The best way to provide a high quality of life for a pet is to regularly take them to vet visits and ensure their health care needs are met. Hence, finding the best pet insurance for cats can make a huge difference when challenges arise.
This is why pet insurance is so popular.
It gives pet owners freedom of choice, providing them with a unique opportunity to select the most suitable treatment for their pets.
Types of Pet Insurance Coverage for Cats
To better answer the question of what does pet insurance cover, there are the three types of pet insurance for cats:
- Comprehensive
- Accident-only
- Wellness coverage
They each have different offerings, and the cost differs from one another.
1) Comprehensive Pet Insurance for Cats
This type of coverage provides a broad range of services, and it’s the most inclusive of the three types. Comprehensive pet insurance covers illnesses and accidents and can further provide an add-on wellness package if the owner chooses.
Owners only have to decide how big they want the coverage to be and if the monthly premium matches with the compensation that works for their budget.
Comprehensive pet insurance can cover up to $20,000 in vet bills depending on the policy.
2) Accidents-Only Pet Insurance for Cats
This type of policy provides essential, affordable protection for cats in the event of an emergency, and it covers vet bills if an accident occurs. It also covers the treatment and rehabilitation needed for a full recovery. However, it doesn’t cover chronic conditions and illnesses that require regular treatment.
Accidents-only pet insurance can cover up to 90% of the vet bills and $5000 annually.
3) Wellness Pet Insurance Coverage
This type of coverage can be used separately or as an add-on to the previous two. It covers regular vet visits and pampering expenses that owners may want to provide for their cats.
The wellness package typically covers roughly $500 in services per year. It has a defined rate for maximum usage for each of its services.
How Much Does Cat Insurance Cost?
It’s challenging to set a fixed price for pet insurance.
Premiums have many different variables that determine the price. Cat insurance costs vary widely depending on the cat’s age, location, and medical care required in the first year.
For comprehensive plans that cover both accidents and illnesses, the average monthly cost is around $28. However, comprehensive cat insurance can cost anywhere from $10 to $40 per month.
Accident-only coverage might cost anywhere from $6 and $35 every month. If the cat is young and has no previous injuries or claims, the price may stay on the lower end of that spectrum.
For example, cat owners can find a monthly premium of as little as $11 per month with accident-only coverage. Based on a one-year-old mixed cat breed, they can purchase a plan with a $5,000 yearly limit, a 70% reimbursement rate, and a $500 deductible.
There are many different plans with wellness cat insurance, ranging from basic to wellness plus. They can cover between $250 and $500 worth of checkups and procedures annually. The average cost of a wellness premium is $10 a month. However, the monthly premium can range from $8 to $27.
Pet Insurance Companies for Cats in 2021
Best Cat Insurance Overall |
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Runner-Up Cat Insurance |
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Best Discount Cat Insurance |
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Best Cat Insurance for Multiple Cats |
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Best Cat Insurance with Add-Ons |
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Embrace Pet Insurance |
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Monthly Premium | Average of $23 |
Deductible | $200 to $1,000 |
Coverage | 70, 80, or 90 percent |
Age Restrictions | Up to 14 years old - Accident-only coverage for cats 15 years and older |
This is an excellent option for cats’ health insurance. Embrace’s comprehensive insurance plan covers up to 90% of the expenditures related to accidents, injuries, and diseases. It is available for cats up to 14 years old.
Accident-only coverage is available to cats ages 15 and up. Insurance coverage is provided for the rest of the cat’s life, regardless of age.
There is also an option to add coverage for routine medical care. The policy’s waiting period is 14 days for illness and two days for accidents.
Embrace, like most pet insurance providers, does not cover prior conditions. Suppose the cat has a medical condition now but has been symptom and treatment-free for at least a year. In that case, the condition can be covered on the insurance plan for future claims.
