Comparison of the Best Cat Insurance Plans in New Zealand

profile picture of Mason
Mason Author
profile picture of Louis
Louis Editor
Updated May 13 2024
Table Of Contents

What's the Best Cat Insurance in New Zealand?

PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan tops our list of the best cat insurance plans in New Zealand. After comparing every plan in the country (over 20), we were impressed by the low excess and the fact that there was no co-payment, along with the inclusion of dental cover, third party liability and overall PD's quality customer care and fast claims processing.

When using our list below to find the best cat insurance plan for you, we recommend checking the following things (all of which we have extracted from policy documents and listed and highlighted in the summaries of each plan below):
 
  • Eligibility: The age your cat must be when taking out a new policy
  • Average Monthly Cost: An estimate of the average cost of your monthly premiums before discounts based on a 6 month-old female Domestic Shorthair
  • Excess & Co-Payment: The amount you have to pay from a vet bill when making a claim (you pay the excess first and then the co-payment percentage on the rest of the bill)
  • Annual Policy Limit: The maximum amount you can claim per year (the average cat vet bill is around $500 although we've seen plenty of bills over $10,000 for major accidents/illnesses)
  • What's Covered: The conditions and treatments covered by the policy. