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Best pet insurance providers 2025
We surveyed 1,156 pet owners and analysed 380 policies to find best cat and dog insurance in the UK
With a background in social detriment research, Lanna analyses market data to find the best financial products and advocate for fairer services for consumers.
Compare pet insurance deals
Check Which? insurance ratings and compare deals using the service provided by Stickee
Get a quoteWhy you can trust our pet insurance reviews
Expert analysis
We rated 189 cat and 191 dog policies on cover ranging from vet fee limits to advertising if your pet goes missing.
Best Buys
We picked policies with high cover levels, from insurers with good records for claims acceptance and complaints.
Best pet insurance policies and providers compared
- Want the best pet insurance policy or insurer? Use our tables below, then go to Stickee.com or another comparison site, or you can go direct to the insurer.
- Want the cheapest pet insurance policy or insurer? Follow the links to Stickee.com, or another comparison site, to get a list of policies. Then check what the policies scored by searching our tables.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.
Cat Insurance Policies
| Get a quote | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lifetime Plus £15,000 | 83% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | Check you're getting a great deal and search for a new pet insurance policy using the service provided by Stickee |
Lifetime Premium £20,000 | 81% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime Plus £11,000 | 81% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £12,000 | 81% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £13,000 | 81% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £14,000 | 81% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Complete Care £20,000 | 80% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Lifetime £12,000 | 80% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Lifetime £16,000 | 78% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £6,000 | 78% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £7,000 | 78% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £8,000 | 78% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £9,000 | 78% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £10,000 | 78% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Covered For Life £12,000 | 78% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 64% | |
Lifetime Complete £15,000 | 77% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime £6,000 | 77% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Lifetime £8,000 | 77% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Lifetime £10,000 | 77% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Complete Care £15,000 | 77% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Premier £6,000 | 76% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £12,500 | 76% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime £12,000 | 76% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £5,000 | 76% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £15,000 | 75% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Prestige £6,000 | 75% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | 59% | |
Covered For Life £7,000 | 75% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 64% | |
Lifetime £18,000 | 75% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 59% | |
Lifetime £5,000 | 75% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Gold £12,000 | 74% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Home Cat Lifetime Plus £12,500 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime £6,500 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime £8,000 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £16,000 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £11,000 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £12,000 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £13,000 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £14,000 | 73% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Standard Care Pre-existing £7,000 | 72% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Lifetime £11,000 | 72% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime Complete £10,000 | 72% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Silver £6,000 | 72% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £8,000 | 71% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Care £7,500 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime Plus £4,000 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £6,000 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £7,000 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £8,000 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £9,000 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £10,000 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Home Cat Lifetime £6,500 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime £10,000 | 70% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 59% | |
Lifetime £10,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Standard Care £7,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Standard Care £10,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Lifetime £6,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £7,500 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £8,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £10,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £4,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Lifetime £6,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £7,500 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £7,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £6,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £7,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £8,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £10,000 | 69% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Care £5,000 | 68% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime £5,000 | 68% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £5,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Platinum (Lifetime) £10,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Covered For Life £4,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 64% | |
Lifetime £10,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Premier £4,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | N/A | |
Lifetime £8,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £10,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £7,500 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £6,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £5,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £5,000 | 67% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £5,000 | 66% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £5,000 | 65% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 59% | |
Lifetime Superior Plus £4,000 | 65% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | 59% | |
Lifetime £5,000 | 64% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £4,000 | 64% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Permanent Health £4,000 | 63% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £4,500 | 63% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £4,000 (direct only) | 63% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £4,000 | 62% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Gold (Lifetime) £5,000 | 62% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Essential Care £5,000 | 62% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Lifetime £4,000 | 61% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £4,000 | 61% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £4,000 | 60% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 59% | |
