Best Pet Insurance Companies of 2025
Consumer Reports surveyed more than 3,500 policyholders to find out which pet insurance companies earn the highest levels of customer satisfaction
A clear majority of consumers who purchase health insurance for their pets say it’s worth what they paid for it, according to a new Consumer Reports survey.
But when we asked how satisfied they were with certain aspects of their coverage, the responses were lukewarm at best. Two providers earned slightly higher scores than the rest, but none of the 14 providers we rated rose above a middling grade for overall satisfaction and one was deemed unsatisfactory. (CR members can see the full survey results below.)
If that sounds like a contradiction, it may be because people don’t always think rationally about their pets. But we’ll get to that in a minute.
CR surveyed 3,583 pet insurance policyholders in December and early January. The survey sample was weighted to be representative of all U.S. pet insurance policyholders 18 and over. That reach enabled us to score a wide range of pet insurance providers, including well-known national insurance brands such as Liberty Mutual, MetLife, and Nationwide; carriers affiliated with affinity groups such as the ASPCA and the American Kennel Club; and several relatively new web- and app-based providers such as Fetch, Figo, Lemonade, and Spot.
Your Guide to the Best Pet Products
One possible explanation for this seeming contradiction is that some pet owners aren’t applying a cost-benefit analysis to their pet insurance. They may be willing to pay partly for peace of mind and to avoid having to make a difficult decision if their pet requires expensive medical care. Indeed, some survey respondents told us as much. “Hopefully, I never have to use it,” one pet owner in Texas told us. “But just knowing it’s there for emergencies or major health problems gives me IMMEASURABLE peace of mind.”
Pet insurers seem to be profiting from this dynamic. According to Douglas Heller, director of insurance at the not-for-profit Consumer Federation of America, the industry’s “loss ratio”—that is, the percentage of premiums the insurers end up spending on claims—has historically been relatively low. “That’s indicating that pet owners are overpaying for the protection they are getting,” Heller says.
Pet insurance can indeed be costly. In CR’s survey, the median cost for policyholders who had one dog (and no other pet) was $54.50 per month or $654 per year. Those who had one cat (and no other pet) paid $34.50 a month or $414 a year.
For more information, see Is Pet Insurance Worth It? and our pet insurance buying guide for details on how pet insurance works and tips on how to evaluate coverage and find the best policy for you.
Best Pet Insurance Companies
CR members can read on for insight into the ratings and check out our complete ranking of 14 carriers, including scores for price, coverage options, choice of veterinarians, ease of the claims process, reimbursement amounts, customer service, and wait times for payment.
