Cat Insurance for Older Cats: What Still Gets Covered After Age 8
Older cats are more expensive to insure, but cover is still worth it. Here's how senior cat insurance works, what's excluded, and how to keep premiums down.
6 min read
The age problem Most pet insurers either refuse new policies after a cut-off (often age 8 or 10), or sharply load premiums. The good news: a handful of UK insurers — Petplan, Agria and Animal Friends among them — have **no upper age limit** for new lifetime policies.
What you'll typically pay more for - A higher annual premium, often 2–3× a young adult cat's. - A co-payment (sometimes called "contribution") once your cat is 8 or 9, where you pay 10–20% of every claim on top of the excess. - Tighter conditions on dental cover.
Tips for keeping it affordable 1. **Stay with your current insurer.** Switching at age 10+ means everything becomes pre-existing. 2. **Raise your excess** slightly — going from £99 to £150 can cut premiums noticeably. 3. **Choose lifetime cover early.** It's far harder to "upgrade" an older cat onto lifetime later.
When it's worth it If your cat develops kidney disease, diabetes or hyperthyroidism in later life, lifetime cover can pay out £3,000–£8,000 per year for life — many multiples of what you'll have paid in premiums.
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