Cost of pedigree pet ownership outstrips cross-breed costs

Protecting your pedigree dog or cat with adequate pet insurance is now even more important, warns Sainsbury's Bank, after new findings show that the cost of owning a pedigree pet can be up to 34% more expensive than a cross-breed.

Sainsbury’s Bank, whose award winning pet insurance has been identified as one of Defaqto’s best buys for both dogs and cats, has found that an owner of a pedigree dog will typically spend around £537 a year on them compared with £430 for cross-breeds, and pedigree cat owners £427 compared with £319 for cross-breeds.

Sainsbury’s Bank says that one of the main reasons for this difference in expenditure is the amount spent on vet fees. Pedigree animals may incur higher vets bills because certain breeds are prone to various hereditary conditions. Indeed, more than 350 inherited diseases have been identified in pedigree dogs.

Steve Johnson, Head of Pet Insurance, Sainsbury's Bank said: "Certain breeds, after generations of selective breeding, can be prone to various hereditary conditions which can require long term treatment. It's therefore best to insure a pedigree puppy or kitten as soon as you take it into your care and select a policy which provides adequate levels of long term cover. Once a condition becomes apparent it may be impossible to get it covered under a new policy."

"Despite the fact that we spend a small fortune on our animal companions, only around 12% of the nation’s dogs and 18% of the nation’s cats are insured. With vet fees easily running into hundreds or thousands of pounds it can be false economy to do without insurance. A good quality policy does not need to be expensive, ours starts at only £4.15 for cats and £7 a month for dogs."

Sainsbury’s Bank’s research found that for dogs overall, the biggest area of expenditure is food, which accounts for around 42%. This is followed by vet fees (19%) and treats/presents (15%). For cats, the biggest cost is food, which accounts 51%, followed by vet fees (21%) and treats/presents (11%).