Best Pet Insurance in California (CA) in 2024
The Golden State’s sunny weather and many parks make it an ideal home for a pet. If an accident or illness spoils the fun, having a pet insurance policy can help get your pet back in good health without putting a big dent in your wallet.
We recently reviewed the top insurance companies and wellness plans across the country to see how they compare on price, coverage, customer service, and more. We found the following companies to be the best pet insurance options in California, with pet insurer Lemonade being our top pick.
Key Takeaways
- Lemonade, ASPCA, and Pets Best have the cheapest plan pricing on our list.
- California pet insurance plans cost an average of $20– $60 for dogs and $10–$30 for cats. The deductible, reimbursement rate, and coverage limit you choose greatly impact the price.
- Cities such as Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, and San Diego have pet laws and requirements for pet owners to be aware of.
How Do The Top California Pet Insurance Companies Compare?
Company | Star Rating | Monthly Cost for Dogs* | Monthly Cost for Cats* | Visit Site |
---|---|---|---|---|
$33.69 | $13.32 | VISIT SITE | ||
$38.44 | $21.53 | VISIT SITE | ||
$20.76 | $18.47 | VISIT SITE | ||
$44.83 | $24.68 | VISIT SITE | ||
$49.85 | $26.55 | VISIT SITE | ||
$44.79 | $16.36 | VISIT SITE | ||
$49.85 | $26.55 | VISIT SITE | ||
$31.38 | $18.23 | Visit Site | ||
N/A | N/A | Visit Site | ||
$60.77 | $37.93 | Visit Site |
*Costs are based on quotes for 4-year-old, mixed-breed, male pets.
Who Offers the Best Pet Insurance in California?
Lemonade offers the best pet insurance in California, according to our rating scale. Its coverage options are hard to beat for the price. Plus, Lemonade has an AI-powered claim-filing process, so you can handle your pets’ medical bills quickly and easily. Even more convenient is that it’s not just a pet insurance company—you can also get home, renter’s, and auto insurance through Lemonade and bundle your policies at a discounted rate.
Its many coverage and add-on options make it easy to customize your pet’s policy. Lemonade has one of the cheapest wellness add-ons in the industry, as well as five other add-ons to help you save money on your pet’s care.
Pros and Cons of Lemonade
Scoring a 4.8 out of 5, Lemonade is our top choice for pet owners looking for the best overall coverage, plan customization, and affordability. It also has a unique mobile app with AI technology, providing one of the fastest claims-filing processes in the industry. The company offers up to $100,000 of accident-and-illness coverage per year, plus add-ons for routine care and wellness, exam fees, and physical therapy.
Lemonade offers one pet insurance plan for accidents and illnesses, along with three add-ons for extra coverage.
Standard Plan: The standard policy covers procedures, treatments, and vet visits related to accidents and illnesses, such as diagnostics, hospitalization, emergency care, surgery, prescription medications, and injections.
Eligible incidents include infections, cancer, broken bones, hip dysplasia, heart disease, or general illnesses, but preexisting conditions, elective procedures, and behavioral treatments are excluded from coverage.
Add-on Coverage: Pet parents interested in being reimbursed for routine veterinary care can add the preventive care add-on for an extra $16–$25 per month for dogs and $10–$20 per month for cats. This covers services such as annual exams, vaccinations, and annual blood work.
Lemonade offers an additional five add-on options for behavioral conditions, dental illness, end-of-life and remembrance, physical therapy, and vet visit fees.
Pros and Cons of Spot
Spot received a score of 91 out of 100 for its customizable and flexible plans, ensuring that pet owners only pay for what their pet needs. In addition to offering five deductibles and three reimbursement percentages, Spot provides six annual limit options of $2,500, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, and unlimited.
We recommend this provider to anyone looking for affordable pet insurance plans, as customers can lower their premium by selecting the lowest annual limit, a 70% reimbursement rate, and the highest annual deductible option.
Spot offers two plans for coverage on accidents only and both accidents and illnesses.
