The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has highlighted the importance of pet insurance. They are urging pet owners to purchase the cover in order to help them cope with any unexpected vets’ bills due to illness or accident.

A spokesperson commented that when people buy their new pet, they often don’t consider the fact that they could need veterinary treatment which could cost a small fortune.

Vets’ bills can literally run in hundreds of pounds. A cat with kidney disease, for example, could cost their owner well over a thousand pounds during the course of a year for medications and diagnostic tests etc.

Figures from the RSPCA show that just 17% of dogs and 11% of cats have pet insurance.