Give your pet the best care
Looking for pet insurance with a difference? We’ve got you covered. There are 6 levels of cover to choose from to suit all budgets and needs.
What is pet insurance?
Pet insurance helps you cover the cost of veterinary treatment if your pet falls ill or gets injured.
Pet insurance policies generally fall into 4 main categories
Lifetime Pet Insurance
Peace of mind lifetime cover
Our most comprehensive pet insurance seeks to insure against recurring medical issues your pet may have throughout its lifetime, as long as you keep the policy running.
Maximum Benefit Insurance
Maximum benefit cover
Our maximum benefit pet insurance covers new conditions up to a cover limit for the length the policy is in place and there’s not a time limit to your claim.
Time Limited Pet Insurance
Time-limited cover
Time-limited pet insurance excludes certain conditions after you hit your claims limit or once the time limit (usually 12 months) expires.
Accident Only Pet Insurance
Essentials pet insurance
Our accident only pet insurance provides a fixed sum of money for each accidental injury to help pay for your pet’s treatment. It is the cheapest type of pet insurance policy but excludes cover for illness.
- Most Popular
Premier Plus
Vet fees £8,000
Dental £8,000
Cruciate ligament £2,000
Alternative treatment £1,000
Emergency boarding £1,000
Holiday cancellation £2,500
Premier
Vet fees £4,000
Dental £4,000
Cruciate ligament £1,500
Alternative treatment £750
Emergency boarding £1,000
Holiday cancellation £1,500
Prime
Vet fees £2,500
Dental £2,500
Cruciate ligament £1,500
Alternative treatment £400
Emergency boarding £1,000
Holiday cancellation £1,000
Gold
Maximum benefit cover
Covers the cost of treatment for a condition up to a set Vet Fee limit. Once this limit is reached, no additional claims can be made for that specific condition.
Vet fees £4,000
Dental £4,000
Cruciate ligament £1,000
Alternative treatment £400
Silver
Time limited cover
Provides protection for eligible accidents and illnesses for up to 12 months from the start of treatment, or until the policy limit is reached—whichever comes first.
Vet fees £3,000
Dental £3,000
Cruciate ligament £500
Item
Bronze
Accident only cover
Our most basic cover option, offering protection for your pet in the event of accidents only. As it doesn’t include illness coverage, it’s the most affordable plan we offer.
Vet fees £2,250
Dental £250
Cruciate ligament £500
Item
Our Plans Compared
Premier Plus Lifetime | Premier Lifetime | Prime Lifetime | Gold Maximum Benefit | Silver Time Limited | Bronze Accident Only | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vet fee limit | £8,000 | £4,000 | £2,500 | £4,000 | £3,000 | £2,250 |
| Excess | £125 / £275 | £125 / £275 | £125 / £275 | £125 / £275 | £125 / £275 | £125 / £275 |
Co-payment option | 0% or 20% | 0% or 20% | 0% or 20% | 0% or 20% | 0% or 20% | 0% or 20% |
| 24/7 Vet careline |  | | | | | |
| Multi-pet discount | | | | | | |
Cruciate ligament (inner limit) | £2,000 | £1,500 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £500 | £500 |
Holiday cancellation | £2,500 | £1,500 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £750 | X |
Emergency boarding and pet minding fees | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £750 | £250 |
Loss and recovery | £1,500 | £1,500 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £750 | £250 |
| Dental cover accident or injury | £8,000 | £4,000 | £2,500 | £4,000 | £3,000 | £250 |
Tail wagging benefits
24/7 Vet careline
Expert advice, day or night, 365.
We've got you covered
Support when it matters most
10% multi-pet discount
More pets, more savings.
Switching made simple
Immediate cover if you’re already insured.
What our cover protects against
- Vet Fees Covers treatment costs for accidents, injuries, and illnesses (up to your policy limit).
- Ongoing Conditions (Lifetime plans only) Conditions that began after the start date of your policy, are covered year after year, as long as the policy is renewed.
- Diagnostic Tests & Medication Blood tests, scans, and prescription meds.
- Surgery & Hospitalisation From minor ops to major procedures, you’re covered.
- Complementary Therapies Some plans include things like hydrotherapy, acupuncture, or physiotherapy, if recommended by your vet.
- Third-Party Liability (for dogs only) If your dog causes damage or injury, you could be protected against legal costs and compensation claims.
- Death from Illness or Injury Reimbursement if your dog or cat sadly passes away due to illness or an accident.
- Lost Pet Cover Help with advertising and reward costs if your dog goes missing.
- Emergency Boarding Fees Covers kennel or cattery costs if you’re unexpectedly hospitalised.
What’s not covered
- Pre-Existing Conditions
Anything your dog or cat showed symptoms of or was treated for before your policy started. - Restricted Breeds
Our dog insurance does not cover certain dog breeds, particularly those classified as dangerous under UK law. You can view a full list of our excluded breeds here. - Dental (Non-Accident)
Routine cleanings or issues caused by neglect aren’t covered. - Routine Care
Vaccinations, flea/worm treatments, neutering, and annual check-ups aren’t covered. - Pregnancy & Birth
Costs for mating, pregnancy, or giving birth are excluded.
