The Best Pet Insurance in California for 2025

Looking for help with surprise vet bills? Most major pet insurance companies operate in California, so you’ve got plenty of options. NerdWallet gathered rates from more than a dozen insurers to help you find the best pet insurance in California.

Why it's the best: We chose MetLife as our best overall insurer in California because it had the highest raw score of all the companies NerdWallet evaluated. Its plans are open to pets of all ages, with no age or breed restrictions.

MetLife covers things like alternative medicine, treatment for dental diseases, prescription food and end-of-life expenses. In most states, MetLife also offers free grief counseling sessions if you lose your pet.

If your pet stays healthy, your deductible could drop by $25 or $50 for each year you go without receiving a claim reimbursement. A deductible is the amount you pay in vet bills before your insurer starts reimbursing you.

» READ MORE: MetLife pet insurance review

Why it's the best: Embrace offered the cheapest rates for our sample dog and cat in Los Angeles. Its policies are fairly comprehensive, covering behavioral issues, complementary therapies and dental illnesses. Embrace’s optional wellness plan can pay for a wider variety of services than many others. For example, you can get reimbursed for grooming, behavioral training and supplements.

However, Embrace charges extra for prescription drug coverage, which most other insurers include in their standard policies. You’ll also have to pay more if you want the company to reimburse you for vet exam fees.

» READ MORE: Embrace pet insurance review

Why it's the best: ASPCA’s policies include coverage that some other pet insurers charge extra for (or don’t cover at all). For example, plans pay for prescription food, microchipping, treatment for dental illness and behavioral therapies. You can also add coverage for preventive care expenses like vaccinations and annual checkups.

We like that ASPCA has a straightforward 14-day waiting period for all accidents and illnesses, including orthopedic injuries. A waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage begins.

» READ MORE: ASPCA pet insurance review

The best pet insurance in California by age

Looking for more options? Check out all the pet insurers in California that earned a 5-star NerdWallet rating.

Below are sample rates for 2-year-old mixed-breed dogs and cats in Los Angeles. Each plan had a $250 deductible, $5,000 in annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate.

Older pets tend to cost more to insure, so we also checked rates for 8-year-old dogs and cats in Los Angeles. Here’s how our 5-star companies stack up for mixed-breed dogs and cats with the same coverage limits as above.

» MORE: The best pet insurance companies

Here are the cheapest insurers we found in California for dogs and cats, based on quotes we gathered in Los Angeles. Unless otherwise stated, our sample pets were 2-year-old mixed-breed dogs and cats with a $250 deductible, $5,000 in annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate.

Your own prices may be different depending on where you live, the coverage you choose, and your pet’s age and breed.

» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?

How to choose the best pet insurance

Look beyond price. Cost is important, but it shouldn’t be your only consideration. Say Plan A costs $10 more a month than Plan B, but it includes coverage for exam fees and alternative therapies. If you have to pay extra to get these types of coverage with Plan B — or they’re not available at all — you might find Plan A a better value.

Learn about the claims process. If one pet insurer generally processes claims within two days while another takes up to a month, you may want to go with the quicker one. That way you’re not waiting for weeks to get reimbursed. Even better, keep an eye out for pet insurers that can pay your vet directly.

Read reviews. NerdWallet has researched dozens of pet insurance companies so you don’t have to. Read our pet insurance reviews to see our star ratings and get coverage details.

» MORE: What does pet insurance cover? Read our complete guide

How to find more affordable pet insurance

Shop around. We recommend getting quotes from at least three different pet insurance companies to find the best price. To ensure a fair comparison, make sure you’re looking at plans with similar deductibles, reimbursement rates and annual limits.

Adjust your plan. Most pet insurance plans can be tailored to your needs and budget. To get a lower price, you can raise your deductible or choose a lower reimbursement rate. Just be prepared to pay more out of pocket at the vet.

You can also choose less coverage — for example, by selecting $5,000 of annual coverage instead of $10,000 or more. But if your pet gets seriously sick and racks up vet bills above that amount, you’ll have to pay the difference.

Ask about discounts. Some companies offer savings to select customers, such as members of the military or those who insure more than one pet.

Why you can trust NerdWallet

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage so you can choose the insurance company that works best for you. Our ratings are specific to pet insurance; a company's rating for other products may be different on our site. See our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.