Best Pet Insurance For Cats And Kittens Of 2024

Cat insurance typically has two main types of policies to choose from, and some pet insurers have extra plans you can add. The primary types of pet insurance for cats and kittens are:

• Accident and illness plans
• Accident-only plan
• Wellness plans (as an add-on)

Knowing what pet insurance covers is essential so you can choose the right policy.

	Accident and Illness Pet Insurance Plan This reimburses you (or some pet insurance pays the vet directly) for the widest range of problems. Accidents covered include broken bones, broken teeth, lacerations and ingesting foreign objects. Illnesses are covered, like a respiratory infection or cancer.
	Accident-Only Plan This type of policy reimburses you only for vet bills related to accidental injuries. Examples would be your cat being hit by a car or injured in a fight with a stray. Accident-only plans are less expensive but also have very limited coverage.
	Wellness and Preventive Plans Wellness plans cover routine vet visits, which are not covered by the other types of plans. The best pet insurance wellness plans cover services beyond the wellness visit, such as flea, tick and heartworm prevention, spay and neutering, vaccinations, and for cats the feline leukemia virus test. Not all pet insurers sell wellness plans.

Compare Company Coverage for Cat Insurance

Some pet insurance companies include extra benefits or make available extra coverage. Here are some of the most common coverage benefits and add-ons.

Company	Coverage for vet exam fees	Routine wellness plan	Access to a 24/7 vet healthline	Coverage for end of life expenses
Pets Best	Available as add-on	Available as add-on	Yes	Included with coverage
Embrace	Included with coverage	Available as add-on	Yes	Included with coverage
Paw Protect	Included with coverage	Available as add-on	Yes	Included with coverage
Spot	Included with coverage	Available as add-on	Yes	Included with coverage
Figo	Available as add-on	Available as add-on	Yes	Included with coverage
Healthy Paws	Not included with coverage	Not available	Yes	Included with coverage

See More See Less

Cat insurance helps pay for a large variety of medical issues, but there are problems that are not covered. Typical exclusions include:

• Preexisting conditions. Any illness or injury that your pet had before coverage started is normally not covered. For example, treatment for allergies may be denied if allergies were diagnosed before your policy started. Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions is available for conditions that are curable, like an ear infection.
• Experimental treatment. Any treatments outside the standard care accepted by your state’s board of veterinary medicine are usually considered experimental and not covered.
• Non-veterinary expenses. Expenses like record access, taxes and waste disposal are not typically covered by pet insurance.
• Food or nutritional supplements. If a special diet or supplement is required, cat insurance usually won’t cover it. However, some pet insurers cover prescription supplements and food.

Cat insurance costs $27 per month on average for $5,000 of annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level, according to our analysis of pet insurance costs. Costs for a policy with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level are $37 per month on average.

Cat and Kitten Insurance Cost by Company

Company	Average monthly cost for $5,000 annual coverage for cats and kittens	Average monthly cost for unlimited annual coverage for cats and kittens
Pets Best	$24	$27
Embrace	$26	$37
Paw Protect	$26	$38
Figo	$16	$26
Spot	$24	$46
Healthy Paws	N/A	$22
Average	$27	$37

Source: Forbes Advisor research. Costs are based on a plan with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level for mixed breed cats.

See More See Less

Which Cat Breeds Are the Most Expensive to Insure?

We found the Main Coon to be the most expensive cat breed to insure, at an average cost of $44 per month, according to our analysis for 10 cat breeds. That price is for a policy with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level. Mixed breed cats are the cheapest to insure, costing $33 a month for the same policy.

Here are the most expensive cat breeds to insure for a policy with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level:

• Maine Coon: $44 per month
• Persian: $42 per month
• British shorthair: $40 per month
• Exotic shorthair and: $40 per month
• Abyssinian: $39 per month
• Bengal: $39 per month

Several factors can affect what you’ll pay for cat insurance if you’re searching for cheap pet insurance.

	Cat’s Breed Certain feline breeds are predisposed to illnesses because of their size or genetics, so you will pay more for cat insurance. For instance, Abyssinians are prone to retinal atrophy and periodontal disease.
	Cat’s Age and Gender Older cats are more vulnerable to illness and injury, which leads to more expensive pet insurance. Gender also affects rates, as male pets are prone to developing certain health issues, like testicular cancer and prostate disease. Also, male pets tend to have risky behavior, like fighting or wandering outdoors, according to Embrace pet insurance.
	Location Veterinarian costs vary by location and affect the cost of pet insurance claims, so that affects pet insurance pricing.
	Breadth of Coverage Policies with more robust coverage features tend to cost more. Also, if you choose a low deductible and higher reimbursement plan, you should anticipate paying more.

