Cat insurance policies to suit your needs & budget
That’s why our insurance for older cats is designed to give you peace of mind as your feline friend enters their senior years. With flexible cover options and access to 24/7 vet video consultations, you’ll know support is always there when they need it most.
Our policies
Our cat insurance policies offer different levels of vet fee cover, from Accident Only to Lifetime £18,000. Most policies include cover for dental and other helpful treatments such as physiotherapy. See below for more details of each policy type.
Lifetime insurance offers ongoing vet fee cover for accidents and illnesses and can protect your cat for life, as long as you renew.
There are two types of cover available:
Lifetime Annual Limit
- You can choose cover from £1,000 to £18,000 each year for vet fees.
- You can claim for as many conditions as you need to, as long as you stay within your chosen annual vet fee limit.
- The limit resets every year when you renew.
- Your cat’s conditions will be covered for life, as long as you renew your policy.
- Dental accident & dental illness cover up to £3,000 with our Lifetime £10,000 and Lifetime £18,000 policies and up to £1,000 with our Lifetime £4,000 and Lifetime £5,000 policies.
- Dental accident cover up to £750 with our Lifetime £2,000 and Lifetime £3,000 policies.
- Complementary therapy from £500 to £3,000, depending on your chosen policy.
Lifetime Condition Limit
- You can choose cover of £1,000, £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000 each year for vet fees.
- You can claim up to your chosen amount for vet fees per policy year for each condition your cat might have.
- The limit resets every year when you renew.
- Your cat’s conditions are covered for life, as long as you renew your policy.
- Dental accident cover up to £750 with our Superior policy.
- Dental accident & dental illness cover up to £1,000 with our Superior Plus and Prestige policies
- Complementary therapy from £500 to £1,000, depending on your chosen policy.
Policy terms and conditions apply.
With Maximum Benefit cat insurance, you have one fixed amount of vet fee cover for each accident or illness. You can make claims for as many conditions as you need to each year.
- You can choose a fixed amount of vet fee cover for each accident or illness you may need to claim for.
- You can keep claiming until the fixed amount of cover for the accident or illness is reached.
- There’s no time limit for how long you can claim for each accident or illness. After the vet fee limit is reached, we won't cover the accident or illness again.
- Dental accident cover up to £750 with a Max Plus policy.
- Dental accident & dental illness cover up to £1,000 with a Max Extra policy.
- Complementary therapy between £500 and £1,000, depending on your policy.
Policy terms and conditions apply.
Time Limited cat insurance provides cover for accidents and illnesses for up to 12 months.
- Each new condition is covered for up to 12 months, or until your vet fee limit has been reached, whichever happens first (as long as you renew your policy).
- The 12 months start from the date your cat first showed signs of the condition.
- After 12 months, or when the vet fee limit is reached, we won’t cover the accident or illness again.
- Time Limited policies also have an annual limit - this is the most we'll pay each year for all conditions you may need to claim for.
- Dental accident cover up to £750 with a Prime policy.
- Dental accident & dental illness cover up to £1,000 with a Prime Plus policy.
- Complementary therapy between £500 and £1,000, depending on your specific policy.
Policy terms and conditions apply.
With our Accident Only cat insurance, you’re covered up to £2,500 per year for each accident your cat may have.
- There’s no limit to how many accidents you can claim for each year.
- For each accident, we’ll cover treatment costs for as long as your cat needs care (as long as you renew your policy each year), up to a lifetime limit of £15,000.
- This cover is only for accidents. It doesn’t cover illnesses or diseases.
- Dental accident cover up to £500.
- Complementary therapy up to £500 for each accident.
Policy terms and conditions apply.
Pet insurance premiums increase as your pet gets older. We use a number of things to work out your price each year. These include the age of the pet, where you live and the cost of vet fees. Excesses apply to all our policies and a co-payment is currently payable on claims if you renew your policy after your cat turns 10 years old.
Speak to a vet, any time, for free
Older cat insurance FAQs
Cat insurance can help you cover the cost of veterinary treatment if your cat gets injured or falls ill. It can also have additional benefits such as cover if your cat injures someone or damages their property.
It is important to choose a cat insurance policy that best suits your needs now and in the future. We have policies that can provide cover for accidents and illnesses. If you would like to cover your cat for long-term conditions which will need treatment year after year, such as diabetes, then you may prefer a Lifetime policy. If you have a smaller budget, then you may choose to have cover for accidents only or for illness that will not last more than 12 months.
Find out which policy meets your needs by completing an online quote.
Most of our cat insurance policies cover dental accidents, with some covering both dental accidents and illnesses.
- Accident Only includes dental treatment for accidents, up to £500.
- Time Limited includes:
- Accident cover up to £750 with a Prime policy
- Accident and illness cover up to £1,000 with a Prime Plus policy.
- Max Benefit includes:
- Accident cover up to £750 with a Max Plus policy
- Accident and illness cover up to £1,000 with a Max Extra policy.
- Lifetime Annual includes
- Accident cover up to £750 with our Lifetime £2,000 & £3,000 policies
- Accident and illness up to £1,000 with our Lifetime £4,000 & £5,000 policies
- Accident and illness up to £3,000 with our Lifetime £10,000 & £18,000 policies
- Lifetime Condition includes:
- Accident cover up to £750 with our Superior policy
- Accident and illness up to £1,000 with our Superior Plus and Prestige policies.
Policy terms & conditions apply.
Yes! We look to cover cats from four weeks with no upper age limit. To ensure we can keep prices affordable, all owners with cats over 10 years old will need to pay 20% of each claim in addition to their policy excess. This is known as a 'co-payment'.
If your cat has been unwell or was injured before, this is known as a pre-existing condition. Pre-existing conditions aren't covered by our policies.
We consider a condition to be pre-existing if it was first noticed before your policy start date or within the waiting period, whether your cat needed treatment previously or not.
As your cat gets older, you’ll have to start paying a percentage of the vet fees when you make a claim. This is because older cats may be more likely to get injured or to become ill. This is known as a ‘co-payment’ and is in addition to your vet fees excess. We start applying the co-payment at 10 years old for cats.
In addition, when your cat reaches 10 years and 1 day, cover for death is restricted to accidents only, and any claims for death resulting from illness are no longer covered under the policy.
Yes, insurance for older cats is generally more expensive. This is because, as cats age, they are more likely to develop health issues or suffer injuries, which increases the likelihood of claims. In addition, older cats often require more frequent veterinary care, and the cost of vet treatment can increase as your cat gets older.
We use several factors to work out the price you pay each year. For example, the age of your pet, previous claims, where you live, the cost of vet fees and the excess that applies to your policy.
Despite the higher cost, having insurance for an older cat can help you manage unexpected vet bills and ensure your pet continues to receive the care they need throughout their senior years.
Help and advice for cat owners
As cats get older, their needs can change - from diet and exercise to regular health checks. Visit our Help & Advice hub for expert tips and guidance on keeping your senior cat happy, healthy, and comfortable.
Why choose Animal Friends?
With over 25 years' experience, more than £9 million donated to support animal welfare, and over one million pets covered, customers choose Animal Friends for:
- Affordable, award-winning cover to suit you and your pet
- Free vet video calls 24/7/365 through the Joii app for dog and cat customers
- Founded to help support animal welfare charities
- Fuss-free claiming. Vets can claim on your behalf
- Expert advice and guides for you and your pet.




