Is cat insurance worth it?
Is cat insurance worth it?
Which? Best Buy applies to Vet Fee limits of £7,500, £9,000 & £12,000
Defaqto 5 Star Rating applies to Vet Fee limits of £5,000, £7,500, £9,000 & £12,000
Let’s do right by your cat
Cats are as mysterious as they are majestic. They’re constantly full of surprises. So, we’re here to let you focus on the good moments – knowing the rest is taken care of. This is why we provide cover to suit your cat’s needs, helping to ensure their health and happiness long into the future.
What’s included in our Cat Insurance?
We only offer a Lifetime policy. We believe it’s the most comprehensive form of cover. And it comes with a full range of benefits to help proactively care for your cat and give you peace of mind all the year round.
This is what our proactive care looks like:
Annual Online Health Checks
Provided through vetfone™, one of the UK's leading pet advice services, who can help you to spot any potential health issues. This is a service to complement your normal annual physical check up with your vet.
Find out more
Lifetime Cover
You can rest assured that if your cat develops a long-term, chronic illness, there’s no limit to the length of treatment as long as there’s no break in your cover. So you know you’ll always be covered.
Learn about our Lifetime Cover
24/7 vetfone™ helpline
Around the clock access to fully trained veterinary nurses to get the advice and reassurance you need, when you need it.
Read more about vetfone™
We also offer:
One simple product, flexible where you need it most
We understand that every owner’s situation is different, but this shouldn’t affect the quality of care your cat has access to. With us, you have the flexibility to choose your level of Vet Fee cover, while still receiving our full range of benefits.
With six levels of Vet Fee cover options available:
Plus, we offer excess options to suit your budget, helping you reduce your premium costs without any loss of cover:
- Increasing your excess on claims - you can choose an excess of £60, £80, £100, £140 or £250 (or £500 for Vet Fee levels of £5000 and above) for the treatment of an accident or illness in each policy year. By electing to pay more when you claim, it enables us to bring your premium down.
- Contributing to your Vet Fees - if your pet is under 9 years-old, there is a voluntary option to pay either 10% or 20% towards the rest of the vet treatment costs, in addition to your chosen excess amount, which can reduce the cost of your premium payments.
Veterinary support always on hand
Help to find them if they’re ever lost
Cats love to roam. So, rest assured, if they ever go missing, we provide up to £1,500 cover if your pet is lost or stolen, as well as up to £300 cover to help find them - for example, the cost of flyers or taking out an ad in the local paper.
Other questions cat owners asked us:
It’s estimated that there are around 7.5 million cats in the UK** – that’s a lot of cats. But many of their owners do not have cat insurance, which means they’ll need to pay vet bills when their cat falls ill or has an accident.
Our cat insurance is designed to give you the peace of mind knowing you're financially protected should the unexpected happen.^
^For full details of coverage please review the policy document.
Our cover can start when they turn eight weeks old. Taking out insurance as early as possible will help give your pet the best start to life.
No, your kitten’s vaccinations are regarded as routine treatments, which aren’t covered under our policy.
It’s important to keep up to date with their vaccinations as they grow. They not only help to keep your cat’s health and comfort, but also save you from future treatment costs. We can’t cover illnesses that can be prevented by vaccinations, if your pet is not up to date with their vaccinations.
No, your cat’s insurance is there to help when injury or illness happens unexpectedly, whilst procedures like neutering or spaying are considered routine.
Cats are vulnerable to getting sick just like us or any other animal. Old age brings the kinds of challenges you’d expect, like thyroid and kidney issues.
Understanding these realities is why we only offer Lifetime Cover, meaning we won’t limit the length of treatment they receive, as long as your policy remains with us and there’s no break in cover.
With us, your cat receives Lifetime Cover meaning they’ll be covered for ongoing conditions, as well as one-off mishaps. And like most things, the cost of this is likely to increase over time.
According to our claims data, the cost of looking after your cat's health doubles every four to five years. So, to keep giving them the care they need, it’s normal to expect the cost of your premium to increase as your cat ages.
How much they go up varies for everyone and depends on various factors like your cat’s breed, age and health. Changing insurers could leave you out of pocket if the new policy doesn’t cover any pre-existing conditions that your pet may already have. These are health issues, concerns, illnesses and injuries which have developed or are showing signs of developing which you or your vet were aware of before you took out the policy.
*For dental care up to your chosen vet fee limit. If your pet has a dental check every 12 months: once it has had its first check and your vet has done any necessary work, should your pet suffer from tooth decay or gum disease before the next 12 month check, or if tooth decay or gum disease are seen at the time of the next check, we pay. If your pet doesn’t have a check every 12 months, or if the work required is not done, we will only pay:
1) For teeth or gums if they are damaged in an accident,
2) If an underlying illness causes tooth decay or gum disease, or
3) To remove teeth as treatment of an illness which is not gum disease or tooth decay.
**Data Source from Finder.com. Published on 15.09.20. Analysis conducted by finder.com.
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 (Registered Company Number 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).
Copyright © John Lewis Partnership
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