Working out the best pet plans is a complicated business, but I review the 15 Best Pet Insurance UK in this article. I also explain how to choose the best one for you. If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick look at my top five:
What is the best pet insurance in 2023? At a glance
- Best overall – Agria
- Best for reliability – PetPlan
- Best dog insurance – The Kennel Club
- Best for pre-existing conditions – Many Pets
- Best for simplicity – Waggel
How much is pet insurance?
Pet insurance prices depend on a complex computation of factors. However, for most people’s needs, £25 to £40 per month for a dog, or £15 to £25 for a cat will allow you to buy comprehensive cover for your pet.
1. Agria
Agria is the world’s oldest pet insurance company, launched in Sweden in 1890. It has deservedly become one of the most popular pet insurance companies in the UK since launching here in 2009. Agria works hard to listen to stakeholders in the pet care world, and the claim that Agria is trusted and recommended by over 40,000 vets, animal rescues and breeders carries a lot of weight.
As an example of the way that Agria helps, five weeks of free cover is offered for newly rescued dogs and cats (through the rescue centres that work with Agria). Agria only offers lifetime pet insurance (which is the most sensible choice for most people), but apart from this aspect, you can tweak your policy to suit your personal needs.
All policy holders have free 24/7 access to the Pet Health Helpline, allowing immediate contact with a qualified veterinary nurse. Agria offer insurance for cats, dogs rabbits and horses.
2. PetPlan
PetPlan has been a main player on the UK pet insurance stage for over forty years, with an established reputation and a track record of philanthropy which includes working with more than 1,200 charities across the UK.
Petplan is a crowd favourite pet insurance provider, not only offering long windows for claim submissions but paying 90 per cent of claims within just five days. Their plans have no lifetime or ‘per condition’ claim limit and the Petplan app makes it easy to support claims via iOS and Android. Dog, cat, rabbit, equine and exotic insurance is available. Policies are underwritten by Allianz.
3. The Kennel Club
The Kennel Club runs the UK’s main register for pedigree dogs, leveraging its long experience of working with dogs by offering popular pet insurance for dogs. They also offer a specialised type of pet insurance for dog breeders. The Kennel Club only offers lifetime cover, meaning that this will cover ongoing illnesses for the entire life of your pet. Their top policy includes up to £15,000 for vet’s fees cover, which renews each and every year.
As a bonus with the Lifetime Plus policy, you also get a £25 voucher towards your dog’s annual health check or vaccination. Policies are underwritten by Agria.
Start a quote at The Kennel Club
4. Many Pets
Many Pets offer good cover at competitive prices, with a number of novel offerings which may be of interest if other insurance providers do not meet your needs. The range of options include “value” insurance with a maximum of just £2000 vets’ fees per year (and much lower monthly premiums) right up to the most comprehensive pet insurance covering up to £15000 per year.
This is one of the few insurers to allow cover for pre-existing conditions, subject to certain controls. Customers have access to free vet video calls, as well as a year’s free pet sitting with TrustedHouseSitters membership worth around £100 per year. Many Pets is underwritten by Wakam SA.
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Waggel is a new brand of pet insurance that claims to be “fuelled by our love for pets, tech, and doing things differently”. Options are kept simple, with just one lifetime policy covering dogs and cats. It’s easy to get a quote, filling in a minimal number of fields in a short online questionnaire, and you can choose the maximum amount the policy will pay out (£1,000-£10,000), as well as the level of excess that you are prepared to pay.
Easily viewed monthly premiums for each level allow you to suit your own budget accordingly. Waggel’s policies are underwritten by Red Sands.
6. Marks and Spencer Pet Insurance
M&S Bank offer a 15 per cent discount for online purchases of this pet insurance, plus £50 of M&S vouchers to spend in store with a new lifetime policy. There are four levels of care, depending on your needs and budget: essential, standard, plus and premier, with different policies offering a range of options including routine dental work, contributions to the costs of euthanasia, and vet costs if you are travelling overseas with your pet.
Cover includes access to Vetfone – a freephone 24 hour helpline if your pet has any health issue, as well as access to a range of services from information about local pet care providers to bereavement support. Policies are underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc.