Lifetime £4,000 | 59% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Silver (Lifetime) £4,000 | 57% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £3,000 | 57% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Essential Care £4,000 | 56% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Lifetime £3,000 | 56% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Lifetime £3,500 | 55% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £3,500 | 53% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Lite £3,000 | 51% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Bronze £3,000 | 50% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Maximum Benefit £6,000 | 50% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 6N/A | |
Maximum Benefit £7,500 | 50% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 6N/A | |
Max Benefit £6,000 | 50% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 6N/A | |
Permanent Health £3,000 | 49% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Care £3,000 | 49% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £3,000 | 49% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Maximum Benefit £5,000 | 49% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £3,000 | 49% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Maximum Benefit £5,000 | 48% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | N/A | |
Lifetime £3,000 | 48% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Max Benefit £5,000 | 47% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | N/A | |
Lifetime £3,000 | 47% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Classic £8,000 | 47% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | N/A | |
Lifetime £3,000 | 47% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Maximum Benefit £4,000 | 46% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 6N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £2,000 | 46% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £3,000 | 45% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 59% | |
Lifetime £3,000 | 45% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £2,000 | 45% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Max Extra £4,000 | 44% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 59% | |
Essential Care £3,000 | 43% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Bronze (Lifetime) £3,000 | 43% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Classic £4,000 | 43% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | N/A | |
Lifetime £2,500 | 42% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Premier £2,000 | 40% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | N/A | |
Lifetime £2,500 | 40% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Care £2,000 | 39% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 68% | |
Permanent Health £2,000 | 38% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £2,000 | 38% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Time-limited £3,000 | 38% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 54% | |
Lifetime £2,000 | 38% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Max Benefit £3,000 | 37% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £2,000 | 37% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 6N/A | |
Lifetime Superior £2,000 | 37% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | 59% | |
Standard £4,000 | 37% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £5,000 | 36% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 6N/A | |
Maximum Benefit £3,000 | 36% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £2,500 | 36% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 54% | |
Essential £3,000 | 36% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 64% | |
Lifetime £2,000 | 36% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £2,000 | 36% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Time-limited £5,000 (direct only) | 36% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £4,000 | 35% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 6N/A | |
Lifetime £2,000 | 35% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 59% | |
Lifetime £2,000 | 34% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Plus £1,000 | 34% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Time-limited £4,000 | 34% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £4,000 | 34% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £5,000 | 34% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited Prime Plus £4,000 | 34% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 59% | |
Lifetime £1,000 | 33% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 54% | |
Time-limited £1,500 | 33% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 54% | |
Essential Care £2,000 | 33% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Blue (Lifetime) £2,000 | 32% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Standard £3,000 | 32% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £1,000 | 31% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 54% | |
Time-limited £3,000 | 31% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 6N/A | |
Time-limited £3,000 | 30% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 6N/A | |
Max Benefit £2,000 | 30% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | N/A | |
Veteran £4,000 | 30% | Accident only/accident & injury only | N/A | |
Extra (Time-limited) £4,000 | 30% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Max Plus £2,000 | 29% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 59% | |
Standard £2,000 | 29% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Basic £3,000 | 28% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £2,000 | 28% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 6N/A | |
Veteran £3,000 | 27% | Accident only/accident & injury only | N/A | |
Time-limited £2,500 | 27% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Premier £1,000 | 27% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | N/A | |
Lifetime (PCWs) £1,000 | 27% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Time-limited £2,000 | 27% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited £2,000 | 26% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Time-limited Prime £2,000 | 26% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | 59% | |
Veteran £2,000 | 25% | Accident only/accident & injury only | N/A | |
Time-limited £2,000 | 25% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Lifetime £1,000 | 24% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime £1,000 | 24% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Maximum Benefit £1,000 | 23% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | N/A | |
Essential (Time-limited) £2,000 | 23% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Lifetime £1,000 | 23% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Basic £1.5,000 | 23% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Lifetime £1,000 | 23% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | N/A | |
Lifetime Super £1,000 | 22% | Lifetime - an annual limit per condition which renews each year, with no overall annual limits | 59% | |
Time-limited £1,000 | 22% | Time limited - pays out for a claim or condition for a limited period of time, after which it is excluded | N/A | |
Essential Care £1,000 | 22% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 56% | |
Lifetime £1,000 | 22% | Lifetime - an annual limit which renews each year | 59% | |
Max Value £1,000 | 21% | Max benefit' - a fixed available amount per condition over the pet's life. Once the limit is reached the condition is excluded | 59% |
Lifetime policies: These cover your pet for any conditions it develops during the life of the policy. Some have overall 'annual limits' (these renew each year). Others have separate annual limits 'per condition' – with no overall yearly limit. Others have an annual limit – while also having lower 'condition limits.