The Accident-Only Plan covers vet bills related to injuries, swallowed objects, or toxic ingestions.
The Accident-and-Illness Plan covers everything under the accident-only plan, plus hip dysplasia, heart disease, behavioral issues, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory infections. Like all other pet insurance providers, Spot excludes preexisting conditions that arise before enrollment or during the 14-day waiting period.
Spot also offers the Gold Preventative Care Plan at $9.95 per month. This covers up to $250 of basic wellness services per year, including annual exams, vaccinations, and fecal tests.
The Platinum Preventative Care Plan costs $24.95 per month. This package increases per-item limits and expands coverage to heartworm prevention and urinalysis. It raises the total annual benefit to $450.
Pros and Cons of ASPCA
Scoring an 89 out of 100, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers comprehensive pet insurance policies ideal for new pet owners. The company covers microchip implantation to help return your pet safely if it’s lost. It also offers a vet finder tool that connects you with local vets in your area, extensive resources about various breeds and their health issues, and a pet insurance comparison tool to ensure you get the most out of your policy.
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers two plans: the Accident-Only Plan and the Complete Coverage Plan.
The Accident-Only Plan only covers accidents, while the Complete Coverage Plan covers accidents and illnesses.
Both plans pay for treatments, procedures, exam fees, and other costs related to covered conditions up to $10,000 per year. The company doesn’t cover preexisting conditions that occur before or during the policy’s 14-day waiting period.
ASPCA offers two preventive care add-ons at a basic and premium level. The Basic Preventative Plan costs $9.95 per month and includes $250 of annual coverage for routine care costs. The Prime Preventative Plan costs $24.95 per month and covers the items in the Basic Preventative Plan but increases the annual limit to $450 per year. It also covers an additional vaccine, blood work, a health certificate, spay or neutering surgery, flea or heartworm prevention, and urinalysis.
Pros and Cons of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
Though Healthy Paws doesn’t offer wellness coverage or many customization options, we scored it a 93.5 out of 100 for its affordable unlimited coverage caps. Its policies don’t have any lifetime, annual, or per-incident payout limits, meaning you’ll never run out of coverage. We recommend this provider to pet parents who don’t want to worry about maxing out their coverage or overpaying for a coverage plan.
Healthy Paws has one plan covering accidents and illnesses, such as chronic conditions, congenital conditions, hereditary conditions, broken bones, and cancer. It covers unlimited payouts for vet bills from treatments and procedures, such as diagnostics, surgery, hospitalization, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, emergency care, specialty care, and alternative treatments.
Healthy Paws excludes preexisting conditions that arise before enrollment or during the 15-day waiting period. It also doesn’t cover hip dysplasia until after the first 12 months of your policy. Finally, coverage excludes wellness and routine care, elective procedures, spaying, and neutering.
Pros and Cons of Fetch
Fetch scored a 91.5 out of 100 in our review. We recommend it to pet owners who want extensive coverage on holistic therapies recommended by a licensed veterinarian. Its standard policy covers stem cell therapy, acupuncture, homeotherapy, hydrotherapy, chiropractic care, and up to $1,000 for behavioral therapies for your dog or cat.
Fetch offers one plan for accident-and-illness coverage at $5,000, $15,000, or unlimited maximum payouts per year. It covers cancer treatments, surgeries, rehabilitation, emergency care, hospitalization, and virtual vet visits related to accidents, illnesses, and other conditions such as cancer, hip dysplasia, and chronic conditions.
It doesn’t cover conditions your pet had before or during the 15-day waiting period after you sign up for a policy.
Fetch also includes some extra reimbursements that most providers don’t cover, such as vacation cancellation fees if your plans change due to your pet’s covered condition, boarding fees if you’re in the hospital for more than four days, and advertising and reward money if your pet gets lost.
Pros and Cons of Figo
Figo earned a score of 90 out of 100, impressing us with its Extra Care powerup. This add-on covers the costs of unique circumstances such as third-party liability coverage if your pet damages or destroys something outside of your own property, such as chewing or scratching your neighbor’s fence. It also reimburses advertising and reward money for a missing pet, cremation and burial costs, and vacation cancellation fees for a pet emergency.
