Best Cat Insurance
Only the insurers that fit "best cat insurance", quoted for the same pets and read policy by policy.
Embrace (Accident & illness + optional wellness) - Covers exam fees and dental illness, shrinks your deductible $50 for every claim-free year, and will re-cover a curable condition after twelve clear months Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Exam fees, dental illness, behavioural therapy and prescription food all included
- Healthy Pet Deductible drops your deductible $50 each claim-free year
- Orthopaedic wait waived after an exam and a short questionnaire
Healthy Paws (Accident & illness, one plan) - One simple plan with no annual, lifetime or per-condition payout limit — the policy that does not run out when the bill is large Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- No annual or lifetime cap — the catastrophic claim is the one that matters and this is where it pays
- Hereditary and congenital conditions covered
- Claims processed in about two days on published figures; photo upload in the app
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance (Complete Coverage) - Covers exam fees, dental illness, behavioural treatment and microchipping, insures horses too, and re-covers curable conditions after a clear year Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Exam fees, dental disease, behavioural therapy and microchipping in the base policy
- No upper age limit; horses insurable too
- Single 14-day waiting period with no long orthopaedic exclusion
Pets Best (Accident & illness, three tiers) - Three coverage tiers, an unlimited option, a three-day accident wait and direct deposit — the flexible middle of the market Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- No upper age limit — one of the few that will still enrol a senior pet
- Three-day accident waiting period, the shortest here
- Unlimited annual payout available on the Elite tier
Trupanion (90% reimbursement, per-condition deductible) - Pays the clinic directly at checkout in thousands of US hospitals, reimburses 90% with no payout limit, and charges the deductible once per condition rather than every year Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Direct payment to the vet means you never front a $7,000 surgery
- Per-condition deductible: pay it once for a chronic condition, not every renewal year
- 90% reimbursement with no annual or lifetime cap
Figo (Accident & illness, 100% option) - The only insurer here offering 100% reimbursement, with a one-day accident wait and a pet cloud app that holds records and vet chat Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- 100% reimbursement is available — no other insurer in the test offers it
- One-day accident waiting period
- Pet Cloud app stores records, finds vets and includes 24/7 vet chat
Lemonade Pet (Accident & illness + add-ons) - The cheapest quotes in our test, an app that settles simple claims in minutes, and bundling discounts with renters or car insurance Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Cheapest monthly premium on three of our four test pets
- Simple claims paid in minutes through the app
- Bundle discount with Lemonade renters, home or car insurance
Nationwide Pet Insurance (Whole Pet with Wellness / Avian & Exotic) - The only major US insurer that covers birds, reptiles and small mammals — and one of the few whose top plan includes wellness in the same policy Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Covers birds, rabbits, reptiles, ferrets and other exotics — almost nobody else does
- Whole Pet with Wellness rolls routine care into one policy
- Backed by one of the largest US insurers
What separates the best cat insurance picks?
Eight insurers made this page, and the scores run from 8.7 down to 7.6. The gap is not about brand size. It is about what each policy pays for and what it leaves out.
Embrace scores 8.7 at $47 a month. Exam fees, dental illness, behavioural therapy and prescription food sit in the base policy, and the Healthy Pet Deductible drops $50 for every claim-free year. Annual limits run from $5,000 to $30,000 rather than unlimited.
Healthy Paws scores 8.6 at $43. There is no annual, lifetime or per-condition payout limit, and claims process in about two days on published figures. Exam fees, wellness and dental cleaning are not covered, and hip dysplasia carries a twelve-month wait.
ASPCA and Pets Best both score 8.3. ASPCA costs $45 and covers exam fees, dental disease, behavioural therapy and microchipping, with a single 14-day waiting period. Pets Best costs $38, has a three-day accident wait and an unlimited option on the Elite tier, but exam fees and dental need the Plus tier or higher.
Trupanion also scores 8.3 at $68, the priciest quote here. It pays the clinic directly, reimburses 90% with no payout limit, and charges the deductible once per condition. Figo and Lemonade Pet score 8.1 at $40 and $32. Figo offers 100% reimbursement and a one-day accident wait; Lemonade is cheapest on three of four test pets but charges for exam fees, dental and behavioural cover as add-ons.
Nationwide scores 7.6 at $62, covers birds, rabbits, reptiles and ferrets, and rolls routine care into Whole Pet with Wellness. Reimbursement caps at 70% on most plans.
What should you check before buying cat insurance?
Coverage carries the most weight in our scoring at 30 points, so read the exclusions list before the price. Limits and exclusions add 20, price 20, claims and payout 20, wellness and extras 10.
- Waiting periods: Figo has a one-day accident wait, Pets Best three days, ASPCA a single 14-day period. Hip dysplasia waits run twelve months at Healthy Paws and six months for cruciate issues at Pets Best, Figo and Lemonade.
- Annual limits: Healthy Paws and Trupanion set no cap. Embrace runs $5,000 to $30,000, ASPCA tops out at $10,000.
- Age: ASPCA and Pets Best have no upper age limit. Healthy Paws makes hip dysplasia permanent for pets enrolled after age six.
- Extras: exam fees, dental and behavioural cover are included at Embrace and ASPCA, paid add-ons at Figo and Lemonade.
Which cat insurance is right for you?
Pick Embrace if you want exam fees, dental illness and a deductible that falls $50 each claim-free year. Healthy Paws suits anyone who wants no payout cap and fast claims. ASPCA fits owners who want exam fees and microchipping with no age limit. Pets Best is the flexible middle, with a three-day accident wait and an unlimited Elite tier. Trupanion works if you would rather the clinic bill the insurer directly. Figo is for 100% reimbursement and a one-day accident wait. Lemonade is the cheapest quote at $32 if you skip the add-ons. Nationwide is the one to call for birds, rabbits, reptiles and ferrets.
Embrace suits owners who want exam fees and dental illness in the base policy, while Healthy Paws fits anyone who needs no payout cap. Trupanion is for people who would rather the clinic bill the insurer directly, and Nationwide is the pick for birds, rabbits, reptiles and ferrets.
Questions about best cat insurance
*Scores: What is covered 30 · Limits & exclusions 20 · Price 20 · Claims & payout 20 · Wellness & extras 10; score = Σ ÷ 10. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.