Cat insurance
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Kitten insurance
Compare quotes for kittens from just a few weeks old.[1]
Why do I need kitten insurance?
Kittens, like most young pets, are mischievous and so are more likely to have an accident requiring medical care - and that's where insurance can come in handy. Kitten insurance can contribute towards the cost of medical treatment, or associated costs if your pet is lost due to theft or straying.
Most standard pet insurance policies don’t cover pre-existing conditions, so it’s important to insure your kitten while they’re young, before they develop any medical problems. Generally, you can get insurance for kittens from six to eight weeks old.
Types of kitten insurance
There are four main types of cover you can get for your kitten:
Lifetime pet insurance
This is the most comprehensive cover option. Your kitten will be covered up to a set amount for each illness or injury. This set amount resets each year, so long as the policy remains in force.
If the set amount is reached within a year, you’d have to pay for further medical treatment for that condition yourself, until the amount resets.
As long as you keep renewing your policy each year, you'll be covered for any conditions that become chronic. Exactly what’s covered will vary by insurer, so double check you're happy with the cover you're getting.
Time-limited pet insurance
With these policies, there’ll be a set amount per injury or illness, and a time period - usually 12 months – that treatment for each condition is covered for. When the time period ends, or the set amount is reached, you’ll have to pay for any further treatment yourself.
For example, if your kitten became ill six months into your policy, you'd be covered for the next six months of your policy, and the six months that follow after renewal - as long as you renew your policy with your insurer.
Pre-existing conditions aren't covered.
Maximum benefit pet insurance
Your pet is covered up to a maximum amount for each illness or injury, as long as the policy is still in force.
There’s no time limit, but when the financial limit is reached for that condition, you’ll have to pay for any further treatment yourself.
Pre-existing conditions aren't covered.
Accident-only pet insurance
The most basic cover you can get, and generally the cheapest option. There’s a set amount of cover for each accidental injury. Illness isn’t included, and pre-existing conditions aren't covered either.
Some policies might have a time limit on the cover too – usually 12 months.
What's not covered by kitten insurance?
The following probably won’t be covered as standard. Although some you might be able to include as optional extras for a fee:
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Spaying or castration
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Pregnancy
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Routine treatments, things like worming and flea control
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Accidents that occur within the first few days of a policy
Kitten insurance considerations
It’s important to compare kitten insurance policies. You could be on the same policy for quite some time, so you want to make sure you’re comfortable with the cover you’re getting, and the price.
Switching pet insurance providers can be tricky, particularly if your pet develops a pre-existing condition, or you need to claim. That’s because, if you want that condition to be covered, you'd need to keep renewing your policy with that same insurer. Even then, unless you choose a lifetime policy, there'll be a limit to how long you can keep claiming for that condition for - whether its a financial one or based on time.
Pet insurance doesn't usually cover pre-existing medical conditions. There are specialist policies available if your kitten already has one though. Or you can insure your pet and exclude it. The chances are, your kitten is fighting fit, so if you think you need a lifetime policy, taking one out while your cat’s young and healthy is a good idea. That way, you should be covered for anything that might come up in the future.
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