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Average pet insurance cost by plan type
Pet insurance comes in three main types. Accident-only plans pay for injuries such as a broken leg or a swallowed toy. Accident and illness plans, the most common type, add sicknesses like cancer, allergies and kidney disease. Wellness add-ons cover routine care such as checkups and vaccines.
| Plan type | Dog (yearly) | Dog (monthly) | Cat (yearly) | Cat (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accident only | $190 | $16 | $112 | $9 |
| Accident and illness | $836 | $70 | $435 | $36 |
| Accident, illness and wellness | $1,414 | $118 | $859 | $72 |
Source: NAPHIA 2025 data, as reported by NerdWallet, Jul 2026.
These are averages of what people actually pay. Quotes for a young, healthy pet are often lower. Insurify’s analysis of more than 250,000 quotes, current as of May 2026, found an average of $43 a month for dogs and $23 for cats for accident and illness plans.
Demand keeps growing. NAPHIA counts 7.6 million insured pets in North America at the end of 2025, up 8.5% from 7.03 million a year earlier.
What changes your premium
Age
Age is the biggest driver after species. Older pets need more care, so premiums climb.
| Age | Dog (monthly) | Cat (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy or kitten | $40 | $21 |
| Adult | $46 | $22 |
| Senior | $116 | $62 |
Source: Insurify, May 2026.
NerdWallet’s sample quotes show the same jump: an AKC policy for a dog rose from $36 a month at age 2 to $99 at age 8, and a MetLife cat policy from $24 to $47.
Breed
Breeds prone to health problems cost more to insure. In NerdWallet’s sample quotes for a 2-year-old dog, a French bulldog cost $82 to $88 a month, compared with $32 to $43 for a medium mixed breed. For cats, a domestic shorthair cost $19 to $20, while Maine coons and Persians cost $27 to $32.
Where you live
Premiums follow local vet prices. In Wag! data cited by NerdWallet (assuming $5,000 of yearly cover, 80% reimbursement and a $250 to $500 deductible), dog plans ranged from $36 a month in North Dakota and West Virginia to $71 in Washington, D.C. Cat plans ranged from $25 in several states to $43 in Massachusetts and Washington.
Deductible and reimbursement
You can lower your premium by taking on more of the risk. Insurify says deductibles usually run from $100 to $1,000 and reimbursement rates from 60% to 100%. A higher deductible or lower reimbursement rate cuts the monthly bill but leaves you paying more when your pet gets sick.
What a claim looks like
Here is how a typical plan would handle one big bill, using CareCredit’s 2025 average cost for emergency stomach blockage surgery in a cat ($2,367), with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vet bill | $2,367 |
| Minus deductible | $2,117 |
| Insurer pays 80% | $1,694 |
| You pay (deductible plus 20%) | $673 |
| Average yearly premium (cat) | $435 |
Source: CareCredit cost study, 2025; NAPHIA 2025 premiums via NerdWallet. Claim math is our calculation and assumes the condition is covered.
In that year, insurance would leave you about $1,259 ahead (our calculation: $1,694 paid out minus $435 in premiums). In a year with no claims, you would be $435 behind. For a dog on an average $836 plan, a similar $2,331 bladder stone surgery would return about $1,665 (our calculation).
Is pet insurance worth it?
Insurance makes the most sense in three situations:
- You could not cover a $2,000 to $3,000 bill in cash. CareCredit puts one night of pet hospitalization alone at $619 for dogs and $582 for cats.
- You have a breed with known health issues. You pay more, but you are also more likely to claim.
- Your pet is young and healthy. Premiums are lower, and future conditions are not yet pre-existing.
It makes less sense if you already have a solid savings cushion and are comfortable paying for surprises yourself. Some owners split the difference with a cheap accident-only plan plus a savings fund for everything else. Our emergency fund calculator can help you size that fund.
Vet prices are also rising. NerdWallet, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports vet care costs rose nearly 5% year over year. See what common visits cost in our vet visit cost guide.
Prices by insurance company
Quotes differ a lot between insurers for the same pet, so shopping around matters. These are NerdWallet’s sample monthly quotes for a 2-year-old pet.
| Insurer | Dog (mixed breed, Katy, Texas) | Cat (domestic shorthair) |
|---|---|---|
| Figo | $30 | $14 |
| Lemonade | $30 | $14 |
| Pumpkin | $32 | $15 |
| Spot | $35 | $17 |
| ASPCA | $39 | $19 |
| Embrace | $39 | $19 |
| Nationwide | $43 | $19 |
| MetLife | $53 | $24 |
Source: NerdWallet, Jul 2026.
The cheapest quote is not always the best value. Check the yearly coverage limit, the waiting period before coverage starts, and whether the plan covers things like dental illness, prescription food or exam fees. Remember too that accident-only plans exclude illnesses such as cancer, allergies and kidney disease.
How to pay less for pet insurance
- Compare at least three quotes. For the same 2-year-old mixed-breed dog in Katy, Texas, NerdWallet found prices from $30 to $53 a month.
- Raise the deductible. If you can handle the first $500 of a bill, you will usually pay less every month.
- Enroll early. Puppy and kitten rates are the lowest, and you lock in coverage before conditions appear.
- Skip wellness add-ons if you budget for checkups. They add about $578 a year for dogs on average (our calculation from NAPHIA data). APPA data cited by NerdWallet shows dog owners spend about $285 a year on routine visits.
For the full yearly budget, see the cost of owning a cat and the cost of owning a dog.
See how we research every number on our method page, or browse more pet costs.
Common questions
How much is pet insurance per month?
For accident and illness cover, NAPHIA's 2025 averages are about $70 a month for dogs and $36 for cats. Insurify's 2026 quote data comes in lower, at $43 for dogs and $23 for cats, because it depends on the deductible and reimbursement you pick.
Does pet insurance cost more as pets get older?
Yes. Insurify's data shows dog premiums averaging $46 a month for adults and $116 for seniors, and cat premiums rising from $22 to $62. Many insurers also exclude conditions that existed before you enrolled, so starting young helps.
Does pet insurance cover checkups and vaccines?
Not usually. Standard accident and illness plans skip routine care unless you add a wellness plan, which NAPHIA data shows lifts the average dog premium from $836 to $1,414 a year.
Is pet insurance worth it?
It is most useful if a $2,000 to $3,000 vet bill would strain your budget. CareCredit's 2025 cost study puts stomach blockage surgery at $2,217 for dogs and $2,367 for cats, which is more than two years of average cat premiums.
Sources
Every number above comes from these pages. We list the date each page showed when we checked it.
- NerdWallet, How Much Is Pet Insurance? 2026 Guide
- Insurify, How Much Is Pet Insurance? (2026)
- NAPHIA, State of the Industry Report
- CareCredit, Emergency Vet Visit Cost and Veterinary Financing
Estimates are for general information only. Get written quotes from licensed local pros before you decide.
Parastoo Parsa is a budget strategist with a background in tourism strategy and cultural heritage. At DollarMap she researches and writes our guides on family life, pets, travel and big celebrations like weddings, turning published prices into budgets you can actually plan with.
“An organized life starts with an organized budget.”
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