Bonkers about breeds

With so many Australian pet owners, Pet Insurance Australia was interested to see what types of breeds are more likely to be insured. The results were inspiring. With some pure-bred dogs reaching upwards of $2000 per puppy, it would be simple assumption that many of these pure-bred varieties would top the list.

“It’s wonderful to see that there are many mixed-breeds making the list of the top 10 most insured breeds,” Nadia Crighton spokesperson for Pet Insurance Australia says.. “This is a clear indication that people insure their pets for love, prevention and treatment of possible illness and not necessarily how much the puppy or kitten cost.”

Australians simply love sharing their homes with pets. In fact over 63% of Australian households own a cat or a dog. It is estimated that a whooping 25 million pets reside in Australia! Meaning in the 7.6 million homes across Australia, nearly five million of those owned a pet.

“It’s quite impressive that Australia has one of the highest incidents of pet ownership in the world,” Crighton says. “We are always hearing about the pure-bred breeds that make up the Australian dog and cat population, when in reality a big majority of pets residing in Australia are the loveable and unique mixed-breeds.”

The Maltese Cross, Kelpie Cross, Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross and Jack Russell Terrier Cross all make the top 10 list of most popular insured dog breeds. Alongside the Tabby cat and the Moggie.

“It’s evident that pet owners, feel passionate about the health and wellbeing of their beloved family member.”

When it comes to pet insurance, it is mainly the younger generation who are more likely to invest. According to the Pet Ownership Australia document, 27% of Gen Y has pet insurance for dogs and, 20% for cats. In comparison only 12% of pet owners in the Baby Boomers generation have pet insurance for dogs and only nine percent for cats.

“Over the past five years, in particular, the pet insurance sector has been busy booming!” Crighton says.

This is no surprise when you consider the quality of treatment options available to our pets. It’s simply breathtaking the advancement in modern veterinary medicine, with many procedures that were once exclusive to the human sector, now readily available to pets.

“Pet owners spend around 1.7 billion dollars per year on veterinary treatments,” Crighton says. “The types of expensive medical treatments now available to the pets, combined with the affordability and reliability of pet insurance has understandably seen this sector grow substantially.”

Top 10 Dogs

Maltese Cross
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Cavoodle
Labrador
German Shepherd
Border Collie
Kelpie Cross
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross
Golden Retriever
Jack Russell Terrier Cross

Top 10 Cats

Domestic Short Hair
Tabby
Domestic House Cat
Domestic Medium Hair
Unknown Cat Breed
Ragdoll
Domestic Long Hair
Burmese
Moggie
Domestic Short Hair Cross

We offer award-winning* pet insurance policies to protect your furry friend’s health and wellbeing. Get a quote today and give your pets the care they deserve.