Start a quote at Marks & Spencer
7. Argos
As you might expect, Argos’s insurance focuses on value for money. Their policies include dental cover, complementary treatment, physiotherapy, behavioural illnesses and overseas veterinary costs if you are on holiday when there is a problem. Currently, they give you £15 to spend in-store when you take out a new policy. Dogs, cats and rabbits can be insured, and policies are underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance Plc.
8. Everypaw
Everypaw pet insurance only offers lifetime insurance, which is the best type for most pet owners, with a range of options available depending on your needs and budget. Policy holders are given unlimited 24/7 online access to UK vet nurses and vets with Petcall. All new policy holders can avail of a free pet gift box from Love Louie worth up to £35; different types of boxes are available for dogs, cats and rabbits. Everypaw Pet Insurance is underewritten by Pinnacle Insurance plc.
9. Healthy Pets
Healthy Pets offers a 20 per cent discount online to first-time customers, plus a wide range of policies with different benefits, including particularly well-priced options (but don’t forget to read the details of precisely what is, and what is not, covered by the cheapest plans).
The Healthy Pets insurance website includes comparison quotes for typical dogs and cats, giving examples of their premium costs compared with several other pet insurance companies. Healthy Pets is a trading name of Atlanta Insurance Intermediaries Limited.
10. Animal Friends
Animal Friends Insurance was founded in 1998 to raise funds for animal welfare and conservation charities through pet insurance sales and to date they have donated over £7 million to more than 650 animal charities across the world. As a policy holder, you get free unlimited vet video consultations 24/7 via the Joii app (subject to a fair usage policy, which seems reasonable given that Joii vet consultations usually cost £24.) There are insurance policies for cats, dogs and horses and they are underwritten by Red Sands.
Start a quote at Animal Friends
11. More Than
More Than offer a sizeable 25 per cent off their policies when booked online and boast a number of tailored pet insurance plans. Unusually, “farewell cover” is available, paying for the vet fees associated with putting your pet to sleep, as well as burial or cremation costs.
Additional benefits include 10 per cent discounts on each pet in a multipet plan, 24/7 assistance from Vetfone to seek advice about poorly pets, and direct-to-vet payments. The company provides financial support for Dogs for Good, a life-changing charity which create partnerships between people living with disabilities and specially trained assistance dogs. Policies are underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Ltd.
12. Direct Line
Decision making is simplified with Direct Line, because there are fewer options to choose from compared to many other companies. The choice is either “Essential cover” which is a one-year policy for up to £4000, or “Advanced cover” which is a lifetime product with a maximum payout of £8000 per year.
Inclusion of complementary treatments like hydrotherapy, acupuncture and homeopathy, as well as up to £1000 for routine dental work, may be of particular interest for some pet owners. Policy holders have access to 24/7 free online veterinary consults with PawSquad, a video and online chat service. Policies are underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd.
13. Tesco Pet Insurance
Tesco Bank’s five-star rated premier pet insurance policy is hard to beat. With first year discounts, their cat and dog insurance plans let you choose an excess amount to suit your needs. Extra discounts are provided for Tesco Clubcard holders. Free phone and video consultations for medical, nutritional and behavioural advice are available, 24/7, via Vetfone. Policies are underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Ltd.
14. Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance
There are three choices of policy at Sainsbury’s: time limited (up to a year), maximum benefit or lifetime cover, with a range of maximum payouts to choose from for each. It’s claimed that it takes less than four minutes to get your quote online.
Sainsbury’s Bank offer an extra discount for Nectar card holders of up to 12.5 per cent as well as other benefits. Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance policies gives you free-of-charge 24/7 access to Sainsbury’s Bank Vet Assistance, a helpline for any non-emergency pet health queries, behavioural and nutritional advice and an opportunity to talk to someone should you sadly lose your pet. Dogs, cats and rabbits can be insured. Policies are underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance plc.
Start a quote at Sainsbury’s Bank
15. Asda Pet Insurance
Asda is known for providing good value, and this is the aim of Asda Money pet insurance. There are different types of cover, from Lifetime to Time Limited. You can choose which type of policy you prefer, as well as your excess terms, so you can get the cover your pet needs at a price that suits you. Benefits include a number of different features such as 24/7 access to vets via the Joii pet care app, tailored preventative care advice, and a free-to-use symptom checker. Asda Money Pet Insurance is underwritten and administered by Allianz Insurance Plc.