How much does it cost to insure a cat?

The cost of cat insurance for your specific cat will likely depend mainly on their breed, gender and age, as there are higher health risks associated with some breeds as well as older cats being more likely to develop health conditions at some point.

Your location in the country, which will reflect the costs of visiting the vet in your area and claims experience for a particular insurer may also affect the price or premium charged.

To get an accurate idea of what it’ll cost to insure your pet specifically, your best bet is to complete an online quote from an insurer so they can tailor their policy and price as closely to your cat and its needs. While it might be tempting to look toward cheaper policies, it’s good to look at things like the policy limit, as cheaper policies may have lower limits on how much you can claim annually.

The amount of any fixed excess and/or percentage-based excess will also have an impact on the premium charged, typically the greater the fixed excess or percentage based excess the lower the premium for your pet.

Is it worth getting pet insurance for my cat?

See our guide on Why cat insurance is worth it for a more detailed breakdown on the value of getting insurance for your cat. It’s also worth considering the value of the peace of mind as well as any potential vet bills. As a cat owner, you have a duty of care towards your cat – and pet insurance helps you to get your cat medical treatment if the worst is to happen, without worrying about the impact it might have on your wallet.

Pet insurance for cats can go even further than helping with surprise vet bills too, with some policies offering cover against lost pet passports, third party damage cover and even assistance in covering the cost of death and cremation.

How much is pet insurance for an older cat?

Like people, it’s natural that as your cat gets older the risk of developing an illness or medical problem increases. This means that the cost of insuring your cat will also increase as it gets older. This is why insuring your cat from a young age can be a good idea, as you might not be able to get insurance for an older cat that has already developed a medical condition.

If you take out pet insurance when you first get your cat, and keep paying your premiums to keep the policy active for its whole lifetime, you can be covered for illnesses it may develop as it gets older.

A quick ‘paws’ for thought…

With pet insurance, as part of the cost, your premium will increase each year at renewal as your pet gets older. We’ll limit the amount it goes up by, but your renewal price will also be impacted by:

• Any claims you make – this could significantly increase your premium
• Rising vet fees
• Insurance Premium Tax increasing
• Changes you make to your policy
• Changes we make to our pricing

You can, of course, shop around at renewal. Just bear in mind that any existing conditions your pet’s developed, whether diagnosed or not, may not be covered elsewhere.