More than 11 million dog and cat owners have no pet insurance cover, according to Sainsbury’s Finance.

Research from the insurer found that one-in-two owners without pet cover, accounting for more than 5.5 million, believe that they do not need insurance for their pet. According to Sainsbury’s Finance, around 15,000 claims are made each month for veterinary treatment for dogs and cats.

More than 4.5 million dog or cat owners said they didn’t have pet insurance because they thought it was unnecessary. A further 897,000 people said they didn’t need cover because they thought their cat or dog was healthy. Around 1.13 million people considered it to be too expensive.

Steve Johnson, head of pet insurance at Sainsbury’s Finance, said: “Regarding pet insurance as unnecessary and discounting it just because the pet is currently healthy are probably the two most alarming responses to report.

“Dogs and cats are just as likely to get ill and require treatment as we are but there’s no NHS for them. Pet insurance really is essential if you don’t want to get caught out by costly vet bills – the average claim for vet’s fees is around £300 with one in every 26 trips “