Cat insurance in Australia: how to compare cover for your cat
Cat insurance in Australia is pet insurance that pays back part of your cat's eligible vet bills, usually 70 to 90 per cent after any excess, up to an annual limit. The same products usually cover cats and dogs, with the premium set by species, breed and age. Fewer cat owners insure: Animal Medicines Australia's 2025 survey found 86 per cent of cat owners had no pet insurance, compared with 76 per cent of dog owners.
The decision for a cat comes down to the same arithmetic as for a dog, applied to the problems cats actually get: urinary tract disease, dental disease, kidney and heart disease in older cats, and injuries from fights and cars for cats that roam. Our pet insurance break-even calculator does that arithmetic with your own quote.
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General advice only. It doesn't consider your circumstances. Read the PDS and TMD before you decide.
Which level of cover suits a cat
Accident-only cover pays for injuries: being hit by a car, falls, bite wounds and abscesses from fights, swallowed objects. It suits a cat that goes outside if the budget is tight, but it pays nothing for illness, which is where most of a cat's lifetime vet costs tend to sit.
Accident and illness cover adds infections, urinary problems, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease and cancer, subject to waiting periods and exclusions. Moneysmart suggests considering whether accident-only cover is appropriate for your pet; for an indoor cat, the illness component is most of the value.
Compare cat insurance: key terms in selected PDSs
Dental and urinary terms are where cat policies differ most, so this table sets them side by side with the benefit, limit and entry age. We read selected PDSs, not the whole market, and the table isn't a ranking.
| Product (PDS date) | Benefit | Annual limit | Dental illness | Urinary (FLUTD) waiting period | Maximum age for new cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSPCA Economy, Ultimate and Ultimate Plus (30 June 2025) | 75% (Economy) or 80% | $11,000 or $20,000 by level | See PDS | Illness: 30 days | Under 9 years |
| Bupa (18 April 2024) | Shown on your certificate | Shown on your certificate | Major dental: 6-month wait | Illness: 30 days | Under 9 years |
| Medibank Pet Protect, Pet Plus and Pet Max (10 December 2024) | Shown on your certificate | Shown on your certificate | Specified dental conditions covered under extra care, included on Pet Max and optional on the others; 6-month wait | Illness: 30 days | Under 9 years |
| Buddy Gold, Silver and Bronze (21 June 2025) | Set on the certificate | $11,000, $20,000 or $35,000 | Listed dental conditions through the optional Booster Care benefit | Illness: 30 days | Under 9 years |
| Knose (15 November 2024) | 70%, 80% or 90% | You choose, up to $25,000 | 6-month exclusion period for pets aged 1 or more; 14 days under 1 | Illness: 14 days | 8 years and 364 days |
| Fetch (PDS v1.1; TMD 14 September 2026) | 80%, 90% or 100% | $40,000 | New dental illness after a 30-day wait, if a vet checked the teeth in the 12 months before cover and recorded no dental disease | 90 days | Under 10 years, per the TMD |
| Petinsurance.com.au Best in Show, sold by ahm, Petbarn and Kogan (1 September 2026) | 70%, 80% or 90% | $7,500, $20,000 or $35,000 | Through the optional Booster Care benefit; 6-month wait | Illness: 30 days | Under 9 years |
| Bow Wow Meow Nose-to-Tail (6 November 2024) | 70%, 80% or 90% | $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000 | See PDS | Illness: 30 days | Under 9 years |
| Pet Circle Insurance (15 November 2024) | 70%, 80% or 90% | $10,000, $17,500 or $30,000 | See PDS | See PDS; its illness exclusion period is 14 days | 8 years and 364 days |
| Australian Seniors Basic Accident & Illness (PDS 2021, SPDS 28 August 2026) | 60% | $12,000, and $2,000 per condition | See PDS | See PDS | Under 16 years |
What cat insurance costs
We don't publish average premiums for cats, because a figure that fits a young domestic shorthair would mislead the owner of an older pedigree. What the PDSs do say is what moves the price. Medibank's PDS says it prices on the cover and options you choose and on risk factors such as your pet's breed and age, includes government charges such as stamp duty and GST, and at renewal also considers your pet's claims history and the average cost of care for similar pets. Fetch's PDS lists breed, age, gender, location and vet costs among the factors it uses to update premiums.
The levers you control are the same as for a dog: the cover level, the benefit percentage, the annual limit, the excess and any optional extras such as dental or routine care. Premiums generally rise as a cat ages, so compare the cost over several years, not just the first.
Cat conditions and the policy terms that matter
Some of the most common cat claims fall under clauses that differ between policies.
| Issue | Accident or illness? | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Fight wounds and abscesses | Accident | Whether the accident waiting period applies (often 0 to 2 days) |
| Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) | Illness | Recurrence is often treated as the same condition; Fetch applies a 90-day waiting period |
| Dental disease | Illness | Cover varies: Bupa has a 6-month major dental waiting period, and Buddy sells dental illness cover as an optional Booster Care benefit |
| Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes | Illness (chronic) | Must start after cover and the waiting period to be claimable; check per-condition limits |
| Vaccine-preventable disease | Illness | Moneysmart lists diseases with a known vaccine as a common exclusion |
Cat breeds and the conditions they're prone to
Pedigree cat breeds carry some well-documented risks, mostly to the heart and kidneys, and domestic cats are not immune to them. These are chronic conditions, so the terms that matter are how the PDS treats hereditary conditions and what happens if signs appear before cover starts.
