Cats are the underinsured species. NAPHIA reports that cats made up 25.1 percent of insured US pets at the end of 2025, and that only 2.29 percent of US cats carry a policy against 5.99 percent of dogs. Part of that is price, but price is the argument for cat coverage rather than against it: the premium is lower and the bills that matter are still four figures. This page gives the sourced averages, explains the mechanism behind the species gap, and walks a real claim through the reimbursement math.
How much does cat insurance cost per month?
NAPHIA's most recent published monthly figure for cats is $32.21 a month, covering 2024. For 2025 NAPHIA publishes an annual figure only, $435. The trend runs $383 in 2023 as reported by Triple-I citing NAPHIA, then $386.47 in 2024 and $435 in 2025. The 2025 step up is by far the largest of the three.
Other publishers report lower numbers because they measure quoted prices rather than premium actually in force. Insurify's June 2025 analysis puts the national cat average at $276 a year, with a state spread from $156 in Arkansas to $384 in New Hampshire. Nationwide, reported in 2026, puts its own cat book at about $43 a month, and Healthy Paws estimated about $30 a month in 2025 citing Pawlicy Advisor. NAPHIA is the industry measure because its participants represent about 99 percent of written pet health insurance premium in North America.
Why is cat insurance cheaper than dog insurance?
Cat insurance is cheaper because a cat's expected claim cost is lower, and every part of a feline bill is smaller than the canine equivalent. Three mechanisms drive it, and billed costs vary widely by region and clinic.
- Body size sets the bill. Drug doses, anesthesia and surgical time all scale with weight, so the same procedure bills less on a nine-pound cat than a seventy-pound dog. CareCredit's figures show the pattern across the board: chemistry panel $144 for cats against $164 for dogs, ultrasound $323 against $483, CT scan $1,144 against $1,615.
- Cats generate far less orthopedic surgery. Knee and hip repair is the expensive corner of dog medicine, and it is close to absent from the average feline claims history.
- Cats are seen less expensively. AVMA survey data puts the average amount owners actually paid per veterinary visit at $138 for cats against $214 for dogs in 2024. AVMA also reports that roughly 81 percent of veterinary practice revenue comes from dogs.
Quoted side by side at the same deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit, cat premiums typically run 35 to 40 percent below dog premiums. The published industry averages sit further apart, at $435 against $836, because an average also reflects what each species' owners choose to buy. The full comparison is in cat versus dog premiums, and the dog side is in dog insurance costs.
What do cat owners actually claim for?
Digestive problems top the list, and Nationwide reports intestinal upset as the most common cat claim in 2025, the third consecutive year digestive issues led. NAPHIA's 2026 report lists the top 2025 cat claim conditions as gastrointestinal issues, dental disease, urinary tract infections, anxiety and behavioral issues, and respiratory issues.
Nationwide's condition-cost analysis, measured at the 80th percentile of billed cost across more than one million insured pets, is the clearest sourced picture of what those claims cost. Billed costs vary widely by region and clinic.
| Condition | Cost over 30 days | Cost over a full year |
|---|---|---|
| Dental disease, cats | $1,517 | not published |
| Diabetes, cats | $850 | $2,240 |
| Skin allergies, cats | $318 | $592 |
Dental sits second on NAPHIA's claim list and carries the highest 30-day cost in that table, which is the single most overlooked fact about insuring a cat. The dental shortlist is in best pet insurance for dental coverage.
What does a real cat claim look like in dollars?
A serious feline claim is routinely a four-figure bill, even though the average premium is three figures. Swallowed string and other foreign bodies are the classic case, and the sourced ranges are wide because episodes differ. CareCredit puts foreign body removal for cats at $2,367, while Money, citing MetLife Pet Insurance, puts a whole intestinal blockage episode for cats at $800 to $7,000. CareCredit puts hospitalization at an emergency clinic for cats at $1,144. Billed costs vary widely by region and clinic.
Run a $2,400 bill through a standard policy with a $250 annual deductible and 90 percent reimbursement. Subtract the deductible, then pay 90 percent of what remains, for $1,935 reimbursed and $465 out of pocket. That single claim exceeds several years of the NAPHIA cat average, which is the argument for coverage in one line.
The tail goes much higher. NAPHIA reports the largest single US cat claim of 2025 at $51,600, for a four-year-old American Shorthair in Los Angeles treated for cancer, and CareCredit puts national average cancer therapy for cats at $4,269. Treat the $51,600 as the extreme of the year rather than a typical outcome. More sourced ranges are in what vet care actually costs.
Does an indoor cat cost less to insure?
No, an indoor cat is not usually quoted lower than an outdoor cat of the same profile, because insurers do not ask about it. The quote form asks for species, breed, age, sex and zip code, then your deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit. Lifestyle is absent from that list, so two cats of the same breed and age in the same zip code will generally see the same base rate whether or not either one goes outside.
That is a fair complaint about how cats are priced, and it is also a reason to shop the levers rather than the lifestyle. Insurers that suit lower-risk indoor cats, including which ones allow lean limits without gutting the illness coverage, are compared in best pet insurance for indoor cats.
How do you lower a cat insurance premium?
The deductible is the lever with the largest effect on a cat premium, followed by the reimbursement rate. Moving from a $250 deductible to $500 or $750 lowers the monthly figure, and dropping reimbursement from 90 percent to 70 percent does the same. Both trades cost you in the year you claim, and on a $2,400 bill the difference between 90 and 70 percent reimbursement is several hundred dollars.
Three other reductions are real. Accident-only coverage averaged $112 a year for cats against $435 for accident and illness. That is a large saving for a much narrower product, one that pays nothing on the digestive, dental and urinary claims dominating feline claim lists. Multi-pet discounts run 5 to 10 percent. And enrolling a kitten locks the lowest point on the age curve with nothing yet recorded as pre-existing. Our own dated premium figures are pending first quote run, so the way to see your real number is to run identical profiles yourself using the method in how to get accurate pet insurance quotes.
When is cat insurance not worth it?
Cat insurance is the closest call in this category, and the average cat-owning household spends $529 a year at the vet against an average cat policy price of $435 a year. Those AVMA and NAPHIA figures are measured differently, per household rather than per policy, but the gap between them is thin. Most of that $529 is routine care, and a standard accident and illness policy reimburses none of it.
Add the sector economics and the counter-case is fair: AM Best put the population average loss ratio at 69.1 for 2025, so about 69 cents of every premium dollar came back out as claims. A cat that stays well can easily pay in more than a mid-range emergency would have cost. The case flips on the tail, not the average, and it flips hardest for cats with chronic conditions such as diabetes at $2,240 a year in Nationwide's data. The full decision math, including the case for skipping coverage, is in is pet insurance worth it, and the shortlist of insurers for cats is in best pet insurance for cats.