What you need to know about pet insurance for older cats

Some pet insurance companies won't insure cats over a certain age as there's a greater likelihood they will need some kind of medical treatment.

ManyPets pet insurance can cover older cats, no matter how long they've been scratching up your furniture!

Get a quote with us to see how much your policy will cost.

While the age of your cat will influence the price of your premium you will find that compared to dogs, your cat's age may not have the same effect on premiums.

Sometimes, policies for older dogs can be several times more expensive than for puppies and dogs under the age of two. Check out our article on companies offering cheap pet insurance for older dogs.

The premium you pay is still likely to increase as your cat gets older. This can be frustrating but the chance of an insurer having to pay out for a claim does increase with age.

There are some things to remember when you buy older cat insurance. Pet insurance policies generally don't pay out for older cats if they die because of illness or injury. (This is usually when they reach the age of eight or nine or older. It's worth checking your policy.)

Also, only the most comprehensive (often the ones with the highest vet fee limits) pet insurance policies offer dental cover that includes illness or disease. This becomes more important as cats get older. Most policies will only cover your pet if its teeth are damaged in an accident.

You should also consider the excess or co-payment for older cats. When pets reach a certain age some insurers increase the excess or ask customers to pay a percentage of the claim (often know as a 'co-payment'). This is because older pets are more likely to develop medical conditions and the costs associated with them can be higher.

Co-payments range from around 10% to 20% of a claim.

ManyPets pet insurance for older cats

Most of our policies will cover cats of any age, and we even cover some pre-existing conditions - something other pet insurance companies don't tend to do.

Our Complete cover is a comprehensive lifetime policy offering £15,000 for vet fees every year, and includes cover for dental problems as standard.

Our Complete policy includes a £99 excess and for cats aged 9 and over you will also have to pay 20% of any claims you make. This is designed to keep premiums down.

Get a quote.

We offer a 15% multi pet insurance discount for cats on the same policy (our multi-pet discount is not currently available on our Value 2k policy).

Will ManyPets cover a cat aged 8 or over?

We have a range of pet insurance policies that will cover cats that are older than 8.

Lifetime insurance for older cats

Lifetime (or ‘yearly limit’) insurance covers vet fees up to the stated limit every year. This can be a good option if you worry about your pet developing a long-term or recurring illness. So long as you renew a lifetime policy each year, the level of vet fees will reset to the full stated limits that you started with.

With a lifetime product, it is important to note that your premiums may increase each year at renewal.

Pet insurance for older cats with pre-existing conditions

If you have an older cat that has a pre-existing condition, you might struggle to find a policy that will cover that condition.

Insurers have different definitions of pre-existing conditions. In some cases, it could be anything your pet has previously suffered with. It is important to read the policy documents to understand what each insurer defines as a pre-existing condition.

If your cat is seen to have a pre-existing condition by an insurer any vet fees incurred as a result of that condition are unlikely to be covered.

We are one of the only pet insurers on the market to offer cover for pre-existing conditions as long as your pet hasn't had any signs or symptoms, or needed treatment, medication or advice for that condition for at least three months. And all our policies cover conditions that ended at least two years ago.

You can learn more about our Pre-existing pet insurance policy here.

Other insurers that offer cover for older cats

If you want to find other providers that cover elderly cats it might be worth using a price comparison site.

Because you have to enter your pet's age when you get a quote, the site you use should only show you companies that can cover your cat.