Looking for pet insurance for your cat? Here are just a few of the things you should think about when choosing a cat insurance company:

Make sure you can use the veterinarian of your choice. Many pet insurance companies require you to choose a veterinarian from a network provider list. This means that any visit you make to a non-network veterinarian will cost you out of pocket.

Find out what exclusions apply to your policy. Every pet health insurance policy has exclusions. For example, some policies do not cover pets with “pre-existing conditions”. Other policies don’t cover things like dental care or vaccines. Make sure your policy fits your cat’s individual needs.

Choose a deductible and a co-pay that you can afford. Keep in mind that it is typical for a pet insurance company to charge a flat deductible ranging between $50 and $500 in conjunction with a co-pay of 10 to 30 percent of your veterinarian’s fee. Speak with a representative from the insurance company to price out what typical procedures will cost you out of pocket.

Find out the annual and lifetime caps for specific illnesses and procedures. Many companies set a maximum amount of money that can be paid out per incident. Some set a maximum annually while others choose to set a maximum that extends throughout the lifetime of your cat.

Decide if your cat needs a specific plan. While “one size fits all” insurance plans might work for most cats, your cat might be an exception to the rule. For example, if you are trying to insure an older cat, you might want to consider a policy that is tailored to senior pets.

Cat Insurance Plan Comparison:

The side by side comparison chart below is a quick comparison for a four year old American Shorthair located in Pasadena, California. These pet insurance prices are independent of your custom quote which is specific to your pets age, breed, location and deductible.

Company Name	Eligible Ages	Plan	What’s Covered	Deductible
ASPCA Hartville	8 wks to 14 yrs	Level 2 $23.22	Accident Treatment for injuries/illness Prescription medications Diagnostic procedures Lab tests X-rays Surgery Hospitalization	80% Coverage, $100 Deductible, $1,500 Per Incident Limit, $8,000 Annual Limit
VPI	New enrollments up to 10 yrs	VPI Medical Plan $21.94	Accident Treatment for illness (including allergies, bladder infections, arthritis, cancer/tumor, Diabetes, kidney, liver and Immune system disease, skin & ear infections)	$100 Deductible, $7,000 Annual Limit
Healthypaws	8 wks and to 13 yrs	Pet Health Plan $24.23	Diagnostics (i.e. X-Rays) Hospitalization Surgeries Prescription Medications Cancer Hereditary & Congenital Conditions Emergency Care	90% Coverage, $100 Deductible, No annual or per-incident limits on claims, $25,000 in lifetime benefits per pet
PetPlan	Aged 8 wks and over	Bronze Plan $28.93	Accident Veterinary fees relating to any illness or injury including hospitalization, referrals and prescriptions.	80% Coverage, $100 Deductible, $8,000 Annual Limit
Purina	Aged 8 wks and over	PurinaCare without Preventive Care $27.36	Accident & Illness Coverage Hospitalization Surgery Hereditary Conditions Diagnostics Prescription Medications	80% Coverage, $250 Deductible
Pets Best	Aged 8 wks and over	Pets First Plan $24.65	Accident Treatment for illness and injury (including emergency visits, hospitalization, surgeries, outpatient care, prescription medications, cancer treatments, MRI, CAT and X-ray, lab tests and chiropractic)	80% Coverage, $250 Deductible, $7,000 Per Incident Limit, $100,000 Lifetime Limit
embrace	8 wks to 10 yrs	Everyday $26.47	Accident Treatment for illness (including infections, diabetes, cancer, allergies, orthopedic conditions, breed-specific conditions) Prescription drug coverage	80% Coverage, $300 Deductible, $5,000 Annual Limit
24PetWatch	Aged 8 wks and over	QuickCare Gold $26.95	Covers all accidents up to $2,500 per incident; you can make an unlimited number of accident claims Covers all illnesses, with up to $30,000 in illness coverage ($2,500 per category)	90% Coverage, $100 Deductible, $2,500 Per Accident Limit
Trupanion	8 wks to 14 yrs	Trupanion Plan $25.26	Hereditary disorders Congenital disorders Diagnostic tests Surgeries Medications Chronic or recurring conditions	90% Coverage, $100 Deductible, No Payout limits
PetFirst	8 wks to 9 yrs	Basic $24.95	Accident & Illness Coverage Advertising & Reward $250 Kennel & Boarding Fees $250	90% Coverage, $50 Deductible, $1,500 Per Incident Limit, and $7,500 Annual Limit
ShelterCare	Aged 8 wks and over	ShelterCare Forever $19.95	Covers all accidents up to $3,000 per incident; you can make an unlimited number of accident claims Covers all illnesses, up to $36,000 in illness coverage ($3,000 per category)	70% Coverage, $100 Deductible, $3,000 Per Incident Limit