Pet Insurance Explained
Do you offer advice on which policy to buy?
You will not be provided with advice or any recommendations relating to the purchase of a policy from us, but you will receive sufficient information on the product to enable you to make an informed decision on whether it meets your demands and needs.
You can also find more information about the policies we offer on our website, by searching our FAQs, and by reviewing our Policy Documents.
How can I check what I am or am not covered for?
You can see what you are and are not covered for by reviewing our Policy Documents. You can also check your Policy Schedule by logging into My Account. This provides details of your excess, co-payment and inner limits applicable to the policy cover.
Please ensure that you have also checked our full list of policy exclusions, including our excluded breeds list and rules, before proceeding to purchase a policy with Scratch & Patch. If your dog is found to be an excluded dog, we may cancel your policy, refuse all claims, keep any premium you have paid and charge you a cancellation fee.
Some of the other key policy exclusions are:
- We will not cover the amount of the excess(s) applicable for any claim.
- Death from accident or illness – cover is restricted to dogs aged under 8years, or cats aged under 10years, at the date of loss or death.
- Euthanasia is excluded under Bronze, Silver and Gold policies.
- Third party liability cover is restricted to Dogs Only.
- Loss and recovery – cover restricted to dogs aged under 8 years, or cats aged under 10 years, at the date they go missing.
- Vet fee limits and policy limits apply.
- We will not pay for advertising and reward incurred without our prior consent.
- Any condition first showing clinical signs in the first 14 days of the policy unless you had a prior pet insurance policy.
- Your pet must be at least 5 weeks old when your policy starts.
- Dangerous dogs and excluded breeds cannot be covered. Please note that if you have declared the incorrect breed when taking the policy out, you may not be covered when making a claim.
The full list of policy exclusions can be seen here.
Do you cover pre-existing conditions?
Our current policies and cover levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Prime, Premier and Premier Plus) do not cover pre-existing medical conditions.
This means that we will not pay:
- Any claim for or as a result of a pre-existing condition.
- Any claim for or as a result of an illness which, in the first 14 days of your pets cover with Scratch & Patch,
- first showed clinical signs,
- has the same diagnosis or clinical signs as an illness that showed clinical signs or
- is caused by, relates to, or results from a clinical sign of an illness that was noticed,
This 14-day exclusion does not apply if your pet was insured for veterinary fee’s under another policy of insurance up to the start date (inception) of the first period of insurance with Scratch & Patch and you provide proof of this to us.
A pre-existing condition is any injury or illness that:
- Happened or first showed clinical signs,
- Has been identified or investigated by a vet,
- Has the same diagnosis or clinical signs as an injury, illness, or clinical sign your pet had,
- Is caused by, relates to, or results from, an injury, illness, or clinical sign your pet had,
- or is otherwise known to you,
before the start date of your pet’s first period of insurance (inception) with Scratch & Patch, or before the date the cover level on your policy was increased. No matter where the injury, illness or clinical signs are noticed or happen in, or on, your pet’s body.
Do you cover dental?
We do not provide cover for the cost of dental or gum treatment which is not directly resulting from an accident or injury. We also exclude routine, preventative or cosmetic procedures, including but not limited to scaling and polishing.
What is an inner limit and how do I know what my policy’s inner limits are?
An inner limit is a cap on certain specified items such as treatments, investigative procedures, medication, or specific conditions. This means that whilst there is an overall cover limit, there are certain things we will only pay a maximum amount for. Each type of cover level will vary in the maximum amount we provide, and this information is available throughout our sales journey prior to your policy purchase. These limits are also stated specifically within your Policy Schedule document and can also be viewed on our website here.
What is the difference between excess and co payment?
An excess is a compulsory contribution you are required to pay towards the cost of your pets treatment you are claiming for and applies to each separate illness or injury (condition), per policy year. If your claim is accepted, the excess will be deducted from any settlement amount we pay to either you or your vet.
A co-payment is what you have chosen to include when purchasing a new policy, or at renewal stage as a contribution towards the cost of your pets treatment should you ever need to claim. It is applicable to every claim you make and is calculated as a percentage (chosen by you when purchasing or renewing your policy) of your claim after other deductions.
What pets and breeds aren’t covered?
Our policies are designed to provide cover for domestic cats and dogs. That means we don’t cover any pet used for trade, profession or business or any type of pet used for guarding, racing, coursing or beating. We also exclude any pet used for breeding.
There are also a number of specific breeds that we aren’t able to cover. You can see the full list here. Please note that if you have declared the incorrect breed when taking the policy out, you may not be covered when making a claim.
Is my pet covered straight away?
Any new illnesses starting within the first 14 days of your policy are not covered. This is called a waiting period. However, if you switch your cover from another insurer we won’t enforce a waiting period and you will be able to claim for illness starting in the first 14 days. If you make a claim within the first 14 days we will ask you to provide evidence of your previous continuous policy. We don’t have a waiting period for accidents or injuries.
Please note that we do not offer pre-existing conditions cover for new customers. You can still switch to us, but any pre-existing conditions will be excluded from cover.
