Help me understand pet insurance for cats!

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I have two cats, moggies, boys (brothers), both neutered, under 2 years old and in very good health. We adopted them from a rescue last autumn and I opted to buy/extend the insurance that they came with - the rescue has a partnership with Petplan so you get one month free. I searched and there was a lot of info and at the time I was struggling to figure out exactly what I’d want or need in a plan (I had a lot of other stuff to think about and was mainly keen to ensure they were covered!) so I played it safe and got a maximum coverage/lifetime cover plan for both.

Now we’re all settled, I’m thinking it’s worth possibly switching plan. I think my monthly cost is high (£48 for two cats!) and I see a lot of other coverage that it much cheaper. However, this is my first time getting let insurance and I’m not really sure what I need. I’m risk averse so I’m happy to get more expensive insurance (clearly!), so lifetime cover/maximum cover is my preference. However I don’t know what amounts for cover make sense or are reasonable, I know if they were ill or had an accident vets bills can be very high so I want to cover for that.

I also have no clue about pet insurance companies, there are a lot of names I don’t know.

Any tips or recommendations for average monthly insurance for a cat (especially for a maximum/lifetime coverage), insured amounts, insurance providers etc are very welcome!

Petplan is one of the best, and yes, lifetime cover is a must-have!

I have one year old siblings insured with Petplan Covered for Life - I think theirs is about £30 per month all together for the pair. I opted for the £7k annual limit for vet fees - I suppose there are some instances when vet fees would exceed this but I have enough in savings to deal with that.

I would say if you are risk averse and able to afford higher premiums, it's worth sticking to it rather than trying to find a cheaper option that might then not cover adequately if something happens. The charity where I volunteer also recommends Petplan and I've very rarely heard of any problems with claims.

@viccat thank you, that’s actually reassuring, and I wasn’t sure if I was being completely ripped off! We have very little savings at the moment which adds to my preference to ensure we’re as covered as we can be.

I, too, had the one month free with PetPlan with my two seniors (both 14). The renewal fee was £58 pm, and given their age they couldn't offer the lifetime cover.

I searched and ended up going with Insurance Emporium. It's £10.88 each per month for the Lifetime Silver polisy, with illness cover of £5000 per illness/injury per cat per year - this resets each year and is based on continuous cover. I was happy with the cost and cover for senior cats. The excess is £95 plus 15%..

Hope that helps!

I pay £42 a month to cover both my 8 year old Persians. With Tesco top level cover. And boy have we needed it. They've run up £13,000 of vets bills in 18 months. I'm dreading the renewal premium for next year. But they need it.

Thank you, that’s helpful!

I had cats for years growing up and was the main person to look after them so very comfortable with the cats, flea treatments and so on and pleased we can finally have cats since we moved into a house - but the pet insurance is all new to me!

I have a 2 year old Maine Coon and a Bengal cross under a year and I pay £50 for them both for the lifetime insurance.

Had to use my insurance with my Maine Coon after he had a car accident and all I had to do was sign the forms and the vets dealt with it all!

Do consider whether you need insurance.

If you have a decent buffer of savings, you could save the amount you would otherwise spend on insurance to cover any vet bills. If they're relatively cheap cats, you're quids in. If not....we'll, there's your savings spent. It's a risk but one to consider. I've always done this with (moggy, not particularly sickly) cats and have saved masses.

Don't even consider doing this if unexpected vet bills - and they can be high- would cripple you though. Not fair on you or the cat.

We have been very happy with Animal Friends, I've had to claim for one of my cats for thyroid medication/surgery and it's been very straightforward.

so £24 per month per cat .. my cat is 14 and he had never had insurance. if he had that would have been £4032. Hes also never been ill or been in an accident (but perhaps we've been lucky in that ). hes een to the vet perhaps twice in al. that time

Now my cat has just been diagnosed with diabetes .. its cost us just over £300 so far and he is on insulin.. I'm not sure yet how much this is all going to pan out to , as it early day s and we are working on maintaining strict diet in hope of remission , but Im pretty sure hes not insurable now..

Just be very careful before you switch pet insurance companies - it’s not like house or car insurance as if the new company perceives you are claiming for a previous condition you will not be covered for it.

Thank you for the extra tips - that’s really helpful. We don’t have a buffer of savings so a £££ vet bill would be pretty impossible for us to cover, other than taking out a loan! We can afford the regular stuff - food, litter, toys, flea and worm treatment, annual check up and vaccinations etc, just not if one were to have an accident or get really ill.

They spend a lot of time outdoors (their choice) and we live in a city (fairly quiet area set away from main roads, but still, I worry!) so I’m more concerned about them having an accident. One likes to climb on the roof of the medical centre we live next to

I’m feeling less inclined to switch now, but reassured that I’m not being totally swindled

My DSis didn't insure her cats, one of them developed a condition that was costing her about £50 a month in regular drugs on top of the original (large) bill for discovering what was wrong with him. Then he got a skin allergy thing, and was going for steroid injections every few weeks, plus a few other bits & pieces.

Oh dear Allergic. I’ve had two cats with FAIDS in the past which resulted in a lot of vet trips, and I learned the value of insurance (although clearly I wasn’t the one paying for it at the time!).

Also we can afford the insurance we have at current. It’s around £575/year, and broken down as it is monthly works fine for us, but if one were to have an accident tomorrow and we had, say, a £2000 vet bill, well we don’t have £2k stashed away. Maybe in a few years but by then they could have been in all sorts of mischief.

Plus they’re lovely and I want them to be okay

I would always get insurance. I cannot remember the one I used latterly for mine, but they were great. One cat developed thyroid problems with a potential heart problem (which was connected to his thyroid, so didn't require anything separate) and then stomach problems and they paid up for everything. In fact, when I got the second cat PTS, the lovely vets put in claims for the tests and drugs and also the euthanasia and the insurers paid up and sent me a very kind letter of condolence (as they had when my first cat had to be PTS very suddenly). I could never have afforded any of those vet bills, so that is why I had insurance.

To put it into context, I have a 12 year old who's never been insured, and she's now starting to get age-related problems. Just spent £300 on an x-ray to check out why she's limping and had dental treatment a few years ago. That was also about £300. So at the moment, her medical costs are less than the premiums I would have paid, but it might well even out over the next few years....

thats what I think maude.. I havent regretted not getting insurance (yet) even tough we are looking at insulin injections daily for my 14 yr old cat ..

Argos platinum cover here.

£15 a month for a 14 year old.

Cover type - LIFETIME

Vet fee excess - £65

Vet fees £7,000 - treatment period per year

Accidental damage - £500

I got a £50 gift card as well.

They paid me £500 from a claim within 5 days, straight into my account.