Insuring a kitten before anything shows is what keeps a breed-linked condition claimable. Once a vet notes a murmur, a kidney change or high blood sugar, a new policy will usually exclude it for good.
| Breed | Condition it is prone to | Policy terms to check |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic shorthair and longhair | No single breed condition, though most cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are domestic cats | Chronic condition rules: heart, kidney and thyroid disease stay excluded if signs appeared before cover |
| Maine Coon, Ragdoll | HCM, which in these breeds can appear at a young age; the genetic variants behind it are well studied | The RSPCA and Bupa PDSs cover hereditary and congenital conditions as illnesses unless signs appeared before cover or during a waiting period |
| British Shorthair | Listed among breeds predisposed to HCM, and among breeds that can be affected by polycystic kidney disease (PKD) | Chronic condition rules and any per-condition limits |
| Persian | PKD, an inherited kidney disease seen mainly in Persians; also listed among breeds predisposed to HCM | Chronic condition rules; insure young, before any kidney change is recorded |
| Burmese | Diabetes: a Brisbane study found 22.4 cases per 1,000 Burmese cats against 7.6 per 1,000 domestic short and longhaired cats | Diabetes is an endocrine disease, which the RSPCA, Bupa and Medibank PDSs never treat as a temporary condition, so a pre-existing case stays excluded |
Indoor and outdoor cats
An indoor cat is less likely to be hit by a car or injured in a fight, and more of its risk is illness. An outdoor cat carries both. Most insurers do not price indoor cats differently, so the question is what cover level to buy rather than whether the insurer will discount it. Keeping vaccinations current matters either way, because illness from a disease with a known vaccine is a common exclusion.
Insuring a kitten versus an older cat
Many policies accept cats from 8 weeks old. Insuring before any health problem appears is what keeps conditions from being excluded as pre-existing, and chronic conditions like kidney disease and hyperthyroidism usually appear later in life, so a policy taken out young is the one that can end up covering them.
Most accident and illness policies won't start new cover once a cat turns 9. Some products accept older cats: Australian Seniors' Basic Accident & Illness Cover takes cats under 16, with a 60 per cent benefit and a $2,000 limit per condition each year. Our guide to pet insurance for older cats and dogs compares entry ages by insurer.
How to compare cat insurance
Compare on the same cover level, benefit percentage, annual limit and excess. Then read the dental, urinary and chronic-condition terms, and check whether routine care, if offered, is worth its extra cost against what you actually spend on vaccinations and worming each year. Cats generally cost less to insure than dogs, but a lower premium that leaves out dental or caps chronic conditions tightly may not be the better deal.
General advice only. This information doesn't take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether the product is right for you and read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before you decide. We don't compare every product in the market, and we may earn a commission if you take up a product through our links.
What to watch for
- Dental illness limits or exclusions, which vary widely.
- How recurring urinary conditions are treated.
- Vaccine-preventable disease exclusions. Keep vaccinations up to date.
- Maximum entry age, commonly under 9 years for accident and illness cover.
- Per-condition or annual sub-limits on chronic illness.
Common questions
Is it worth insuring a cat?
Work out whether you could pay a large vet bill, such as surgery or a course of treatment for a chronic illness, from savings. If not, compare what a policy would pay on such a bill after its excess, benefit percentage and limits against the premium over several years. Accident-only cover is cheaper but excludes illness.
How late is too late to insure a cat?
For most accident and illness policies, a cat must be younger than 9 when cover starts; Knose and Petsy accept cats up to 8 years and 364 days, and Fetch's target market goes to under 10. Australian Seniors' Basic Accident & Illness Cover accepts cats under 16, at a 60 per cent benefit with a $2,000 limit per condition. See pet insurance for older cats for the full list.
At what age should I get pet insurance for my cat?
As early as the insurer allows, commonly from 8 weeks, before any condition has shown signs. Conditions that appear before cover starts or during the waiting period are usually excluded as pre-existing.
Does cat insurance cover dental?
Accident cover usually includes dental injuries from accidents. Dental illness such as periodontal disease is limited, excluded or offered as an extra in many policies, and some apply longer waiting periods, so check the dental section of the PDS.
Is cat insurance cheaper than dog insurance?
Generally yes, but the premium still depends on breed, age, location and the cover chosen. Compare the cover, not just the price.
What do vets recommend for pet insurance?
The Australian Veterinary Association doesn't recommend particular insurers. Its pet insurance policy says exclusions should be explained when a policy is taken out, whole body systems shouldn't be excluded because of an unrelated condition, disputed claims should be reviewed by a vet registered in Australia, and vets should have online claiming.
What are the downsides of having pet insurance?
You pay premiums whether or not you claim, premiums usually rise as your cat ages, pre-existing conditions are excluded, waiting periods delay cover, and sub-limits or dental exclusions can cap what you get back. Most policies also make you pay the vet first and claim afterwards.
Who underwrites Woolworths pet insurance?
Woolworths' Everyday Pet Insurance is issued by PetSure (Australia), according to its current PDS. Policies renewing before 17 July 2023 were issued by Hollard. PetSure also issues the Bupa, Medibank, CommBank, Buddy and Pet Insurance Australia brands, which share much of their policy structure.