Best Kitten Insurance (2023 Review)

Jump To: Top Picks for Kitten Insurance | Why Kitten Insurance is Important | Cost of Kitten Insurance | Best Pet Insurance for Kittens | Is Kitten Insurance Worth It? | Final Thoughts | FAQs | Methodology 

From the pitter-patter of tiny paws to its wispy little tail, how could anyone not be smitten by a kitten? Still, pet parenthood isn’t all cuddles and cat naps — the first year of your kitten’s life is its most formative and often, also the most expensive. 

And if your kitten gets into mischief, as kittens do, and ends up sick or injured, all bets are off on how exorbitant emergency care will be. You should even expect a vet bill of at least $1,500 or more. However, with kitten insurance, the burden on your wallet will be a lot less.

To help you guarantee your kitten a healthy yet affordable upbringing, we’ve scratched out this roundup of the most meow-worthy pet insurance providers on the market, including:

• Spot: Best overall 
• Lemonade: Most affordable
• Embrace: Best for deductibles 
• Healthy Paws: Best for chronic conditions 
• ASPCA: Most experienced 
• Prudent Pet: Best for dog and cat parents who want basic options  
• Figo: Most flexible reimbursement rates
• Wagmo: Best for immediate reimbursement
• Trupanion: Most flexible deductible

Our Top 3 Picks for Kitten Insurance

Although we’ll evaluate a total of five leading providers in this pet insurance review, the three featured in the table below are our top picks of the litter for kitten-friendly comprehensive coverage options. 

*Certain conditions, such as cruciate ligaments or orthopedic conditions, may have longer waiting period times, usually six months to a year. This is common among many pet insurance providers, but most illnesses will be covered after the waiting period listed above.

Why is Kitten Insurance Important?

Like babies or any other young animal, kittens are susceptible to a slew of transmissible infections, parasites, and viruses due to their immature immune systems. Until they receive their first rounds of preventative medication and core vaccines, your kitten could be up against some potentially life-threatening health risks. 

Most pet insurance providers require kittens to be at least six to eight weeks old before they’re eligible for enrollment. Once your kitten meets that minimum age requirement, you can enroll them in standard cat insurance that’ll refund you for a portion of veterinary bills related to unexpected accidents and illness. 

Depending on their backstories, some kittens might also be at higher risk of contracting common communicable diseases than others. Especially if your kitten was picked up as a stray or has a feral mother, you’ll want to make sure you have it screened and vaccinated for an array of feline-specific illnesses. 

Each of these viruses can be easily passed from mother to kitten either in utero or through her milk. Purebred kittens should also be tested for these diseases and screened for common hereditary conditions like hip dysplasia.

Securing a pet insurance policy with wellness care coverage for your kitten ahead of time could save you a good chunk of change at its initial vet appointment. Here’s a list of common illnesses found in young cats and what they’ll cost you to address without pet insurance:

How Much Does Kitten Insurance Cost?

The average cost of cat insurance is approximately $28 per month. Still, the rate you’ll pay specific to your feline friend might be a whisker above or below the national average as premiums are largely based on state-specific vet costs. 

Here’s how monthly premiums for cat and kitten insurance vary across different regions of the United States:

In addition to location, the amount you’ll pay month-to-month for kitten insurance will also hinge on the dimension of coverage you customize at enrollment via your annual coverage benefits, reimbursement rate, and deductible. 

Most pet insurers offer reimbursement levels of up to 90%, which will naturally result in a slightly higher premium because you’ll be getting the most cash back possible per each claim. 

Likewise, selecting unlimited annual coverage tends to translate into a more expensive policy because you’re paying for maximum financial benefits.

On the other hand, choosing a higher deductible option will yield a lower monthly rate, but you’ll have to pay more upfront to activate your coverage if your kitten ever needs emergency care. 

Best Pet Insurance for Kittens

Even though standard pet health insurance covers cats and dogs of various ages, we selected the following five providers because we felt they offered pet insurance plans that will remain just as comprehensive as your cat grows into them. 

Spot Pet Insurance

Spot is the ideal provider for kittens that like to get into trouble. Even though standard inclusions may vary between Spot’s accident-only and accident/illness base plans, its behavioral therapy and training coverage is available to kittens enrolled in any of Spot’s plan levels. Spot will also cover your kitty for microchipping, exam fees, and alternative therapies at no additional cost. 

