Pet Insurance:
Factors affecting premiums
Premiums in London and the South East tend to be higher than other in parts of the country because vet fees - which account for the majority of pet insurance claims - are generally higher here.
For example, to insure a mongrel in Manchester would cost the owner around £11 per month, but cover for the same dog in north London would cost £15.
When it comes to dogs, pet insurance is one area that owners of mongrel dogs can look down their noses at owners of pedigrees. In general, mongrels live longer, are less likely to get ill and, as a result, have cheaper premiums.
Cats are generally cheaper to insure. For example, a two-year-old moggy in Chester would require monthly premiums of £3.95. Rabbits, guinea-pigs and chinchillas are cheaper still.
The most expensive pets to insure are generally the most exotic. These include tarantulas, birds of prey, monkeys, ostriches, venomous snakes and dwarf crocodiles.
Creatures such as crocodiles and venomous snakes are not generally insured comprehensively. Instead, insurers offer public liability insurance of £1m per animal, at a cost of around £100 per year
What you get for your money
Other than a certain peace of mind, what do your premiums buy you? Policies generally provide around £5,000 in vet fees, £2 million of third party liability, and a death benefit of £500.
Good policies also cover for loss of a pet by theft or straying, the cost of advertising and rewards for lost pets, emergency kennels and holiday cancellation, alternative medicine and an allowance for travel to the vet.