5 weird exotic pets you can keep in the UK
Here are five of the most unusual exotic pets you can legally keep in the UK.
Read moreExotic Pet Insurance from British Pet Insurance
We've got your exotic pet covered - reptiles, birds, tortoises, and small mammals, with a range of policy options to choose from.
✓ Up to £5,000 vet fee cover
✓ Choice, flexibility, and a range of optional extras
✓ Feefo Platinum Trusted Service from our friendly UK team
What is exotic pet insurance?
Exotic pet insurance is a bit different from regular pet insurance because exotic pets have unique needs.
Unlike cats or dogs, exotic pets often need specialist vets, which can get pricey. Most standard vets don’t have the training to treat them, so you’ll need to find someone who knows how to care for your specific pet.
This extra level of expertise can mean higher costs, which is why exotic pet insurance is worth thinking about.
Small green parrot nestles into it's owners neck for comfort during fireworks
What does exotic pet insurance cover?
Veterinary care
One of the main reasons pet owners seek exotic pet insurance is the high cost of veterinary care. Many pet owners in the UK find these expenses difficult to manage, making it essential to explore alternative solutions. Exotic pet insurance offers valuable financial support, ensuring you can take your unique pet to a specialised vet whenever needed.
Death by Accident costs
Accidents, damage, and injuries are common claims for exotic pets. It is because these pets usually have a mind of their own and can wander off into danger. This can also lead to health damage, death, or other kinds of compromises. Exotic pet insurance provides complete cover for these kinds of accidental damages in case your pets suffer a serious injury.
Public Liability
Exotic pets can sometimes get unpredictable, causing damage to property or even injuring others. This could lead to costly lawsuits, potentially running into thousands of pounds. Exotic pet insurance is designed specifically with unique pets in mind, offering essential cover to protect you and your extraordinary companion.
Theft
Exotic pets have a good market value, which is why they are usually at a higher risk of being stolen. Exotic pet insurance provides complete financial assistance in case of theft, robbery, or if your pet goes missing.
Our range of exotics insurance cover levels
Benefits
-
Claimable period
12 months
We will provide cover for each injury and illness for 12 months, starting from the date the injury happened or the clinical signs of the illness were first noticed -
Veterinary fees
Cover for the cost of veterinary treatment your pet has received during the policy year to treat injury and illness.
Up to £5,000
for 12 months from when the injury or illness started or until you reach your limit
-
Alternative or complementary treatment
Cover for the cost of any examination, consultation advice, test and legally prescribed medication or acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, physiotherapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, osteopathy when carried out for your pet during the policy year, to treat injury and illness.
Up to £500
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
-
Saying goodbye
Cover for the cost of veterinary consultations/visits or prescribed medications needed to carry out the procedure of putting your pet to sleep and cremation or burial or disposal costs if your pet dies or is put to sleep by a vet.
Up to £100
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
-
Advertising and reward
Cover for the cost of advertising, and the reward you have offered and paid to get your pet back, if your pet is stolen or goes missing during the policy year.
Advertising
Up to £150 per yearReward
Up to £150 per year -
Third party liability
Cover for compensation and claimant’s costs and expenses, and legal costs and expenses for defending a claim against you if property is damaged, or someone is killed, injured or falls ill as a result of an incident involving your exotic pet during the policy year and you are legally responsible.
Up to £1,000,000 per incident
-
Death from injury or illness
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it either dies or has to be put to sleep by Vet from an injury caused by an accident or illness.
Purchase price of your pet
-
Loss from theft, fire or weather perils
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it is stolen due to forcible or violent entry; dies or is proven missing as a result of fire, wind, storm, lightning or flood and is not recovered or does not return.
Purchase price of your pet
Benefits
-
Claimable period
12 months
We will provide cover for each injury and illness for 12 months, starting from the date the injury happened or the clinical signs of the illness were first noticed -
Veterinary fees
Cover for the cost of veterinary treatment your pet has received during the policy year to treat injury and illness.
Up to £3,000
for 12 months from when the injury or illness started or until you reach your limit
-
Alternative or complementary treatment
Cover for the cost of any examination, consultation advice, test and legally prescribed medication or acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, physiotherapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, osteopathy when carried out for your pet during the policy year, to treat injury and illness.
Up to £400
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
-
Saying goodbye
Cover for the cost of veterinary consultations/visits or prescribed medications needed to carry out the procedure of putting your pet to sleep and cremation or burial or disposal costs if your pet dies or is put to sleep by a vet.
Up to £100
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
-
Advertising and reward
Cover for the cost of advertising, and the reward you have offered and paid to get your pet back, if your pet is stolen or goes missing during the policy year.
Advertising
Up to £100 per yearReward
Up to £100 per year -
Third party liability
Cover for compensation and claimant’s costs and expenses, and legal costs and expenses for defending a claim against you if property is damaged, or someone is killed, injured or falls ill as a result of an incident involving your exotic pet during the policy year and you are legally responsible.
Up to £1,000,000 per incident
-
Death from injury or illness
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it either dies or has to be put to sleep by Vet from an injury caused by an accident or illness.
