There are all sorts of reasons that some owners choose to keep cats indoors… And if keeping your cat safe is one of those reasons, you might wonder if insurance is necessary. After all, indoor cats aren’t exposed to the risks that an adventure into the great outdoors may bring such as getting into a fight with another cat, being attacked by a dog or knocked by a car. However, it may surprise you that outdoor incidents are not among the most common reasons that cat owners claim on their pet insurance. Although indoor cats live a more sheltered life they can still get poorly, in this article we will look more closely at why insurance for indoor cats might be needed.
Note: This is not insurance or financial advice, it is entirely your decision on whether you take out pet insurance and it is your responsibility to make sure that a policy meets your needs. There is no preference towards the insurance companies mentioned in this article.
Do I need pet insurance?
There is no legal requirement to get your cat insured, this is your decision to make. Pet insurance helps cover the cost of unexpected veterinary expenses if your pet becomes unwell or injured. Don’t confuse pet insurance with the “Pet Health” or “Heathy Pet Plans” that some veterinary practices offer, which are designed to help spread the cost of routine care such as flea and worm treatments, vaccinations and neutering.
If you’re on the fence about taking out pet insurance, perhaps consider how you would manage to pay an unexpected vet bill. Veterinary costs can be expensive and it’s your responsibility to pay for the treatment. Some conditions can cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds to treat and chronic health conditions sometimes need lifelong medication. Is this something you could afford to pay for? Or would pet insurance, although an added cost to pet ownership, give you peace of mind that should something bad happen the vet fees are covered? It’s worth considering that you will still have to pay an excess and depending on the policy sometimes a percentage co-payment towards the treatment.
In the UK we don’t pay directly for our health care thanks to the NHS, so the costs associated with the health care for our pets can come as quite a shock. To give an idea of treatment costs, Animal Friends insurance has shared the average claim amount of the most claimed for feline conditions. In 2024, all of these were over £500, and the majority were over £800. Agria revealed the most expensive cat insurance claims ranged from just over £4500 to just under £10000! Out of hours emergency care can be more expensive, and costs can increase significantly if your cat needs referring to a veterinary specialist.
What health conditions is my indoor cat at risk from?
Your indoor cat may be protected from some of the risks and accidents that happen outside, but cats by nature are curious and playful. Indoor cats can still get themselves into predicaments and accidents do happen. There are even some health conditions that indoor cats are more susceptible to.
Health conditions more likely in indoor cats:
Indoor cats tend to have a more sedentary lifestyle meaning that they are more prone to obesity, even a large house or catio along with the environmental enrichments of cat trees and toys doesn’t compare to the activity levels found in the local neighbourhood or countryside. Obesity can lead to or worsen many associated conditions.
An indoor lifestyle is one of the risk factors associated with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). This is a chronic condition and can be expensive to treat especially if your cat gets a urethral obstruction which is a life-threatening emergency (most likely to affect male, neutered cats)
Accidents:
Accidents can still happen in the home; a cat can fall from a high window or get their tail shut in a door. They may also get poisoned from licking or eating medications or household cleaning products. Some plants are toxic; lilies are one of the better-known flowers that should be kept away from cats.
Cats love to play! Toys with string or ribbons, hair bands and tinsel can cause an intestinal foreign body which is a serious condition often requiring surgery. The string sometimes found around a joint of meat is also a hazard and cats certainly do jump up onto the kitchen surfaces even if they know they aren’t allowed.
Indoor cats sometimes escape and might not be as streetwise as cats used to roaming outside.
Conditions that can affect all cats
There are countless medical conditions that indoor and outdoor cats may suffer from over their lifetime. There are too many to list here but to give an idea Agria listed the top 10 feline conditions claimed for; gastrointestinal disorders, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, feline infectious peritonitis, renal disease, osteoarthritis, vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy and gum disease. Petplan included heart disease and cystitis on their list, these lists concur with the animal friends page mentioned above. Indoor cats can potentially suffer from all of these most commonly claimed from conditions.
Are all health conditions covered?
Although pet insurance covers a range of illnesses and injuries, there are exclusions. Some exclusions and areas to think about include:
- Age – most policies require your kitten to be over their minimum age requirement (often 8 or 10 weeks), kittens will be cheaper to insure but as your cat gets older the cost of insurance will rise.
