"Most of us would do anything for our cats, but vet bills and treatments can be expensive. Insuring your cat means you can take away some of the financial worry when deciding what's best for your pet."
What are the different types of cat insurance?
There are 4 main types to choose from:
- Accident only
- Time limited
- Maximum benefit
- Lifetime
Accident only offers a fixed sum for each accidental injury your cat suffers. It's the least comprehensive type of pet insurance and only covers accidents, not illnesses. Some policies also have a time limit on how long after an injury you can claim for treatment.
Time limited gives you a fixed sum of money for each separate illness or injury your pet suffers. But it only covers treatment for a specific period of time. This is typically up to 12 months from the start of the illness or injury. Any treatment your pet needs after this may not be covered.
Maximum benefit gives you a set amount of money to cover each illness or injury you cat suffers. Once you've spent this set amount on a specific treatment, you can't claim for any more. You can claim for different health conditions though.
Lifetime pet insurance is the most comprehensive cat cover you can get. It should cover any new illnesses or injuries up to a set limit each year. If you renew the policy annually, you can claim for conditions or injuries again. This isn't the case with other policies. Lifetime cat insurance can help you manage long-term conditions like diabetes too.
How much is cat insurance?
There are a few things that can affect the cost of your policy, these include:
-
The type of policy you choose. The more advanced types cost more.
-
The amount of cover you want. The more cover you need, the more expensive the policy.
-
Your cat's age and breed,. These factor into the likelihood of your cat developing illnesses.
-
Whether your cat is vaccinated or neutered. These can protect your cat from certain conditions so it can affect the cost.
-
The excess you choose. Typically, the more you can afford, the cheaper your policy could be.
Pedigree cats like a Maine Coon, Persian or sphynx can be more expensive to insure than your standard cat.
This is because some pedigree breeds are more prone to certain conditions, so your insurer might see them as risky to insure.
As an example of how much it can cost, here’s the average cat owner's monthly insurance price based on the age of their cat:
| Cat's age | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
|
0-3
|
£9.30
|
|
4-7
|
£10.26
|
|
8-11
|
£14.00
|
|
12-15
|
£20.24
|
|
16+
|
£26.03
|
*Prices based on Confused.com data taken between June 2024 - August 2024. Costs shown are based on the average monthly price paid for one cat with no pre-existing conditions. "Accident Only" cover across cats of all ages, breeds and in all locations. Correct as of October 2024.
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Page last reviewed: 10 October 2023
Reviewed by: Faith Tagg
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