To maximize your standard coverage, you can also add one of Spot’s two wellness plans to your policy for either $9.95 or $24.95 per month, depending on the level of preventative care coverage you’re looking for. 

We’d recommend Spot’s Platinum wellness coverage for kittens, as it’ll reimburse you for most of those first-year expenses like core vaccines, deworming, parasite prevention, spay/neuter procedures, and more. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Cover microchipping and behavioral therapy for kittens on all plan levels
• Platinum wellness plan covers up to $150 on spay/neuter surgeries with no deductible
• Offers an unlimited annual coverage option for emergency kitten expenses

Cons

• 14-day waiting period for eligible accidents
• Slightly more expensive premiums than competitors

For more information on Spot’s coverage details, check out our full Spot pet insurance review.

Lemonade Pet Insurance

Lemonade makes insuring your kitten in pet health insurance simple with a fixed accident/illness policy, which can be tailored to your kitty’s unique coverage needs through its user-friendly mobile app or desktop portal. 

With premiums starting as low as $10 per month, you can choose to be covered for up to $100,000 in eligible veterinary expenses, from broken bones to extended hospitalizations and other emergency healthcare services. 

For an additional $34+ per month, you can add Lemonade’s preventative care package made specifically for kittens, which will help you finance annual checkups, core vaccines, fecal exams, heartworm tests, parasite prevention, spay/neuter surgery, and even routine dental cleanings. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Offers an optional preventative care plan designed for kittens
• Annual limits for accident/illness go up to $100,000
• Convenient plan management through its mobile app

Cons 

• Doesn’t cover dental illnesses or behavioral therapy
• Only available in 36 select states and Washington, D.C.

If you’d like to learn more about Lemonade and how it might be right for your kitten or any of your other pets, read our in-depth Lemonade pet insurance review. 

ASPCA Pet Insurance

We’d most recommended ASPCA’s pet insurance coverage for purebred kittens, which are at a higher risk for genetic health issues due to selective breeding. ASPCA offers two levels of standard pet insurance coverage that guarantee reimbursement for an exhaustive list of congenital conditions.

Unlike several of its competitors, ASPCA doesn’t enforce long waiting periods for orthopedic conditions like hip dysplasia or cruciate ligaments. You can be covered for treatment costs like these in just 14 days. ASPCA is upfront about reimbursements sometimes taking up to 30 days to process, but current policyholders have reported longer. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Only has a two-week waiting period for orthopedic conditions
• Includes vet visit fees and microchipping in standard coverage 
• Prime level of wellness add-on covers FELV screening, deworming, and spay/neuter surgery

Cons

• Maximum annual coverage limit only goes up to $10,000
• Current customers have complained about lengthy claims processing time

Read more about ASPCA and its coverage in our ASPCA pet insurance review.

Embrace Pet Insurance Reviews

As we’ve mentioned, kittens can get sick easily because of their weak immune systems. Embrace makes it a point to reward you for keeping your kitten safe and healthy by knocking $50 off your annual deductible for each year you don’t need to file a claim.

This provider offers both accident-only and accident/illness coverage. Still, we’d advise customers with kittens to enroll in the more comprehensive base plan, which reimburses everything from diagnostic tests to treatment for chronic conditions like feline arthritis and allergies.

Suppose you add Embrace’s elective non-insurance wellness rewards to your policy. In that case, you can be covered for up to $650 in preventative care and other specialty expenses like umbilical hernia repairs, nail trims, spay/neuter surgery, microchipping, nutritional supplements, and even pet activity monitors. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Annual deductibles are reduced by $50 for every claim-free policy period
• Distinguishes between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions
• Covers hereditary conditions common in felines like polycystic kidney disease (PKD)

Cons

• Accident-only plan only covers up to $5,000 in eligible expenses per year 
• Six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions like cruciate ligament injuries and hip dysplasia

Interested in an Embrace policy for your kitten? Head over to our complete Embrace pet insurance review for further details. 

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Starting at just eight weeks old, kittens can be enrolled in a Healthy Paws policy where they’ll be covered for an array of accidents and illnesses with unlimited annual benefits. Healthy Paws, however, doesn’t offer any preventive care coverage or add-ons. That means you’ll be on your own to pay for things like annual checkups, routine vaccinations, flea and heartworm control, spay/neuter, etc. 