- Pre-existing conditions – if your cat has suffered from an injury or illness before a policy is taken out then this condition is likely to be excluded. When a claim is made the insurance company will ask for the full medical history from your vets so make sure that any pre-existing conditions are declared. This is worth remembering if you decide to switch from one insurance company to another.
- New policies – there is often a waiting period of at least 14 days after taking out a new policy before the insurance cover becomes active. This may seem unfair but it’s to stop insurance fraud whereby an owner may take out insurance after realising their pet is injured or ill.
- Dental disease – this is a common exclusion and not all policies will cover dental work, policies which do include dental work are often more expensive. I have also seen some policies which state that dental procedures must be carried out within a certain time frame after being recommended by your vet.
- Routine health care – flea and worm treatments, nail clips, grooming, neutering and conditions which could have been prevented by vaccination are not covered by insurance. As mentioned above some practices now offer monthly pet health plans to spread the cost of these treatments, don’t confuse these with pet insurance policies
- Other exclusions – common exclusions or areas where there may be additional terms or limits are behaviour problems, complementary therapies (such as physiotherapy and, acupuncture), special diets and breeding related problems.
What else does pet insurance cover that may be useful for an indoor cat?
Depending on the policy, insurance for your cat can cover more than veterinary expenses and these are applicable to indoor cats too. Sometimes they are included with the basic policy, sometimes they are optional extras you can add on. There will often be a separate limit on the amount you can claim for each of these extra benefits.
- Emergency cattery fees – If you suddenly can’t look after your cat in an emergency situation (perhaps because you’re admitted to hospital) do you have someone able to care for your cat? This will cover the costs incurred if you need to use the services of a cattery during this time.
- Veterinary Advice – many insurance companies now have a veterinary advice helpline available 24/7 included as part of the policy so you can call and speak with a vet or veterinary nurse about your pet’s health.
- Holiday cancellation cover – some policies will cover the cost of cancelling your holiday if you have to cancel due to your cat suddenly becoming unwell or getting injured.
- Death – some policies include death from illness or injury so you will get compensation, this is often only applicable to cats up to a certain age.
- Loss and theft – although this is less likely to happen for an indoor cat there is a chance they could escape. Some policies also include advertising and reward
The cost of cat insurance.
At the time of writing there isn’t a cat insurance policy available in the UK specifically for indoor cats. As discussed, your indoor cat is just as likely to become poorly as an outdoor cat. According to NimbleFins the average annual premium for UK cats in 2025 ranges from £93 – £121. The amount you actually pay will depend various factors including; the type of policy, the amount of cover, your excess, the breed of your cat, your cat’s age, whether your cat is neutered and even your postcode. There are many types of policies available with different levels of cover, it can be confusing but it’s up to you to read the small print and make sure that the policy meets your needs. If you have more than one pet insured some companies offer a multi-pet discount
The basic different types cover available are:
- Lifetime – this will cover a condition for the lifetime of your cat. There is a limit on the amount that can be claimed each year, but this amount will be reset when the policy is renewed. Watch out for increasing premiums or changes to the policy as your pet gets older.
- Maximum benefit – this is set amount that can be claimed on a condition or injury, you can continue to claim until the maximum is reached.
- Time limited – this means that a certain condition is covered for a specified amount of time after diagnosis (often 12 months), after this you will be responsible for paying the vets fees for that condition.
- Accident only – the cheapest and most basic type of insurance, only covering accidents and excluding all illnesses so probably not the sort of policy best suited to an indoor cat.
On a final note
Insuring your cat can give the peace of mind that unexpected veterinary expenses are taken care of in the event of illness or injury, protecting your own finances. If you have savings that you would be happy to spend on your pet or you could comfortably meet the costs of emergency treatment and/or ongoing medication for a chronic condition you may decide insurance isn’t necessary. Around 50% of cat owners choose to take out insurance. It may surprise you that many Vets and Veterinary Nurses choose to insure their pets, expenses can still mount up even for veterinary staff.
The type of cover and the amount that an insurance company will pay out varies between policies so it’s important to make sure that the policy you buy meets your needs and continues to meet your needs. As your pet gets older the premiums will increase and some conditions may be excluded so keep an eye on this.
Further reading and related articles
What’s the difference between a good and a cheap pet insurance company in 2025?
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