PET INSURANCE
You could pay from £3.35 per month*
Compare quotes with 15+ UK pet insurance providers
Mail Finance has partnered with Quotezone.co.uk to help you give your pets the protection they deserve with a good pet insurance policy.
Whether your pets have paws, claws, or floppy ears, the cost of caring for your beloved animals can mount up easily, particularly if they get ill or are injured, and need to make an unexpected visit
to the vet.
- Compare quotes with 15+ UK pet insurance providers and you could pay from £3.35 per month*
- Free £10 M&S voucher with every policy purchased^
- 97% of reviewers recommend Quotezone†
Pet Insurance in the UK: Why you should consider insuring your pet?
44% of households in the UK are home to pets, according to data from the RSPCA. To put that into perspective, that amounts to more than 12 million pet-owning homes across Britain and rather more pets (since many households own more than one). In fact, there are 17 million cats and dogs in the UK, and that’s before we even begin to consider any other species of pet.
That’s why a significant number of those 12 million pet owners decide to take out a dedicated pet insurance policy for their pets, whether it’s dog insurance for their beloved pooch, cat insurance for their feline friend, or a rabbit insurance comparison for their floppy-eared bunny.
According to research by the Money Advice Service the average cost of a pet insurance claim in the UK amounts to £750. Most households would find that sort of price tag rather difficult to swallow unless they have invested in a good pet insurance policy.
There’s also the risk that your dog, cat, or rabbit might develop some sort of chronic medical condition, which could result in an even larger number of trips to the vet and an equally large veterinary bill.
What levels of insurance cover are available for pets?
Accident-only
As the name suggests, this type of policy usually only covers medical expenses that you incur when your pet is injured in an accident. For that reason, it’s usually the cheapest type of pet insurance, but it does mean you’ll have to cover the cost yourself if your pet needs medical attention for an illness. Some of these accident-only policies also limit the total amount they’ll pay out for a single accident, while others might only pay out for a limited period of time after a pet is injured.
Per-condition
These policies tend to limit the total amount they’ll pay out for any single condition. Depending on the policy you choose the limit might be a certain amount of money, or it might cover the condition for a certain amount of time following its diagnosis. Once that time limit or monetary limit has been reached the policy usually no longer covers any expenses relating to that particular condition. This could be a good option if you’re looking for cheaper UK pet insurance, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the cheapest of these policies could have fairly low per-condition limits so you should double check this before signing on the dotted line.
Annual pet insurance
Unlike lifetime insurance, this type of insurance policy gives you the flexibility to switch insurance provider if you wish, but it’s important to bear in mind that each new insurance policy you take out might become more costly than the last, due to your pet’s advancing age. It’s also important to understand that each time you take out a new annual insurance policy previously diagnosed conditions usually won’t be covered, since the new policy will class them as ‘pre-existing medical conditions’.
Lifetime pet cover
This is usually the most expensive type of pet insurance, but is also the most comprehensive level of cover available. Provided your pet doesn’t have any pre-existing medical conditions when you first sign up for this type of policy you will usually be covered for most types of illnesses, up to a maximum annual pay-out amount. These policies are sometimes known as annual benefit policies, because they have a per-condition limit that is renewed annually along with the policy.
What information do I need to compare pet insurance?
1
Your pet’s name, gender, date of birth, as well as breed.
2
How much you paid or donated for them.
3
Whether they have been neutered or spayed.
4
Whether they have been microchipped or tagged.
5
Their vaccination status.
FAQ: All your pet insurance questions answered
Most insurance policies for pets don’t stipulate that the animal must be neutered, but some insurance providers may offer cheaper pet insurance quotes if you do get your pet castrated or spayed before you take out the policy. That’s because castration or spaying can reduce aggressive behaviour in some animals, and spaying can also eliminate the risks associated with pregnancy for female pets.
Vaccinations are a different story, though. Many pet insurance providers specifically require pet owners to have their pets vaccinated when they’re young, and then ensure the animal is given regular booster shots for those vaccinations. Failure to do so could mean your insurance policy might be invalidated. The cost of these vaccinations and boosters usually isn’t covered by a pet insurance policy, but ensuring your pet’s shots are up to date could save you money in the long run.
Older dogs often face higher veterinary bills due to a host of possible medical conditions that can develop in old age, but some pet insurance policies will specifically exclude these conditions from coverage when the policy is renewed. With that in mind, is it still worth insuring an old dog?
Provided you haven’t opted for accident-only or per-condition pet insurance you could find that your provider might cover some of the expenses you incur if your pet goes missing.
For example, some pet insurance policies might include ‘advertising and reward cover’, meaning the insurance provider would cover part of the cost of getting flyers printed or offering a reward if you lose your pet.
If advertising and reward cover is not included as standard you should be able to add it to your policy as an optional extra.
When dog owners begin comparing dog insurance quotes they will sometimes find that it costs more to insure a pedigree dog than it does a mixed-breed pooch. The same applies for cats – many providers will charge a higher cat insurance premium if you’re insuring a pedigree animal.
There are two main reasons for that:
Pedigree cats and dogs are usually more attractive to thieves, which means they are a higher insurance risk
Some pedigree cats and dogs have a higher risk of congenital medical conditions or genetic disorders, which again makes them a higher insurance risk
If you’re in the market for rabbit insurance, though, you will be pleased to know that the breed of rabbit you own usually makes little to no difference to the cost of your insurance.
The Mail Finance comparison system (provided by Quotezone.co.uk) is an online comparison only. To discuss your quote over the phone, please contact the insurance provider directly.
If you have any questions or issues relating to the insurance quote forms, please contact [email protected]
Purchase an insurance policy today, and complete the claim form here to receive your M&S gift card. Please make sure to enter the same email address that was used to purchase your insurance policy. If you purchase an insurance policy from Mail Finance Pet Insurance – provided by Quotezone, Mail Finance will be paid a commission.
*Price per month for cover based on a dog, Penelope, aged 4 months, no known medical conditions, up-to-date vaccinations, and microchipped. Based on quote data provided by Seopa Ltd during August 2024. The quote price you could achieve is dependent on your individual circumstances. ^For more information about redeeming voucher, please visit: mailfinance.co.uk/voucher-terms †According to Reviews.io customer reviews.
The pet insurance comparison system is provided by Seopa Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Quotezone is a trading style of Seopa Ltd (FCA number 313860). Associated Newspapers Limited, trading as Mail Finance, is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Seopa Ltd.
All information is intended for editorial purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or financial advice.