Cat Insurance: top tips and what you need to look for

Pet insurance is becoming more and more popular by the day, reflecting the love that UK animal lovers have for their chosen companion. Cats are no exception to this rule, as people see bills escalating with vets and pharmacies should health problems develop with their furry friend. By heading to compare cat insurance quotes online, owners have found that they have saved themselves a packet - you can too, if you take on board these top tips!

Firstly, as we've just mentioned, it's important to compare the price of insurance offerings. The cost of pet insurance is an important consideration, given that different insurers use a variety of personal measures to set the price. With this in mind, you should get a quote for your specific circumstances and then look at the provisions that insurers will put in place.

Secondly, have a think about the excess you are willing to pay. There are a number of ways that insurers save themselves money when paying out claims and one of these is the inclusion of a high excess on policies. For those not aware of this provision, the excess is an amount you must pay every time you claim, so a cheaper product tends to offer a higher excess; this may actually end up costing you more money.

Think about the concept of lifelong cover. You should consider what you are being offered by insurers and understand what they mean by the "lifelong" aspect of their provision. After all, there are a several ways that this type of cover is available. Time-capped cover, for example, will only cover a condition for the first year that you claim. This means that a cat with arthritis would have the first year of treatment, though no you would then have to cover the cost of treatment after that.

Lifelong cover can also be financially capped. Here, an insurer pays out each year, though only up to a certain total amount for a certain condition; funding will stop after this. The best lifelong pet insurance is that which pays for treatment up to a certain amount every year.

Finally, think about the little extras that you can get hold of. Often, you can get extra funding for the cost of advertising and reward should your cat go missing, while you can also get money for cat minders if you have to stay in hospital. If your cat causes damage where you can be legally liable for payments, money can also be paid out.

Whatever you do, always read the small print! You may regret it a lot if you don't.