Even though hip dysplasia is more common in dogs than cats, Maine Coons, Persian, and Himalayan breeds are prone to the condition. Healthy Paws has a 12-month waiting period on hip dysplasia coverage, so keep that in mind if you have a purebred kitten. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Offers unlimited annual coverage benefits for all pet owners
• Covers physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and other alternative therapies
• Most claims are processed within two days

Cons

• Doesn’t offer any routine care coverage or add-ons 
• 12-month waiting period for hip dysplasia coverage

Does Healthy Paws sound like a good match for your little furball? Learn more about this provider in our Healthy Paws pet insurance review. 

Is Pet Insurance For A Kitten Worth it?

Because no pet insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions, the best time to enroll your cat in pet insurance is while it’s still young and its medical record is brief. And depending on your kitten’s genetic history, congenital conditions may be present but not yet apparent, so registering your kitten as soon as it’s eligible betters your chances of securing the right coverage should symptoms eventually arise. 

Moreover, several pet insurance carriers enforce age limits and heightened coverage exclusions for older pets. So, the longer you wait, the more likely you are to miss out on the coverage that your pet might need down the road. 

Beyond emergency care, new cat owners spend an average of $1,200 on milestone medical expenses in that first year alone. Consider beefing up your standard accident/illness plan with preventative care coverage to set your kitten up for a healthy future while also tackling those recurring first-year medical expenses. 

Final Thoughts

Since pet insurance works on a reimbursement basis, you’ll be responsible for paying medical costs upfront, whether you have a policy or not. But, by insuring your pet, you’ll be refunded some of that money and also have peace of mind that your kitten will always have access to the veterinary care it needs. 

Per the adage, a curious cat might find itself in serious trouble — and for you, that could mean a four-figure emergency vet bill. At that point, it’ll be too late to decide whether or not to insure your kitten. 

As much as we advocate that pet parents invest in solid policies for their kittens, even the best kitten insurance isn’t for everyone. If it’s not within your financial means to pay a monthly premium right now, a no-touch savings account or emergency fund for unexpected pet expenses is an effective way to cover your tail.

Financial assistance programs and low-cost spay and neuter clinics are also available nationwide for pet parents struggling to care for their pets in the face of financial hardships. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Insurance for Kittens

Is buying pet insurance worth it? 

For most pet owners, pet insurance is absolutely worth it. We never know when our pet could have an unexpected accident or develop an illness, so having a backup plan in place to help pay for your pet’s vet bills is beneficial for most pet parents. Vet bills can quickly add up to hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, which many pet parents don’t have readily available. 

Having pet insurance protects you financially and gives you peace of mind that you won’t have to say no to recommended treatments to benefit your pet’s health and happiness. 

 Do all vets take pet insurance? 

In short, yes. Your pet insurance provider doesn’t work with your vet, so you don’t have to worry about your vet being in-network like a human health insurance plan. Instead, you submit your claim directly to your pet insurance provider, which will reimburse you based on your coverage. This allows you to go to any licensed veterinarian, whether they are at a clinic or animal hospital, to get your pet the care they need. As long as the treatment is covered under your plan, you’ll be covered.  

How do I get reimbursed for a vet bill?

Simply take your cat to any licensed veterinarian and submit your claim. Depending on your provider, you can submit your claim through its mobile app, online member center, or through the mail. Then, you’ll wait for your provider to approve the claim. Once approved, it will reimburse you for the allocated amount in your pet insurance policy through direct deposit or check.

Our Methodology

To determine the best pet insurance providers, we conduct a detailed analysis of 38 different pet insurance companies operating in the United States and Canada. We put data from each provider through the same rigorous test, examining how each company performs in key areas that are relevant to pet owners. Our seven criteria are then weighted to produce a total score.

• Price: 20%
• Coverage: 20%
• Customer service: 15%
• Reliability: 15%
• Choice: 10%
• Plan features: 10%
• Transparency: 10%

The best pet insurance providers offer coverage for a wide range of conditions at an affordable price. They also feature flexible customer service, a long reputation of excellence, transparent policies and the ability  to customize your pet insurance plan to your individual needs. You can read more details about our ratings and review methodology here.