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Insuring a dog costs roughly twice as much as insuring a cat. That gap shows up in every industry dataset, and it is not a marketing quirk. It reflects real differences in how the two species use veterinary care. Here is the breakdown and what it means for your budget.
The numbers
NAPHIA’s industry-wide figures put the average US premium at $62.44 a month for dogs and $32.21 a month for cats on accident and illness policies. That is nearly a two-to-one ratio. The 2025 annual figures tell the same story: $836 a year for dogs versus $435 for cats.
Other publishers land in the same range with slightly different samples. Insurify’s quoted-price data shows $43 a month for dogs and $23 for cats. MetLife’s published averages are $52 and $28. The exact numbers move with the source, but the dog-to-cat ratio stays close to two to one everywhere.
The life-stage data shows the gap at every age. Puppy coverage averages $40 a month versus $21 for a kitten. Adult dogs run $46 versus $22 for adult cats. Senior dogs average $116 versus $62 for senior cats. The ratio is remarkably consistent from kittenhood to old age.
Why dogs cost more
Dogs go to the vet more often and the visits cost more when they happen. Several specific reasons drive the gap.
Size is the biggest one. Medication is dosed by weight, anesthesia is dosed by weight, and surgical time scales with the size of the patient. A 70-pound Labrador’s surgery simply costs more than a 10-pound cat’s, and insurers price that in across the whole book.
Behavior matters too. Dogs eat things they should not eat, tear ligaments running, get hit by cars, and get into fights. Foreign body surgery, orthopedic repair, and trauma care are some of the most expensive common claims in pet insurance, and they are overwhelmingly dog claims. Cats have their own risks, but an indoor cat’s lifestyle generates fewer five-figure emergencies.
Breed health problems add a third layer. Purebred dogs carry a long list of documented hereditary conditions, from hip dysplasia in German Shepherds to breathing disorders in Bulldogs to cancer in Boxers. Purebred cats have breed risks too, Maine Coons with heart disease, Persians with kidney disease, but the dog breed list is longer and the treatments are pricier at dog scale.
Finally, dogs visit the vet more frequently overall. More visits mean more claims, and more claims mean higher premiums. It is straightforward actuarial math.
Where cats are not cheap
Cheaper does not mean cheap. A senior cat at $62 a month is $744 a year, and purebred cats cost 20 to 40% more than the average domestic shorthair. A Maine Coon or Sphynx with documented breed risks can approach small-dog pricing.
Cats also have their own expensive conditions. Chronic kidney disease, common in older cats, means years of management costs. Urinary blockages in male cats are emergencies that can run into the thousands. Dental disease is widespread in cats and dental work is pricey. The two-to-one average hides plenty of expensive individual cats.
What the gap means for your choices
If you have both species, the cat’s lower premium is a good place to buy more coverage. A high reimbursement rate and low deductible cost less in absolute dollars on a $32 policy than on a $62 one. And the multi-pet discount applies per additional pet, so a dog-and-cat household still saves. Here is the multi-pet discount math.
For the dog, the gap is a reason to shop harder, not to skip coverage. The species that costs more to insure is also the species more likely to generate the claim that makes insurance worth having. Compare deductibles and reimbursement levels carefully, since those levers move dog premiums more in dollar terms. This deductible guide walks through the trade-offs.
For the full market context, see how much pet insurance costs in 2026.