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance |
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Monthly Premium | Starting at $15 |
Deductible | $100, $250, or $500 |
Coverage | 80,80 or 90 percent |
Age Restriction | 8-week-old up to 14 years |
This company ensures kittens and cats up to 14 years old once they reach eight weeks. Plans start at around $14 per month and cover various conditions, including accidents, injuries, and diseases.
Emergency care, chronic sickness, congenital or hereditary illnesses, prescription drugs, and cancer therapy are all covered by insurance. Cat insurance plans also cover surgery, x-rays, specialist care, and alternative treatment. Preexisting conditions are the only area this insurance provider does not cover.
Claims are generally resolved within ten days, and you can speed things up by submitting them over the phone.
Pet Assure Pet Insurance | Pet Assure Pet Insurance 2 |
Monthly Premium | $10, $17 up to four pets, 22$ more than four pets |
Deductible | None25 percent |
Coverage | 25 percent |
Age Restrictions | None |
Pet Assure provides you with a chance to save 25% on veterinarian treatments but only with participating vets. Suppose you visit a veterinarian that accepts the Pet Assure discount insurance provider. In that case, your cat is insured under any condition for $10 per month.
Dental cleanings, routine checkups, exam fees, emergency care, hospital stays, and other expenses can be reduced by 25%. It only excludes outsourced laboratory services and specialists.
Pet First Pet Insurance |
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Monthly premium | Starting at $9 |
Deductible | Average of $250 |
Coverage | 65 to 100 percent |
Age Restrictions | Minimum of 8 weeks old |
Most pet insurance companies provide a multi-pet discount. However, Pet First Pet Insurance covers three cats up to ten years old for the same price as one. The multi-pet discount saves you an average of 30%, like paying for two cats and getting the third one insured for free.
It doesn’t matter if you are insuring an 8-week-old kitten or a senior one. Except when the discount is applied, there is no age limit for insurance coverage.
Pet owners can select the reimbursement rate, deductible amount, and annual maximum limit. Reimbursement can be as low as 65% or as high as 100%. Deductibles as low as $100 are available.
Trupanion Pet Insurance |
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Monthly premium | Starting at $19 |
Deductible | $0 to $1,000 |
Coverage | 90 percent |
Age Restrictions | Up to 14 years old |
Trupanion Pet Insurance offers various alternatives for adding health insurance coverage to a cat’s policy, ensuring it protects against nearly everything. Trupanion reimburses for various veterinary services, from sudden accidents to routine holistic care. However, like all other insurers, it doesn’t cover preexisting conditions.
Trupanion cat health insurance plans range from $19 to $61 per month, depending on the chosen deductible. Deductibles vary from $1,000 and are condition-based, which means the owner pays a deductible for each condition the cat has. However, once the deductible is satisfied, the condition is covered for the rest of the cat’s life.
Does the Cat Breed Play a Role in Pet Insurance?
Not all cats have the same starting point when it comes to insurance. There is a substantial amount of variation in price for some cat breeds. The breeds that are more expensive to insure are usually prone to some genetic diseases that may come along.
The pet insurance companies are well aware of this information, offering a diverse range of pricing among different cat breeds. Below are the top three most expensive cats to insure.
1) Pet insurance for Abyssinian
This domestic short-haired cat has a high degree of activity, leading to mischief and mishaps. The breed is also noted for a few health problems, such as trick knees and deteriorating eyesight.
2) Pet insurance for American Maine Coon
Maine Coone’s most prevalent medical issues include hip dysplasia, which may lead to significant vet expenses. Insurance companies may compensate for this risk by boosting premiums over other cat breeds.
3) Pet insurance for Turkish Van
Turkish Van is a highly intelligent and highly active cat breed, meaning it can have some mischievous tendencies. Due to this cat’s high level of activity and the fact that it is purebred, the price for pet insurance is higher than for other breeds.
Is Pet Insurance Worth It for a Cat?
Considering the average pet insurance cost, it’s easy to conclude that paying pet insurance would be reasonable against a multi-thousand-dollar vet bill. Finding the best pet insurance for cats is necessary for every cat owner.