Table notes: These tables were last updated in December 2025 – we recommend checking policies before buying. Customer survey: Customer Score is based on an online survey, conducted in October 2025, of 1,156 members of the Which? Connect Panel who have pet insurance. Customer Score reflects the general satisfaction of customers with their insurer and the likelihood of them recommending it. A dash ('-') means not enough responses to include a score or star rating. For sample sizes and information about the Policy Score, see full methodology below.
*Following an intellectual property dispute, this insurer is now called Petgevity (previously Petsure).
Best pet insurance policies
In total, we named 77 cat and dog insurance policies as Best Buys.
Here we've taken a deeper look at the three insurers offering the highest-rated Best Buy policies:
best buy
Agria
Agria offers several Best Buy policies and has the best customer score of providers surveyed.
68%
Policies
- Agria Lifetime Premium - £20,000 (dogs)82%best buy
- Agria Lifetime Premium - £20,000 (cats)81%best buy
- Agria Lifetime Complete £16,000 (dogs)77%best buy
- Agria Lifetime Complete - £15,000 (cats)77%best buy
1
of 8 pet insurers with a customer score
best buy
The Royal Kennel Club
Three of the four Royal Kennel Club policies were Best Buys. We weren't able to get enough responses from its customers to assess its customer service.
Policies
- Royal Kennel Club Lifetime Premium - £25,00082%best buy
- Royal Kennel Club Lifetime Plus - £15,00080%best buy
- Royal Kennel Club Lifetime - £7,50073%best buy
- Royal Kennel Club Lifetime Lite - £4,00065%
best buy
Petplan
Petplan's highest-scoring policies were in the top fifth of those we rated
64%
Policies
- Petplan Covered For Life, lifetime - £12,000 (dogs)76%best buy
- Petplan Covered For Life, lifetime - £12,000 (cats)78%best buy
- Petplan Covered For Life, lifetime - £7,000 (dogs)74%best buy
- Petplan Covered For Life, lifetime - £7,000 (cats)75%best buy
2
out of 8 providers with a customer score
What does pet insurance cover?
Not all policies will include all these types of cover, and limits and exclusions might apply. See our individual insurer reviews for more details.
Vet fees
- Most policies cover the cost of vet fees and certain medical expenses, and can range from £1,000 to as much as £25,000 a year.
- Policies aren't likely to cover routine treatments, and usually don't cover expenses connected with pet pregnancy and giving birth.
- Most pet insurers cover dental work if it's needed following injury or illness. However, with some policies, it's only if it's a result of injury.
Overseas travel cover
- Most pet insurance policies will provide cover if your pet falls ill, is involved in an accident, or needs veterinary treatment when abroad.
Cattery and kennel fees
- If you're hospitalised and there's no one else to look after your pet, most policies will pay something towards keeping your pet in a cattery or a kennel. You usually have to be in hospital for at least two to four consecutive days.
Missing pets
- Most pet insurers pay towards the cost of putting up posters and paying a reward if your pet goes missing – with limits ranging from £200 to £6,000.
Third-party liability (dog-only policies)
- If you have a dog, your pet insurance policy should pay out if your dog injures a third party or damages their property.
This covers legal costs, expenses and the claimant's expenses. The majority of policies don't provide this cover for cats, as it's far less likely to be needed.
Death by accident or illness
- If your pet dies, you can claim for an amount reflecting what you paid or the financial value of the pet.
- Most pet insurance policies have an age limit for this part of the cover – around eight years is fairly common, but it can be as low as five.
Find out more: pet insurance explained
Why should you trust Which? research?
We’re not influenced by third parties. We work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer – nobody else. See our statement of editorial independence for more.
What are the different types of pet insurance?
Only lifetime policies can get our Best Buy recommendation, but we've rated all the different types of policy.
Lifetime cover pet insurance
Lifetime cover is the most comprehensive pet insurance. It pays out for ongoing issues your pet might have throughout its life.
- Annual cover has a maximum overall limit that includes all conditions your pet could experience (provided they're not excluded), which resets each year. Some policies might also have a lower maximum amount you can claim per year for any single condition.
- Per condition per year doesn't have an overall annual limit but limits the amount that will be paid annually for any single condition. This resets each year.
Both types cover ongoing illnesses every year, unless you cancel your policy.
Non-lifetime cover pet insurance
Non-lifetime cover is less comprehensive and excludes certain conditions after you hit your claims limit.
