Pet insurance which covers your cat will give you peace of mind that you can get the best care for your feline friend when they need it. We look at the cat insurance available in Ireland and compare insurance policies so you can be sure that you are getting the best cover for your cat

You may have just brought home a new kitten or cat, or you may be concerned about caring for your cat who has become part of your family. As well as their food, bedding, and toys, cats need veterinary care, and vets’ bills are not cheap when your cat is injured or ill and needs care.

Cat Insurance Ireland

Table of Content

What is cat insurance?

Cat insurance is pet insurance that offers protection for veterinary care for your cat when they are ill or injured in an accident. 

Advances in veterinary treatments mean that cats can be better cared for when they are injured or fall ill unexpectedly, but this also means higher vets bills. Cat insurance will protect you in the event that you face an unexpected vets’ bill for your cat, up to the upper annual limit stated in your policy.

Cat insurance may offer protection should your cat die unexpectedly or need to be euthanised or cremated. This is usually only offered with lifetime cat insurance policies.

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Cover for stolen and stray cats

If your cat is stolen or strays, your cat insurance will offer you protection. You may also be able to avail of cover for advertising your stray cat and to offer a reward for their return.

If you have to go to hospital unexpectedly yourself, your cat insurance may offer a contribution towards the cost of a cattery or for cat boarding.

If your cat is ill and you need to postpone or curtail your own holiday, you may be offered some protection by your cat insurance.

Some cat insurance offers cover overseas, as well as protection for quarantine, repatriation of your cat, and loss of your cat’s pet passport.

Your cat insurance may offer limited cover for complementary treatments for your cat.

Cover for stolen and stray cats

What does cat insurance cover?

If your cat is a specific breed, or pedigree cat, you may pay a little more for pet insurance.

Some breeds of cat may be prone to health issues such as Bengal cats who may suffer from eye problems, heart conditions, or joint issues. Siamese cats are prone to eye and respiratory problems, hip dysplasia and amyloidosis.

 It is a good idea to cover your pedigree cat on a lifetime policy from an early age so that they will be protected if they develop health issues later.

Insurers vary in the upper age limits that they will cover on new cat insurance policies. Allianz will offer protection on new policies to cats up to 8 years old.

 It is a good idea to protect your cat with pet insurance early on, rather than wait until they develop a health issue as most insurers do not apply an upper age limit to cats that are already insured with them.

If you have an older cat who has developed a life limiting condition, some 12 month cat insurance policies may cover their care, as long as they are under the age limit for new policies.

You can protect your kitten with pet insurance from 8 weeks old and your premium may be very affordable if you insure your kitten from a young age.

Pet insurance will not offer any protection for routine veterinary care, or for spaying or neutering your kitten, but you may pay less for cat insurance if your kitten is neutered or spayed.

While it is very worthwhile to give an abandoned or neglected cat a loving home, rescue cats may have health issues that you are not aware of.

Many rescue organisations will have carried out a veterinary check-up for your rescue cat and will be able to give you an estimated age as well as health information which you can pass onto a cat insurer.

What does cat insurance cover

Compare pet insurance quotes from every insurer.

Take our 90-second online assessment and get the best pet insurance quotes on the market. Our vetted pet insurance partners are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and will outline the various options available to you.

Who offers cat insurance in Ireland?

Cat insurance is purchased as pet insurance in Ireland, cover is available for cats and dogs on pet insurance.

The key difference between cat and dog insurance is that there is no third party or legal liability insurance included in cat insurance.

 Pet insurance is offered by the following insurers:

Allianz - Home Insurance

How to compare cat insurance policies

Pet insurance is usually offered at different levels of cover, which are usually distinguished by the upper annual limit of cover for vets bills as well as the excess you pay.

Accident Only Policies will cover your cat for 12 months following an accident and will only offer protection for care for injuries due to the accident. Blue Insurance Essential cover is an accident only plan.

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12 month policies

12 month policies will cover vets bills for injury or illness for 12 months only. If you renew the policy after 12 months, the pre-existing condition will not be covered. This kind of cat insurance may be more affordable and may be suited to an older pet.

Lifetime policies

Lifetime policies generally offer the highest level of cover. They will also offer protection to your cat, as long as you continue pay the monthly premium, without any upper age limit. Allianz pet insurance and all Agria Petinsure policies are all lifetime policies.

It is important to choose a policy that suits your cat’s needs, and it may be worth choosing a policy with a higher upper annual limit to ensure the best care for your cat.

It is also important to check the excess on any policy you are considering as the excess can be as high as €150 and you will need to pay this out of pocket, should your cat need veterinary care.

How Compare Insurance Works

We compare all insurance options so you can be sure you’re always getting the best deal.

1. Select Your Product

Simply select the insurance product you need a quote for e.g. life, home or health insurance.

2. Online Quote Form

Fill out one of our simple online assessments with your insurance details.

3. Free Quote Consultation

A qualified financial advisor will call you back for your free insurance quotation.

How much is cat insurance?

If your cat is a pedigree cat, it will cost more to insure than a mixed- breed or moggy.

This can be because pedigree cats may be subject to health conditions associated with their breed. Some breeds of cat may face exclusions in cover as a result.

As your cat gets older, they may cost more to insure. It is best to insure your cat when they are younger as they will continue to be covered by their insurance if they develop health issues or a chronic condition.

Generally, insurers will not insure a cat with pre- existing health conditions.

Accident only cat insurance policies are more affordable as they cover injury due to injury only.

Generally, cat insurance will not offer protection for the first 14 days of the policy.

This may affect the price of cat insurance. Cat insurance will typically not cover use of the cat for breeding or in connection with your business. Cat pregnancy or breeding will not typically be covered by cat insurance.

Unlike dogs, there is no legislation regarding the microchipping of cats but cats can be microchipped.

This may affect the price of cat insurance as it lessens the risk of straying and the microchip will have contact details of the cat’s owner.

calculate the cost of insurance

Example 1 – Allianz

Bengal cat, female, age 6 years: €18.15 per month

Mixed breed cat, male, age 2 years: €13.01 per month

Example 2: Petinsurance.ie

Mixed breed cat, age 1 year, female. Premier Plus policy:  €10.98

As above, including overseas cover: €12.23

Example 3 – Agria Petinsure

Mixed breed cat, female, age 1 year.        

Care Plus: €13.98 / Accident Only: €10.00

Get your cat insured today

Protect your beloved cat today and have peace of mind that you will be able to get them the care they deserve should they fall ill or be injured. 

Contact us today about affordable cat insurance for your cat.

If you also require dog insurance, contact us about dog insurance or we can provide you with a quote for multi pet insurance which may also save you money.

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