How much does dog or cat insurance cost? What are the compensation limits? Which breeds are the most insured?… Thanks to the MoneyVox Market Intelligence tool, we have deciphered more than a million quotes to find out more about the trends of a booming market.
20.8 million cats and dogs in France and 800,000 of them are insured. The insurance market for pets is booming, insist professionals in the sector. 5 years ago, 3% of animals were protected. Today, the proportion is 5.3%. It is a product that retains significant potential in France because the level of equipment is still low compared to other countries (25% in the United Kingdom, 80% in Sweden) and the number of pets in France , says Samuel Bansard of Meilleurtaux Assurance.
The principle of animal insurance is simple: the contract includes an annual repayment amount and a more or less wide panel of treatments covered, according to a percentage. The contract is also built by block. That of care includes the annual consultation with the veterinarian, X-rays and medication. And that of surgery includes hospitalization, analyzes and living expenses. Euthanasia and/or funeral costs can also be covered, optionally with a maximum amount between 200 and 600 euros depending on the contract.
But how much does pet insurance cost? What are the most insured breeds? Thanks to the MoneyVox Market Intelligence tool, which analyzes the database of the broker Meilleurtaux, we have deciphered the contracts offered on more than a million quotes produced since the beginning of the year. Here are the (sometimes surprising) figures for the pet insurance market.
Dog and cat insurance: how to choose and what price?
Dogs more assertive than cats?
If France has 13.5 million cats and 7.3 million dogs, according to a study commissioned in 2022 by Facco, a specialist in animal nutrition, dog owners are more interested than those of cats in the possibility of covering health. of their animal. According to the data we have studied, 70% of quote requests concern dogs and 30% cats. It should be noted that it is mostly women (75%) who carry out research to insure their animal.
For dogs, one out of two requests is made in the first year of the animal and in 93% of cases, these are animals with no medical history. We are more like 36% for cats, with 90% of requests for animals with no history.
Moreover, a chronic pathology such as diabetes, arthritis, osteoarthritis or asthma are often prohibitive for insurers. In some cases, companies may impose a waiting period: that is to say that you cannot be reimbursed for a health expense during the first two, three or six months of the contract.
How much does pet insurance cost?
On the basis of more than one million quotes, the contract offered to masters 26euros per month on average. But the median price – 50% of the contracts are more expensive, 50% cheaper – is 22euros per month. As with auto or home insurance, there are differences depending on where the animal lives.
Ile-de-France has an average (27euros) lower than Corsica (30euros). As an indication, and to estimate your annual expenses when the animal is in good health, a consultation with the veterinarian oscillates between 50 and 80 euros, to which we can automatically add the price of vaccines renewed each year.
The price varies mainly according to the type of contract selected, the breed and the age of the animal. The various insurers offer a co, medium and premium offer. Respectively, the prices of these offers go from 15 to 43 euros. The co package is favored by 22% of information seekers, the medium by 45% and the premium by 32%.
For dogs, the average monthly amounts are as follows in co, medium, premium: 16.60 euros, 30.71 euros, 46.76 euros. For cats, the prices are slightly lower: 14.21 euros, 23.12 euros, 38.27 euros.
But for a 100% support in illness-care-surgery, without deductible, with a level of annual reimbursement up to 2000 euros, the amount offered is often higher than the average price of a premium contract which often offers a lower ceiling. And if the prices are stable until the dog is 7 years old and the cat is 5 years old on average, then there is a big price peak. With premium cover, the monthly premium doubles.
Protect your companion thanks to our pet insurance comparator
What are the annual reimbursement limits requested?
According to the annual SantVet/Ipsos study, health costs cost an average of 275 euros per year for dog owners and 158 euros per year for cat owners, out of a total annual expenditure (food, health, etc.) of 584 and 429 euros per year.
The health amounts are therefore lower than the ceilings provided for by animal insurance contracts. For a dog, the average coverage ceiling is 1220euros per year in co, 1550euros per year in medium and 1920euros in premium. For cats, the sums are substantially identical: 1220euros per year in co, 1440euros per year in medium and 1930euros per year in premium.
In the detail of the quotes offered to users of the comparator, more than 40% of the contracts offer an annual reimbursement of 1,000 euros, 20% an annual reimbursement of 2,000 euros and 6% cover up to 2,500 euros per year. It is also good to know that deductibles may be imposed on each medical act. This deductible can be an amount in euros (often between 10 and 50 euros) or a percentage (often 20%) of the total amount of expenses.
Which animals do owners want to insure?
Crosses are the most affected type of animal. In terms of breed, there are French bulldogs, Australian shepherds, Chihuahuas, Belgian shepherds, goldens and German shepherds.
For cats, European and crossbreeds occupy a large place in research ahead of the Maine Coon, the Sacr of Burma, the Persian and the Siamese.
Figures from MoneyVox Market Intelligence also show that approximately one in three animals is neither armadillo nor chip, yet the insurer will often refuse to cover an animal that is not.
Animal insurance: do you really need to take out a contract for your cat or dog?