If your cat should suffer an accident such as being involved in a car accident or suddenly become ill then you could find the vet’s fees are astronomical. Taking out insurance for your cat for a premium each month would mean that you would get the financial help when needed and the insurance protection does not just policy illness but can also cover additional things.

By having your pet insured, you would not have to struggle financially if it should need extensive treated with a vet and with the cost of medication and x-rays rising you could save yourself hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

Buying policies can cover much more than just vets fees, there are many other ways you and your pet can benefit from having this type of pet insurance. The level of product will vary between policies so it is necessary that you read the small print of any cover you are thinking about taking out and what is included in the insurance can be found in the small print.

Additional benefits could be paying for boarding fees if you should have to board your cat, putting up a substantial reward for the safe return of your cat if they should get stolen, lost, or for accidental damage caused to another person’s property.

All cat insurance will cover against vet’s fees if your furry friend should need medication or an operation but a product can also payout to cover against such possibilities as having to board your cat or paying for advertising if your cat gets lost or was stolen.

Many people who are pet owners do not realise the benefits of having pet health insurance, seeing it as an unnecessary expense. However, should your pet - whether it be cat, dog or rabbit - fall ill or suffer from an injury, having pet health insurance can mean the difference between life and death for your four legged friend.

Veterinary medicine has come along in leaps in bounds over recent years, which means that should your pet need it, then they will have the very best in treatments and remedies available to them. However, as with all things, these do come at a cost and you could end up paying hundreds or even thousands of pounds to ensure your pet gets the best treatment available.

And that is where pet heath insurance comes in, it will help pay these unexpected costs and gives you the peace of mind that you are doing everything you can to ensure your pet gets better.

The good news is that pet health insurance doesn’t have to be expensive, either - you really can get comprehensive insurance for your four legged friend and without breaking the bank either!

Getting pet health insurance really does makes sense. This is because not only does it protect your pet against unexpected vets bills, but most policies typically offer other benefits too, such as financial help in trying to find your pet if he goes missing or boarding costs should you get rushed into hospital and no one is able to look after your pet.

So, where do you look for pet heath insurance? Because there are many insurers in the marketplace who offer pet insurance, it is best if you shop around so that you can find the best cover and at a price to suit your budget.

Probably the most effective way – as well as quickest and easiest way – to find pet health insurance is to use the internet. There are several comparison websites – ie websites that list most of the providers and allow you to compare the terms and benefits on offer – and these are really useful. You simply key in a few details about you and your pet and then the website will display a choice of policies from different providers.

Once you get these results, make sure you weigh up the individual policies on their own merits as well as on a like for like basis. Never just choose the cheapest premium available unless you are certain that it will give you the level of protection your pet needs.

Finally, if you still think that you don’t need pet health insurance, think again. This is because recent research suggests that annually, you are three times more likely to need to make a claim on your pet insurance than your home insurance.

Halifax Pet Insurance offers continual cover for cats from £3.75 per month and dogs from £5.85 per month*. Pets can be covered from 8 weeks of age and there’s no maximum age limit giving continual protection, with vet’s fees covered for every year of the policy.

Halifax Pet Insurance and Halifax Pet Insurance eXtra also offer:

Pay monthly by direct debit at no extra cost

£1 million third party liability and legal expenses (£100 excess) for dogs – peace of mind just in case

Up to £1,000 help towards the cost of advertising and rewards should the pet be lost

Up to £2,000 help towards costs should a holiday be cancelled due to the pet

* Continual cover subject to policy terms and conditions. Premiums based on cover for a female 6-month old cat living in postal area PL31 1AB and a female one year old crossbreed living in postal area WN5.

To make their pet insurance even more competitive they offer a 5% discount when customers buy online and a 10% discount if customers have an existing pet insurance policy with Halifax for another cat or dog.

They say the dog is mans best friend and for millions of pet owners this is true and if your beloved dog were to suffer an accident or needed treated at the vets it could run into hundreds of pounds.

While of course you would not hesitate when it came to getting your dog treated, you can make life faster by taking out dog insurance.

According to the RSPCA, just 17 per cent of dogs and 11 per cent of cats are covered with pet cover - so a large proportion of animal lovers could find themselves out of pocket in the event of an accident of illness.

“Even basic health checks and things like that - they all cost money,” the spokesperson said. “We think it’s really imperative that people do take out cover.”

While pet insurance would policy type any treated for illness and accident it also covers a lot more, for instance if your dog were to be the cause of an accident, for instance if a car swerved to avoid hitting your dog and the car was damaged the insurance cover would product the cost of repairs. Dog cover would also policy type any legal costs and liability for damage caused by your dog.

What is actually covered in the insurance product can vary and so it is necessary to not only browse for low cost premiums for the cover but also for the best possible deal. Using a specialist website will allow you to get several different quotes from some of the top UK Insurers and all quotes should come with the key facts of the insurance product attached.

There are different extras which you should look out for that can be included in life cover and some of the best quotes for pet cover will payout for such as boarding fees, rewards to get your pet back if they are lost or stolen and even death benefit.

Extra product could include paying for boarding costs for your dog, offering a reward if your dog should be lost or stolen and paying for accidental damage or liability damage if your dog should be involved in an accident which causes others damage.

Taking out insurance for your dog can be a valuable investment financially whole ensuring that your pet will get the best in medical treatment should he or she need it. However in order to decide whether you would benefit from taking out cover you should take several things into account. While no one likes to think of their pet becoming sick or having an accident it is a fact that 1 in 3 dogs do fall victim to some unforeseen event that necessitates a trip to the vet.

With vet bills sometimes running into thousands of pounds depending on the amount and type of treatment needed, insurance for your dog can be worth its weight in gold.

Most pet insurance policies cover the animal for life so if your dog has an ongoing illness it could well be worth your while taking out insurance. However you should be aware that some illnesses will be exempt from the policy so it is important that you check the policy before committing yourself to it. Illnesses which are usually exempt from policies include those that are hereditary to certain breeds, so you would be wise to check on your particular breed’s background.

The amount of excess you are willing to pay will make a difference to the amount of premium that you will be charged. As will any condition which your dog already has when you begin the policy, the best way to get the cheapest premium is to insure your dog from as young an age as possible. The older the animal then the higher the premium will be, as it is generally assumed that an older dog will not be as healthy as a younger. Older dogs may also be refused insurance by some insurers.

When deciding if you should purchase insurance for your dog take into account of the breed as premiums can vary on the different breeds. Bigger dogs are generally attract higher priced premiums and there are certain breeds which have higher premiums. For example if you have a bulldog, Irish wolfhound, rottweiler or Great Dane then your dog insurance will incur supplementary fees.

With PetPlan Pet insurance you can now get 12 months cover for the price of 10 when you take out cover for your Dog, Cat or Rabbit.

With life time or limited time cover, PetPlan will have the policy for you and your pet.

Independent research shows that in the last two years, over 1 in 2 pet owners had to make an unexpected trip to the vet (source: Mintel, December 2005). So it’s really important for you to cover your pet for illness and injury.