounds a lot better!

Worth getting a quote from Tesco then

My boy cat will have turned 3 when I renew - it’ll be interesting to see what that does to Tesco’s premium for next year...

Check out Bought By Many. They have some good policies including fixed for life (although it’s for kittens so yours is probably too old now) but also one that covers pre existing conditions and another than gives you cashback if you don’t claim.

We’ve recently switched to them, we were with More Than but they kept increasing our premiums by a lot each year.

We're with petplan, I would never insure with anyone else. We claimed thousands last year for one of our cats and they paid out no problems. All of our cats now have pre existing conditions so if we moved wouldn't be covered, I pay about £55 a month for our 3, but one cats meds cost over £100 a month alone so worth it