If pet owners were better educated on the nature of their animals before they took them on, more people would sign up to pet insurance, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said today.

Rebecca Ralph, a spokesperson for the RSPCA, says that taking out insurance is part of being a "responsible pet owner" - as it protects owners against any unforeseen veterinary bills.

"We would urge people to take out pet insurance as part of being a responsible pet owner to make sure they are prepared for unforeseen veterinary bills that may come up from time to time," Ms Ralph commented.

"A lot of people - when they're taking on a pet - don't actually consider how expensive it can be to own an animal.

"If for example you have a cat, potentially you could have that cat for 16 years or even more. That's a long time and things can go wrong and there will be occasions when you need to go to the vet.

"Really we encourage people to take vet insurance as part of being responsible."