EXPERT TIPS

How to Find the Best Pet Insurance for Cats and Kittens

Jason Metz

Insurance Lead Editor

Michelle Megna

Insurance Lead Editor

Les Masterson

Insurance Editor

Penny Gusner

Insurance Senior Writer

Ashlee Valentine

Insurance Editor

Look at Exam Fees

You’re charged an exam fee when you take your cat to the vet for an injury or illness. I recommend finding a company that covers exam fees, like Spot pet insurance. Not all insurers include coverage for exam fees (such as Healthy Paws) and some insurers charge extra for this basic coverage (such as Lemonade).

Jason Metz

Insurance Lead Editor

Check the Waiting Periods

The average illness waiting period is 14 days and some insurers have extended waiting periods for orthopedic conditions that can range from six to 12 months. I suggest finding a pet insurer with no extended waiting period, like ASPCA pet insurance, or an insurer that can waive the extended waiting period after a vet exam, such as Embrace.

Michelle Megna

Insurance Lead Editor

Ask About Cat Insurance Discounts

If you have more than one pet, I’d look for a pet insurance company that offers a multi-pet discount. These discounts typically range between 5% to 10% and can apply to cats and dogs. You can also find cat insurance discounts such as annual pay discounts and military discounts.

Les Masterson

Insurance Editor

Check for Extra Perks

I suggest you take a good look at extra perks when you’re shopping for cat insurance. Access to a 24/7 pet telehealth line could be crucial if your cat is seriously ill in the middle of the night, but not all insurers offer this benefit. I also recommend looking for cat insurance companies that offer the option to add a wellness plan if you want coverage for your cat’s routine wellness expenses.

Penny Gusner

Insurance Senior Writer

Compare Pet Insurance Quotes

Once you’ve identified a few pet insurance companies, I would compare pet insurance quotes from a few different companies. That’s the best way to find a good price. Make sure you’re comparing policies with similar coverage so you’re comparing in an apples-to-apples way.

Ashlee Valentine

Insurance Editor

Cat and kitten insurance is typically reimbursement based, meaning you’ll need to pay your vet bills up front and submit a claim for reimbursement. After your deductible is met, you’ll be reimbursed up to the reimbursement level you selected, up to your policy limits.

Here’s an example of how a cat and kitten insurance claim would work:

• Your cat is continually throwing up so you take them to the vet for an examination.
• Upon check out, you pay the entire vet bill and grab a copy of the itemized receipt.
• You then submit the receipt and medical record to your pet insurance company via an app, website or mail.
• The pet insurance company will review your claim. If the problem is covered by your policy, your insurer will send you reimbursement. Your deductible amount will be deducted from the claim check if it has not already been met.

Some pet insurance companies like Trupanion can reimburse the vet directly if the vet has Trupanion’s claim processing software.

Common medical problems for cats and kittens to be aware of include:

• Cancer. Can be detected in cats through diagnostic tests such as biopsies, blood evaluation, radiographs and ultrasounds.
• Diabetes: Can be treated with diet and/or insulin injections in cats.
• Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). FeLV is one of the most common causes of disease and death in domestic cats. It doesn’t have a cure, but vets sometimes recommend a vaccination.
• Rabies. It’s nearly 100% fatal for cats so vaccination is crucial and is required in some states. For instance, Texas requires cats to be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age.
• Ringworm. Ringworm in cats can be treated with medicated shampoo, ointments and oral medication.
• Upper respiratory infections (URI). Can be treated with isolation, rest, medication, fluid and nutritional support.
• Worms. A vet can treat intestinal parasite “worms” with dewormer medication. This includes hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms.

Kittens age 6 months and under are more susceptible to contracting diseases. Talk to your vet about a kitten vaccination schedule to possibly prevent conditions such as FeLV and rabies.

To find the best pet insurance for cats and kittens, we used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following:

Pet insurance rates (40% of score): We calculated average rates for mixed breed cats age 3 months, 2 years, 5 years and 7 years for plans with unlimited coverage, a $250 deductible and a 80% reimbursement level, or the closest options available.

Special waiting period (10% of score): Many pet insurance companies have a special waiting period for problems such as orthopedic conditions. Plans that had no waiting period, a waiting period of fewer than six months or the ability to have the waiting period waived scored higher.

Direct payment to vet (10% of score): Pet insurance companies that have the ability to pay a vet directly earned points.

24/7 vet health line (10% of score): Insurers that provide access to a 24/7 vet health line scored in this category.

Routine wellness plans (10% of score): Insurers that offer optional wellness plans earned points.

Pays veterinary exam fees (10% of score): Not all insurers cover exam fees, even if the fee is for an illness or accident-related visit. Plans that cover the vet exam fee scored in this category.

Euthanasia or end of life expenses (5% of score): Insurers that cover end of life expenses, such as euthanasia, cremation or burial fees, scored in this category.

Multipet discount (5% of score): Many pet insurance companies offer a discount if you insure more than one pet. Insurers that offer a multipet discount earned points.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor rates pet insurance companies