Figo offers three accident-and-illness plans that only vary in annual limits. The Essential Plan has a $5,000 limit, the Preferred Plan has $10,000, and the Ultimate Plan has unlimited coverage. Figo offers multiple deductible and reimbursement rates, including a 100% option. However, these options vary depending on your pet’s age and breed.
Figo’s accident-and-illness plans cover the diagnosis and treatment of any eligible injury, illness, or condition, including cancer, chronic conditions, hereditary conditions, and emergencies. Figo doesn’t cover preexisting conditions.
The company offers three optional powerups (or add-ons) for additional coverage. Along with the Extra Care powerup mentioned above, it has a wellness powerup for routine care coverage such as bloodwork, vaccinations, and heartworm prevention. It also has a vet exam powerup for vet visits related to diagnosing or treating a covered condition.
Pros and Cons of Pets Best
We scored Pets Best a high score of 4.8 out of 5 for a few reasons. First, we like how much customization there is. You can choose between accident-and-illness and accident-only coverage, then add wellness coverage if you want. Even with the accident-and-illness plan, you have three coverage options. We also like the 24/7 helpline and the lack of an upper age limit for pets.
What we don’t like is the long waiting period for certain conditions, as well as the processing charge. While it is only $2, we haven’t seen this charge with other companies.
Pets Best is one of the few providers on our list that offers an accident-only plan. You can also choose to add wellness coverage.
Accident-and-Illness Plan: The accident-and-illness plan covers much of the same conditions as other providers, such as broken bones, lacerations, swallowed objects or toxins, emergency care, cancer, surgery, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, and more. You can choose from three tiers for this plan: Essential, Plus, or Elite. The Plus and Elite plans cover exam fees, and Elite covers rehabilitative, acupuncture, and chiropractic care.
Accident-Only Plan: The accident-only plan covers accidental injuries or issues, not illnesses. Per month, it’s $9 for dogs and $6 for cats.
Add-On Coverage: You can choose to add coverage for routine wellness care, such as vaccinations, wellness exams, or parasite prevention. Pets Best has two tiers you can choose from, one starting at $14 per month and the other at $26.
Pros and Cons of Prudent Pet Insurance
Prudent Pet scored 95 out of 100 for its impressive Ultimate Plan, which is the most comprehensive plan we reviewed. This accident-and-illness pet insurance plan includes an unlimited annual coverage cap and extra coverage for behavioral disorders, mortality costs, stolen or lost pet replacement fees, advertising and reward money for missing pets, boarding kennel fees, and vacation cancellation fees.
However, the Ultimate Plan can be expensive depending on your pet’s details, so it might not be the best choice for pet owners looking for the lowest prices.
Prudent Pet’s Accident-Only Plan is its cheapest option, featuring a $10,000 annual benefit and coverage for accidents such as bite wounds, broken bones, and swallowed objects.
The Essential Plan includes a $10,000 annual limit and covers the accidents under the Accident-Only Plan, plus cancer, congenital conditions, dental disease, digestive illnesses, eye, ear, or skin conditions, hereditary conditions, and hip dysplasia.
The Ultimate Plan covers everything in the Essential Plan plus extra costs related to lost pet advertising or vacation cancellation fees if your pet is sick or injured. This plan doesn’t have an annual coverage limit.
Note: None of Prudent Pet’s plans cover preexisting conditions.
Prudent Pet also offers two add-ons. Its Veterinary Exam Fee add-on covers veterinary exam fees related to an eligible accident or illness. Its Wellness Coverage add-on covers routine care, such as vaccinations and wellness exams, at $7.95, $13.95, or $19.95 extra per month.
Pros and Cons of Wagmo
We scored Wagmo 90 out of 100. This provider stands out as the only company on our list that offers three stand-alone wellness plans. These reimburse you for routine care services such as vaccinations, grooming, blood work, and vet visits. The wellness plan has no deductible or waiting period; coverage begins the day you enroll.
