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Previously, your pet loved you and needed nothing in return except to be fed and cuddled.
Now, however, Tiddles and Fido are coming up with crippling insurance premiums – and some homeowners’ bills have turned out to be over £ 1,000 a year.
One in five insureds have been hit by soaring costs, according to research by consumer group Which? revealed.
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Some pet owners’ bill exceeds £ 1,000 per year
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Seven in ten say their premiums have increased since their policy was last renewed.
Dog owners pay an average of £ 420 per year for pet blanket, while it costs £ 264 for a cat.
Those with dogs aged 10 to 12 pay an average of 80% more than owners with pets under the age of four.
It is generally 76% more expensive to insure older cats than those under three years old.
But dozens must have spent more than £ 1,000 a year on blankets, according to Which? survey of 1,100 members.
On renewal, premiums typically increase by £ 84 for dogs and £ 40 for cats.
Half of adults in Britain own a pet, according to the PDSA charity.
Jenny Ross, of Which ?, said: “High vet bills could be crippling… but rising insurance costs can shock policyholders. “
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Only about half of new pets have been insured, Consumer Intelligence data shows
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There has been an increase in the number of families purchasing pets during lockdown.
But only about half of the new pets have been insured, according to data from Consumer Intelligence.
With treatments often costing thousands of pounds, families without coverage risk ending up with unaffordable vet bills.
Many owners say they just can’t afford pet insurance because it’s too expensive, while some just don’t think it’s worth it.
Pet insurers have previously been criticized for burying costly exclusions in the fine print that they can then use to evade paying claims.
Just under a third of people with dog insurance have made a claim in the past year, with 32% making two or more claims, according to which one?
A quarter with a blanket for their cat made a complaint.
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