- Per condition cover (also commonly referred to as 'max benefit' cover) pays a limited amount for each condition, and the condition is no longer covered by the policy once that limit has been reached.
- Time-limit per condition cover has both a per-condition limit and a time limit, typically 12 months, before the condition is excluded.
With a time-limit policy, even if your cash limit for a particular condition wasn't reached, the condition would eventually be excluded after 12 months.
Accident-only pet insurance
This provides a fixed sum of money for each accidental injury to help pay for your pet's treatment. It's the cheapest type of pet insurance policy, but it entirely excludes cover for illness.
'Not all impressive policies are Best Buys'
Dean Sobers, Which? insurance expert, says:
This year, a fifth of the policies we reviewed made the cut as Best Buys.
We designed our Best Buy rating to draw attention to policies that really stood out from the crowd with their cover. But, as our tables show, some policies with impressive cover levels or innovative features didn't receive the endorsement.
Quite often, this is because of something we've seen in our customer surveys – where we've been able to quiz enough of the provider's customers. Or it could be in industry statistics on the insurer's claims handling or complaints record.
During 2024, customers with lifetime policies had their claims accepted 94.5% of the time, according to figures from the industry regulator. This is (fortunately) quite a high bar. However, unlike with car or home insurance, at some point, you're quite likely to test how your insurer handles claims. Some 42% of lifetime policies were claimed on last year.
No insurer is perfect, and they can get better or worse over time. But over a pet's life, insurance is pretty expensive – and it can be tricky to switch if you grow dissatisfied with your insurer over the years.
So if you're shopping around now, it's worth considering how a prospective insurer – which may excel on paper or in its headline price – is currently behaving once it has customers' cash. You can read what we think in our reviews.
- Find out more: how to find cheaper pet insurance
More on pet insurance
Read more about cat insurance and dog insurance in our dedicated guides, or see these answers to frequently asked questions:
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About Which?'s pet insurance research
For cats
In November 2025, we analysed 180 insurance policies covering cats. We examined the amount they paid out in vet fees, as well as other benefits they provide, such as costs for holiday cancellation, dental cover, and advertising and rewards to help find your pet if it goes missing.
We compared 37 features of these insurance policies, plus the amount each pays in vet fees, to create a policy score. The higher the score, the more comprehensive the policy's cover.
Policies that we've named as Best Buys are all lifetime policies that did well in our analysis of cover, scoring at least 67%. In addition:
- Each will pay out a minimum of £2,000 per year in vet fees.
- Each will pay out a minimum of £1,000 for any single condition in a year, if an annual condition limit applies.
- They all also provide dental cover for both accidents and illnesses.
For dogs
In November 2025, we analysed 191 insurance policies covering dogs. We examined the amounts they paid out in vet fees, as well as other benefits they provide, such as costs for holiday cancellation, dental cover, and advertising and reward to help find your pet if it goes missing.
We compared 41 features of these insurance policies, plus the amount each pays in vet fees, to create a policy score. The higher the score, the more comprehensive the policy's cover.
Policies that we've named as Best Buys are all lifetime policies that did well in our analysis of cover, scoring at least 66%. In addition:
- Each will pay out a minimum of £2,000 per year in vet fees.
- Each will pay out a minimum of £1,000 for any single condition in a year, if an annual condition limit applies.
- They all also provide dental cover for both accidents and illnesses.
Customer service
In October 2025, we carried out a survey of 1,156 Which? members who have pet insurance. Customers were asked how satisfied they were with their provider, and how likely they would be to recommend it. We used answers to these questions to generate our customer score.
Customer Score sample sizes: Agria (71), Animal Friends (59), John Lewis (47), LV (78), Many Pets (137), Petplan (322), Sainsbury's (37), Tesco Insurance (57),
We didn't receive enough respondents in our customer survey to provide customer or claims scores for each brand considered. This means we can't assess the levels of service for each Best Buy provider. However, we haven't included providers we were able to rate that received poorer-than-average customer scores. We've additionally not included other providers that, at the time of the analysis, had a poorer-than-average complaints record with the Financial Ombudsman Service.
We've also examined data published by the Financial Conduct Authority on how often pet insurers have accepted claims and how often customers making claims complained to the insurer. We've not given our Best Buy award to providers shown to accept fewer than average numbers of claims or where 10% or more claimants made a complaint.
More questions on pet insurance? Take a look at our guides:
Other questions on pet care? We also review:
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