Wagmo provides one accident-and-illness plan and three wellness plans. Its accident-and-illness coverage reimburses diagnostics, hospitalization, surgeries, prescription medications, emergency vet visits, cancer treatments, end-of-life care, and more.
Wagmo will reimburse up to $10,000 per incident, $20,000 annually, and up to $100,000 over your pet’s lifetime. There’s a 15-day waiting period for injuries and illnesses, and a 30-day waiting period for cancer treatments.
Wagmo’s wellness plan is available at three levels: Value ($20 per month), Classic ($36 per month), and Deluxe ($59 per month). Each plan covers vaccinations, blood work, and routine exam fees. However, the Classic adds coverage for urinalysis and parasite prevention, and the Deluxe adds virtual vet visits.
How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost in California?
The pricing for pet insurance in California varies depending on you and your pet’s details. Based on our research, a standard accident-and-illness plan costs an average of $20–$60 per month for dog insurance and $10–$30 for cat insurance.
Here are some factors that could affect the cost of your premium:
Your pet’s breed can significantly change the cost of your premium. Some breeds are more expensive to insure than others due to their predisposition to certain illnesses. For example, purebred dogs such as golden retrievers and poodles are more susceptible to infections.
Your premium may be lower or higher depending on your pet’s age. Older animals typically cost more to insure since they’re more likely to have health issues. We recommend insuring your pet at an early age to get a lower premium.
Plan prices are typically determined based on the estimated vet costs in your area. For example, vets in Los Angeles or San Francisco will likely charge more than vets in smaller towns, such as Eureka or Bakersfield.
Look for discounts from providers to lower your plan costs. Embrace and Spot offer a 10% discount for adding multiple pets to a policy, and Lemonade offers a 10% discount for bundling your pet insurance with homeowners insurance. Lemonade also offers a discount to customers who pay for their annual policy in full.
Many companies offer ways to customize your premium based on your choice of annual limits, deductibles, and reimbursement rates. Choose a low coverage cap and high annual deductible for the lowest monthly cost. However, keep in mind that your out-of-pocket expenses will be higher if you file a claim.
Cost of Pet Insurance by Breed
Species/Breed | Average Monthly Premium* |
---|---|
French bulldog |
$76.08 |
German shepherd |
$51.42 |
Golden retriever |
$45.42 |
Mixed-breed dog |
$31.83 |
American shorthair cat |
$19.33 |
Maine coon |
$22.58 |
Mixed-breed cat |
$19.00 |
*Sample quotes are based on Lemonade accident-and-illness plans for 4-year-old male pets in Sacramento, California.
Breeds With the Highest Medical Costs
Breed | Average Vet Bill Cost* |
---|---|
American bulldog |
$376 |
Cane corso |
$386 |
Dogue de Bordeaux |
$395 |
Greater Swiss mountain dog |
$425 |
Rottweiler |
$401 |
*Costs are based on the average pet insurance claim amount for each breed.
Breed | Average Vet Bill Cost* |
---|---|
Bengal |
$404 |
Mixed-breed long hair |
$397 |
Mixed-breed medium-hair |
$403 |
Ragdoll |
$381 |
Siberian forest cat |
$457 |
*Costs are based on the average pet insurance claim amount for each breed.
How Much Are Pet Owners Spending?
City | Monthly Premium for Dogs* | Monthly Premium for Cats* |
---|---|---|
Fresno |
$30.83 |
$18.42 |
Los Angeles |
$40.75 |
$24.17 |
Sacramento |
$29.00 |
$19.00 |
San Diego |
$36.00 |
$21.42 |
San Francisco |
$41.42 |
$24.58 |
San Jose |
$29.00 |
$17.33 |
*These quotes are for 4-year-old, mixed-breed, male pets.
How Can You Pick the Best Pet Insurance in California?
Having any pet insurance plan can be beneficial, but you want to pick the right provider and plan for you and your pet’s needs to get the most value. Here are some tips for choosing the best policy: