Pet Insurance

Your pet is truly a part of your family and so it's vital to protect them properly. Pet insurance can help to cover the financial burden should your pet be injured or become ill. This can help to take some of the stress out of the situation and give you greater peace of mind. Pet insurance policies can cover a whole range of pet-related risks, such as kennels and boarding care if you fall ill, third-party liability to cover accidents caused by your pet and advertising costs if your pet goes missing. These little things can really help to make your life as a pet owner slightly easier.

Different levels of pet insurance will include a variety of benefits, so it is important that you choose the right level of cover to suit your pet's needs. Some of the most common features of pet insurance are:

• Vet fees - Pet insurance covers you for veterinary bills for illness and injury, up to a certain sum yearly, or over the life of your pet (depending on your policy).

• Advertising and recovery costs - If your pet goes missing it can be an incredibly distressing time. Having pet insurance can cover the cost of promotional materials and an advertised reward.

• Holiday cancellation costs - If you have to cancel your holiday because your pet has fallen ill and you have to remain at home to care for it, your pet insurance can offer cover for costs incurred.

• Boarding fees - If you, or a member of your family permanently living with you, are hospitalised on medical advice and are unable to look after your pet, you can include cover to keep your pet in a cattery or kennels until you are able to care for it again.

• Multi-pet insurance - If you have more than one animal, you can usually buy multi-pet insurance which will cover your pets under the same policy.

Routine healthcare - Most pet insurance policies do not include standard healthcare such as vaccinations, spaying and flea control.

Age limits - Many policies have a maximum age above which you will not be able to begin a policy. However, if you have already insured your pet before this age, the policy will typically be renewable for the remainder of your pet’s life. It is worth noting that some cat insurance policies also have a minimum age limit, meaning you cannot insure kittens until they are a few weeks old.

Pre-existing injuries or illnesses - Cover will not include any illnesses or injuries that your pet suffered before taking out the policy. This means that should the same problem occur again you would not be covered.

It is also worth keeping in mind that if you have started claiming for a particular injury of illness suffered by your pet using one policy, but then change to a new one of a different insurer, that condition will be considered as pre-existing and will not be covered by your new policy.

Waiting period - There will typically be 10-30 days between when you take out your pet insurance policy and when your cover begins. During this period, you will not be able to claim for any incidents, and if your pet suffers an injury or illness it will count as a pre-existing condition and would not be covered by your new policy.

Insure your pet from a young age

Animals grow more susceptible to ill-health as they get older, so if your pet is currently healthy, insure it as soon as possible to avoid an unforeseen illness being classed as a pre-existing condition.

Look after your pet's day-to-day health

Most policies do not cover standard healthcare. Ensure your pet has received any vaccinations and you take any reasonable steps to maintain their health and wellbeing.

Pick the right level of cover

Consider the level of cover you require to suit your pet's needs and make sure the cover offered is sufficient for any anticipated vet's fees; especially if your pet is older.

Looking after your pet carefully by feeding it a balanced diet, ensuring it has regular exercise, grooming and, of course, all the necessary vaccinations, can help to keep your animal healthy and happy. However, it is important to prepare for the unexpected and the costs that can come with your pet being injured or unwell.

Vet bills can be incredibly expensive and can stack up quickly in the event of an accident or illness. On average, the first dog insurance claim will cost over £500 and with cats going out and about exploring they may be at risk of an expensive claim too. Putting a policy in place when your animal is happy and healthy may seem like an unnecessary expense but it may save you a great deal of money in the future.

Our Maximum Benefit policies can pay up to the policy limit (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500) for each condition, dependent on the cover selected. There is no limit on the number of conditions you can claim for over the policy lifetime. There is also no time limit on claiming for a condition, however cover for a condition will cease once the Maximum Benefit for it has been reached.

Our Lifetime pet insurance policies can pay up to the annual limit (£2,000 or £4,250) in each period of insurance. The Lifetime Extra policy is subject to a maximum limit of £1,000 for each condition in each policy year. The Lifetime Premier policy is subject to a maximum of £3,250 for each condition in each policy year. There is no limit to the number of conditions you can claim for over the policy lifetime.

Our Accident Only policy can pay up to the policy limit (£1,000) per accident over a 12 month period, subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date. Cover for an accident will cease once the financial limit has been reached or after 12 months from the date of the first treatment, whichever comes first. There is no limit on the number of accidents you can claim for over the policy lifetime.

Bronze, Silver and Gold Maximum Benefit policies will cover you for eligible ongoing conditions that start after the inception of your policy, up to the maximum benefit of your chosen level (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500) and subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

Our Lifetime policies will cover you for eligible ongoing conditions that start after the inception of your policy up to the annual condition limit of £1,000 on the Lifetime Extra cover or £3,250 on the Lifetime Premier cover with an annual limit of £2,000 or £4,250 dependent on your chosen level. The limits reinstate when the policy is renewed subject to the premiums being paid up to date.

Accident Only Cover provides £1,000 per accident for treatment costs for up to 12 months from the date of the first treatment after your pet is hurt in an accident, subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date. Please see our Policy Benefits for more details.

This depends on the type of pet - dogs must be micro-chipped, but cats do not have to be. Though it’s not a legal requirement for your cat to be chipped, we recommend it help bring your beloved pet back to you should they go missing.

Healthy Pets’ Bronze, Silver and Gold Maximum Benefit pet insurance policies will cover your pet for eligible ongoing illness or injuries that occur after your policy starts, up to the maximum benefit of your chosen level.

Healthy Pets’ Lifetime Reinstatement pet insurance policies will cover your pet for eligible ongoing illnesses or injuries up to the annual limit. At renewal the limit is fully reinstated and the condition will continue to be covered.

If you have Accident Only Cover you are eligible for £1,000 per accident for your pet's treatment costs, for up to 12 months from the date of the first treatment.

In all cases, cover is subject to you renewing your pet insurance policy with Healthy Pets and premium payments being kept up to date.

Routine healthcare - Most pet insurance policies do not include standard healthcare such as vaccinations, spaying and flea control.

Age limits - Many policies have a maximum age above which you will not be able to begin a policy. However, if you have already insured your pet before this age, the policy will typically be renewable for the remainder of your pet’s life. It is worth noting that some cat insurance policies also have a minimum age limit, meaning you cannot insure kittens until they are a few weeks old.

Pre-existing injuries or illnesses - Cover will not include any illnesses or injuries that your pet suffered before taking out the policy. This means that should the same problem occur again you would not be covered.

Unfortunately, Healthy Pets cannot cover existing conditions for which your pet has received treatment, medication or advice for, or suffered symptoms of, before your policy began. However, any pre-existing conditions will not affect your premium cost.

It is also worth keeping in mind that if you have started claiming for a particular injury of illness suffered by your pet using one policy, but then change to a new one of a different insurer, that condition will be considered as pre-existing and will not be covered by your new policy.

Waiting period - There will typically be 10-30 days between when you take out your pet insurance policy and when your cover begins. During this period, you will not be able to claim for any incidents, and if your pet suffers an injury or illness it will count as a pre-existing condition and would not be covered by your new policy.

• Pets aged less than five-years-old pay a fixed excess: £99.
• Pets between the age of five and six years pay a fixed excess of £99 as well as a 15% co-insurance fee.
• Pets aged six years or above pay a fixed excess of £100 excess plus a 20% co-insurance fee.

Co-insurance is a common feature in pet insurance, designed to lower the cost of premiums for aging pets. You pay this as a contribution towards any amount claimed that is above the fixed excess.

For all pet insurance claims, you pay the excess for each illness or injury in each policy year. If one of your pets receives treatment for the same injury or illness in separate policy years, Healthy Pets will deduct the fixed excess from the first claim(s) for each condition in each policy year.

Healthy Pets do not provide pet insurance for any breed that is not listed on the breed selection options when quoting. These include, but are not limited to, Savannah cats, or cats crossed with a Savannah, as well as the below breeds of dog, or dogs crossed with any of these breeds.

Pet insurance is not be a legal requirement but it can certainly be useful in helping to protect your pet.

Insure your pet from a young age

Animals grow more susceptible to ill-health as they get older, so if your pet is currently healthy, insure it as soon as possible to avoid an unforeseen illness being classed as a pre-existing condition.

Look after your pet's day-to-day health

Most policies do not cover standard healthcare. Ensure your pet has received any vaccinations and you take any reasonable steps to maintain their health and wellbeing.

Pick the right level of cover

Consider the level of cover you require to suit your pet's needs and make sure the cover offered is sufficient for any anticipated vet's fees; especially if your pet is older.

Make sure you have everything your new companion needs before they arrive, including their bed, food dishes and toys. You may also consider installing a pet gate if you want to create a separate space for your pet. Planning ahead can help to reduce stress and having their things in place on arrive may also help your pet feel more settled.

It is definitely worth planning your journey home with your new pet. It is best practice for a pet to be in a travel crate to help keep them safe and make them feel secure. Having a passenger sit with your cat or dog, where possible, can also help to keep your pet calm and relaxed.

Give your pet space

It can be very tempting to want to spend every second with your new pet but this can be very overwhelming for an animal, particularly if you are introducing them to children who may be loud or overexcited.

It is a good idea to introduce your pet into one room and let them acclimatise before showing them the rest of the house. This will allow your pet to build up confidence in a relatively small area without them feeling too overcome by the space.

If you already have pets, the introductions are key. This can be the most nerve-wracking part of bringing a new pet home but there are a couple of things you can keep in mind to help the process run as smoothly as possible.

• Introduce the scents before letting the animals meet - scent is hugely important to animals so it is worth giving them a chance to investigate the scents before they meet. Swap blankets or gently rub a piece of material on each animal and present it to the other. This can help them to 'learn' about each other before they meet.

• Make initial introductions in a controlled manner - keep dogs on a lead and introduce cats through pet gates or a crate and ensure that all the animals have a clear route out of the room if they want to leave.

• Give them time - it is important to remember that all animals are different and some may take time to feel comfortable around another pet. Don't force them together as this can make it a negative experience and may cause them to lash out.

• Allow your pets to eat separately - feed your new and existing pets from different bowls in different locations. This will help to prevent conflict over food.

• Keep them separate whenever they are left at home alone - where possible to do so, it is recommended that your pets are separated when they are alone until you are confident that they will get along.

Yes, it is important that you establish a routine with your pet as early as possible. This may include feeding them, letting them out or walking them, and playing with them at the same time each day. Keeping to a routine can help to minimise behavioural problems and will help your pet to feel more settled in their new home.

The earlier you start training, the faster and easier it will be to ensure good behaviour. Start with house or litter training as this is one of the most important lessons to get right. Remember that positive reinforcement is the most successful method so avoid getting cross with your pet when they make mistakes.