Purchase price of your pet
-
Loss from theft, fire or weather perils
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it is stolen due to forcible or violent entry; dies or is proven missing as a result of fire, wind, storm, lightning or flood and is not recovered or does not return.
Purchase price of your pet
Benefits
-
Claimable period
12 months
We will provide cover for each injury and illness for 12 months, starting from the date the injury happened or the clinical signs of the illness were first noticed -
Veterinary fees
Cover for the cost of veterinary treatment your pet has received during the policy year to treat injury and illness.
Up to £1,000
for 12 months from when the injury or illness started or until you reach your limit
-
Alternative or complementary treatment
Cover for the cost of any examination, consultation advice, test and legally prescribed medication or acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, physiotherapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, osteopathy when carried out for your pet during the policy year, to treat injury and illness.
Up to £300
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
-
Saying goodbye
Cover for the cost of veterinary consultations/visits or prescribed medications needed to carry out the procedure of putting your pet to sleep and cremation or burial or disposal costs if your pet dies or is put to sleep by a vet.
Up to £100
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
-
Advertising and reward
Cover for the cost of advertising, and the reward you have offered and paid to get your pet back, if your pet is stolen or goes missing during the policy year.
Advertising
Up to £50 per yearReward
Up to £50 per year -
Third party liability
Cover for compensation and claimant’s costs and expenses, and legal costs and expenses for defending a claim against you if property is damaged, or someone is killed, injured or falls ill as a result of an incident involving your exotic pet during the policy year and you are legally responsible.
Up to £1,000,000 per incident
-
Death from injury or illness
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it either dies or has to be put to sleep by Vet from an injury caused by an accident or illness.
Purchase price of your pet
-
Loss from theft, fire or weather perils
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it is stolen due to forcible or violent entry; dies or is proven missing as a result of fire, wind, storm, lightning or flood and is not recovered or does not return.
Purchase price of your pet
Our range of exotics insurance cover levels
Benefits
Premier
Plus
Value
Claimable period
12 months
We will provide cover for each injury and illness for 12 months, starting from the date the injury happened or the clinical signs of the illness were first noticed
12 months
We will provide cover for each injury and illness for 12 months, starting from the date the injury happened or the clinical signs of the illness were first noticed
12 months
We will provide cover for each injury and illness for 12 months, starting from the date the injury happened or the clinical signs of the illness were first noticed
Veterinary fees
Cover for the cost of veterinary treatment your pet has received during the policy year to treat injury and illness.
Up to £5,000
for 12 months from when the injury or illness started or until you reach your limit
Up to £3,000
for 12 months from when the injury or illness started or until you reach your limit
Up to £1,000
for 12 months from when the injury or illness started or until you reach your limit
Alternative or complementary treatment
Cover for the cost of any examination, consultation advice, test and legally prescribed medication or acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, physiotherapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, osteopathy when carried out for your pet during the policy year, to treat injury and illness.
Up to £500
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
Up to £400
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
Up to £300
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
Saying goodbye
Cover for the cost of veterinary consultations/visits or prescribed medications needed to carry out the procedure of putting your pet to sleep and cremation or burial or disposal costs if your pet dies or is put to sleep by a vet.
Up to £100
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
Up to £100
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
Up to £100
(within veterinary fee limit)
for each injury or illness for 12 months
Advertising and reward
Cover for the cost of advertising, and the reward you have offered and paid to get your pet back, if your pet is stolen or goes missing during the policy year.
Advertising
Up to £150 per year
Reward
Up to £150 per year
Advertising
Up to £100 per year
Reward
Up to £100 per year
Advertising
Up to £50 per year
Reward
Up to £50 per year
Third party liability
Cover for compensation and claimant’s costs and expenses, and legal costs and expenses for defending a claim against you if property is damaged, or someone is killed, injured or falls ill as a result of an incident involving your exotic pet during the policy year and you are legally responsible.
Up to £1,000,000 per incident
Up to £1,000,000 per incident
Up to £1,000,000 per incident
Death from injury or illness
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it either dies or has to be put to sleep by Vet from an injury caused by an accident or illness.
Purchase price of your pet
Purchase price of your pet
Purchase price of your pet
Loss from theft, fire or weather perils
Cover for the price you paid for your pet if it is stolen due to forcible or violent entry; dies or is proven missing as a result of fire, wind, storm, lightning or flood and is not recovered or does not return.
Purchase price of your pet
Purchase price of your pet
Purchase price of your pet
Find the right pet insurance for your exotic pet
Read our policy documents
Is this policy right for you?
Read the Target Market Determination (TMD) documents to ensure our policies fit your needs. These documents explain who the policy is for and how it should be used, so you don’t end up with cover that’s not right for you.
Policies bought on or after 1 January 2026:
Policies bought between 5 February 2025 – 31 December 2025:
Policies bought between 15 May 2024 – 4 February 2025:
bearded-dragon-british-pet-insurance
How much does exotic pet insurance cost?
The cost of exotic pet insurance depends on a bunch of things, like your pet’s breed, age, health, lifestyle, and how much care they need.
Take bearded dragons, for example. If yours is over 20 years old, it can be trickier to find insurance. That’s because older lizards are more likely to have health problems.