Britons have been told that taking out a pet insurance policy should be considered as part of being a "responsible" animal owner.
The comments were made by Rebecca Ralph, a press officer for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty top Animals, when quizzed about the importance of pet insurance.
Ms Ralph said that many animal lovers may underestimate the level of expense required over the period of its lifetime, with vet bills and other costs mounting up.
"We would urge people to take out pet insurance as part of being a responsible pet owner to make sure they are prepared for unforeseen veterinary bills that may come up from time to time," she remarked.
Ms Ralph cited the example of a cat, which may well live for around 16 years, with the likelihood of trips to a veterinary surgeon increasing with the length of its life - visits that may need pet insurance to cover the associated bills.
A large number of financial service providers offer pet insurance policies, including mainstream insurers such as Direct Line and More Than.




