John Lewis Pet Insurance only offers lifetime covers. This means your cat is covered for ongoing conditions as well as one-off mishaps with no limit to the length of treatment as long as the policy is renewed and there is no break in cover.
Up to £12,000 vet fees each year
24/7 vetfone™ helpline
Emergency dental care if your cat is injured
Up to £2,000 for cattery fees
Multi-pet cover
95% of claims paid within 5 days (Claims data from September 2020 - December 2020)
We cover your cat or kitten for one-off, recurring and ongoing treatment - up to £12,000 a year. This includes anything from kidney infections, to X-rays and operations.
If your vet agrees, we can even pay them directly (excess applies). Also, if you have to go into hospital for more than 4 days in a row, we will pay towards the cost of a cat minder or cattery stay.
We have three options for cat and kitten insurance: Essential, Plus and Premier. Your levels of cover increase according to which Pet Insurance plan you choose:
Essential
Plus
Premier
Vet fees per year
Vet fees are covered in the UK. There is no length of treatment limit as long as you renew the insurance policy and there is no break in cover.
up to £3,000
up to £7,500
up to £12,000
Lifetime cover - as long as the policy is renewed with no break in cover
The cost of looking after your pet’s health doubles every four to five years. That’s why your renewal price increases each year and your excess will increase when your pet turns nine. If a claim is paid, the price you pay next year can double. It’s important that you budget for renewal prices to increase as your pet gets older. There is no limit to how much your renewal price can increase over time.
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vetfoneTM helpline - 24 hour advice from vetinary nurses
If your vet practice isn’t open or can’t offer an appointment for treatment, you can call the helpline for advice any time, any day whether you’re at home or away.
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Behavioural treatment (as part of your vet fees)
We cover the cost of behavioural treatment, provided that this treatment is recommended by a vet and carried out by a specialist.
up to £250
up to £250
up to £500
Treatment food (as part of your vet fees)
We cover the cost of specialist food for treating a condition as long as it is recommended by your vet and covered within the policy terms.
up to £250
up to £250
up to £250
Complementary treatment and physiotherapy (as part of your vet fees)
We cover the cost of physiotherapy if your pet needs it. Physiotherapy has to be performed or recommended by a vet.
up to £500
up to £1,000
up to £2,000
Emergency dental treatment due to injury
up to £3,000
up to £7,500
up to £12,000
Accidental damage to other people's property
If you’re visiting someone and your pet accidentally damages this person’s property, we’ll cover the costs of the damage. You don’t have to be legally liable to make a claim in this case.
up to £250
up to £500
up to £750
Lost or stolen
If your pet is stolen or permanently, we’ll cover the costs for the loss.
up to £500
up to £1,000
up to £1,500
Total discount for multiple pets
5%
5%
5%
Is cat insurance worth it?
It’s thought that there are between 7.5 million and 12 million cats in the UK. Many of their owners do not have cat insurance. This can mean they will need to pay vet bills if their cat falls ill or has an accident.
It’s worth considering cat insurance for peace of mind. We offer cover for vet bills, and vet-recommended treatments that form part of your vet fee cover.
Will I pay more as my cat gets older?
Like us, as pets get older sadly they're more likely to get ill. In fact, our claims data shows that the cost of looking after your pet's health doubles every four to five years. That's why your renewal price increases each year and your excess will increase when your pet turns nine, even if you haven't had to make a claim.
Unfortunately once a pet has been taken ill, in general they are more likely to get ill again. That's why, if a claim is paid, the price you will pay next year can double.
It's important that you budget for renewal prices to increase as your pet gets older. How much they go up is different for everyone and depends on things like your pet's breed, age and health. There is no limit to how much your renewal price can increase over time.
Cat insurance and pre-existing conditions
Like most pet insurers, we don’t cover illnesses or injuries that happen before your policy starts. That’s why it’s important to consider taking out pet insurance soon after getting them and avoid having breaks in cover.
We don’t cover illnesses that happen in the first 14 days or accidents in the first 48 hours of your policy start date.
24/7 support from veterinary professionals
If your kitten or cat becomes ill overnight or has an accident over the weekend, you can call vetfone™ for advice. Our 24/7 helpline is a freephone number and is there for those times when your usual vet is closed or fully booked.
You can even use it while you are staying elsewhere, or on holiday in the UK with your cat or kitten.
To contact vetfone™, dial 0800 316 7119 at any time with your policy number handy. It could even save you an unnecessary and expensive trip to the vet by putting your mind at ease.
What are the most common health conditions for cats?
Health conditions can vary according to the breed of cat. Almost all types of cats can be susceptible to cat flu and skin conditions.
Sadly, older cats are prone to thyroid and kidney issues. Also, veterinary professionals consider chronic stress one of the most important issues affecting cat welfare.
Gum disease is common in cats, so it’s important to look after your cat's teeth and gums. We don’t cover ongoing problems with teeth and gums, such as gum disease, but we do cover emergency dental injuries.
If your cat is under nine years of age and dies from an illness, we will pay:
Up to £500 for Essential customers
Up to £1000 for Plus customers
Up to £1,500 for Premier customers
We usually ask for a receipt for the fee or donation you originally paid when you got your cat.
John Lewis Pet Insurance covers pedigree cats such as:
Siamese
Birman
Domestic Longhair
Bengal
Siberian
Maine Coon
Ragdoll
Russian Blue
and many more.
When you complete the quote form, we'll ask if your cat is a pedigree - which means both its parents are the same breed. If you are able to find out, it’s worth checking if your cat is a pedigree, or what’s known as a moggie. This will help you anticipate any future health problems.
We don’t cover cats that are used for breeding or to make money in any way.
Multi-cat insurance
We know your pets are part of the family, and you can insure up to three dogs or cats when taking out a policy online, or up to 10 over the phone. Plus, you get a 5% discount on your policy when you insure multiple pets with us.
If you have more than three pets, contact us on 0330 102 2655.
You may want to consider getting kitten insurance as soon as possible. You can start a policy as soon as you bring your kitten home, but not before they are 8 weeks old.
No. Vaccinations are part of the routine costs of owning a cat and aren’t covered by cat insurance. It is important to keep up to date with your cat’s vaccinations as we also do not cover illnesses that can be prevented by vaccinations.
Sadly, pedigree cats are generally more likely to get ill from hereditary diseases. This means that the average cost of your cat insurance may be higher.
In the UK pedigree cats are not very common. So it’s worth finding out if the parents of your kitten or cat are definitely of the same breed. For example, British Shorthair, Bengal, Ragdoll and Persian cats are common UK pedigrees.
Always make sure you claim within 90 days for any vet treatment, and keep all vet receipts and invoices. With most claims, there will be an excess to pay.
You can keep track of all your cat’s treatments and medication online.
John Lewis Finance and John Lewis Insurance are trading names of John Lewis plc. The John Lewis Registered office address is: 171 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NN. Registered in England and Wales No. 233462.
John Lewis plc is an appointed representative (Financial Conduct Authority number 416011) of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd. John Lewis Pet Insurance is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd (No. 93792). Registered in England and Wales at St. Mark's Court, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1XL. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 202323)
