Puppy and kitten insurance: what to know before you insure
Most Australian pet insurers accept puppies and kittens from about 8 weeks old, and insuring at that age is the most reliable way to get cover for the conditions that appear later. Anything that shows signs before a policy starts, or during its waiting period, is generally excluded as pre-existing for as long as you hold that policy.
The first year is also when you pay for vaccinations, microchipping and desexing, which is why routine care add-ons are marketed hardest at new owners. Whether they are worth it is simple arithmetic you can do before you buy, and our guide to compare pet insurance explains the rest of the policy terms.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
General advice only. It doesn't consider your circumstances. Read the PDS and TMD before you decide.
Minimum entry ages
The RSPCA, Bupa, Medibank and Budget Direct PDSs accept pets over 8 weeks old. Knose accepts pets from 6 weeks. Some products have a higher minimum: Petsy's Protection Plus policy requires pets to be at least 365 days old. Check the minimum before your new pet comes home, because the gap between collection and eligibility is a period without cover. Our guide to dog insurance compares the other terms that matter for a puppy, such as the cruciate waiting period.
Why insuring before the first vet visit matters
Pre-existing condition definitions in the PDSs we reviewed cover any condition whose signs or symptoms appeared before cover started or during a waiting period, whether or not a vet diagnosed it. A puppy that has a bout of diarrhoea or an ear infection in its first weeks at home can carry that into its policy as an exclusion.
Hereditary and congenital conditions are treated in the RSPCA and Bupa PDSs as illnesses and covered unless they are pre-existing. That is the case for insuring young: a condition like hip dysplasia is claimable if it first shows after cover began and the waiting period ended, and excluded if it showed before. The dog insurance and cat insurance guides list the conditions common to particular breeds.
Free cover from breeders and pet shops
Breeders and pet shops often offer a period of free or trial cover with a new pet. It can be useful, but it has the same waiting periods as a paid policy, and it is generally a way into one insurer's product. Before it ends, compare it with other policies, bearing in mind that anything that shows signs during the trial becomes pre-existing for any new insurer.
When pet insurance is sold alongside the pet itself, a deferred sales rule applies. Moneysmart explains that since 5 October 2021 the seller must wait four days after the pet purchase before selling you the insurance, and you can complain to the insurer, then AFCA, if that did not happen.
Year-one costs: what insurance does and doesn't pay
Accident and illness cover is for the unexpected. Routine care benefits pay a fixed amount per year towards predictable costs.
| Cost | Accident and illness cover | Routine care benefit (if added) |
|---|---|---|
| Vaccinations | No | Yes, up to the routine care limit |
| Microchipping and council registration | No | Often, up to the limit (RSPCA includes these in its routine care list) |
| Desexing | No (elective) | Often, up to the limit |
| Flea, tick and worm prevention | No | Often, up to the limit |
| Swallowed object, broken bone, bite wound | Yes, after the accident waiting period | No |
| Parvovirus or other illness | Yes, after the illness waiting period, unless vaccine-preventable and unvaccinated | No |
Is routine care worth adding?
Routine care is usually a fixed yearly allowance rather than a percentage of the bill. Budget Direct sells routine care as an optional extra on its Comprehensive and Plus policies, with a $75 or $150 annual limit you choose and no waiting period. Buddy and Bupa offer routine care as an optional non-insurance benefit; Buddy's is $100.
The test is simple: compare the extra premium for routine care with the allowance, and with what you would actually claim. If the add-on costs close to what it pays back, you are prepaying your own vet bills with little benefit. If it costs clearly less than the allowance and you will use all of it, it is worth having.
General advice only. This information doesn't take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether the product is right for you and read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before you decide. We don't compare every product in the market, and we may earn a commission if you take up a product through our links.
What to watch for
- Minimum entry ages differ: 6 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 months all appear in current PDSs.
- Symptoms during a free trial become pre-existing conditions for any later insurer.
- Illness waiting periods (commonly 30 days) apply to a new puppy or kitten too. The waiting periods guide compares them.
- Routine care is a capped allowance. Compare its cost with what it pays.
- Insurance sold with a pet purchase must be deferred for four days.
Common questions
How early can you insure a puppy?
From 8 weeks old with most insurers: the RSPCA, Bupa, Medibank and Budget Direct PDSs accept pets over 8 weeks. Knose accepts puppies from 6 weeks, while Petsy requires pets to be at least 365 days old.
At what age should I get pet insurance?
As young as the insurer allows, commonly from 8 weeks, before any health issue has shown signs. Conditions that appear before cover or during waiting periods are generally excluded as pre-existing.
Which dog breeds are most expensive to insure?
Breeds prone to costly conditions tend to cost more, because insurers price by breed. Our dog insurance guide has a table of common breeds, the conditions they're prone to and the policy terms to check for each.
Does puppy insurance cover vaccinations?
Not under accident and illness cover. Vaccinations are covered only by a routine care benefit, which pays a capped amount each year, if you add it.
Should I keep the free pet insurance from my breeder?
Compare it before the trial ends with other policies on the same cover level, benefit percentage and limits. Remember that anything diagnosed during the trial will be pre-existing if you switch.
Does pet insurance cover desexing?
Desexing is elective, so accident and illness cover does not pay for it. Some routine care benefits contribute towards it up to their annual limit.