Insurance 'vital for pets'
Published On 14 April 2007
New research from Halifax has highlighted how important it is for pet owners to consider insurance for their fluffy friends.According to a new survey from the company, people in the UK have spent £2.6 billion on cats and dogs in the last five years.
With the average dog costing £282 and a cat typically setting a person back £92, Halifax says that it is vitally important for owners to think about costs like food, insurance and vet bills before buying the animal.
In fact, Halifax's research found that people were typically unprepared for the costs of pet ownership - 53 per cent did not think about costs before buying an animal. Equally, people underestimated vet costs by 103 per cent.
"The research reinforces the perception of Britain as a nation of pet lovers who are happy to spend large amounts of money to purchase their perfect pet," said Vicky Watson of Halifax Pet Insurance.
"However, it is worrying that so few pet owners are researching the upkeep costs for their chosen pet before selecting an animal."
Ms Watson added that "comprehensive pet insurance can mitigate the financial risk of a pet needing expensive treatment that an owner has not budgeted for."
A recent service launched by More Than offers pet owners the opportunity to consult over the phone before taking a sick animal to the vet.
