Pet insurance estimator
Trying to budget for pet insurance? This gives you a typical monthly premium range for your dog or cat based on the things that genuinely move the price — size, age, cover level and breed risk — so you know roughly what to expect before you start comparing real quotes.
A rough guide — not a quote, and not financial advice
This estimator gives broad ranges based on published UK averages (ABI and comparison-site data) — it is not a quote and not financial advice. Actual premiums depend on your exact pet, breed, postcode, cover level and excess, and can fall outside these ranges. Always compare real quotes from several insurers before you buy.
Where these ranges come from
The ranges are anchored to published UK averages: the Association of British Insurers (ABI) reports the average UK pet insurance premium (around £35 a month across all pets), alongside average pet premium data published by comparison sites such as MoneySuperMarket and Compare the Market, and consumer research from Which?. Broadly, cats sit lower (around £10–£35 a month), small and medium dogs around £15–£45 a month, and large or giant breeds, senior pets or top-tier lifetime cover can reach £50–£100+ a month. We only ever show a broad range, never a precise figure.
What drives a pet insurance premium?
A few factors do most of the work. Species matters — cats are usually cheaper to insure than dogs. For dogs, size pushes the price up, because larger breeds tend to cost more to treat. Age is a big one: premiums climb as a pet gets older and rise sharply once they reach their senior years (8+). Breed matters too — flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds like French Bulldogs, Pugs and Persians, and some larger breeds, are known to cost more to insure. And your cover level can change the price dramatically.
The four main types of cover
- Accident-only — covers injuries from accidents only, not illness. The cheapest, but the most limited.
- Time-limited — covers each condition up to a set amount for a fixed window (often 12 months); after that the condition is excluded.
- Maximum-benefit — a fixed pot of money per condition with no time limit, but once the pot is used up that condition is no longer covered.
- Lifetime — the most comprehensive: a cover amount that refreshes each year, so ongoing conditions can stay covered year after year while you keep renewing. The most expensive.
Whatever the estimate says, treat it as a starting point. Always get real quotes from several insurers, read the policy wording, and check the excess (what you pay towards each claim) and the exclusions — the cheapest premium isn't always the best value.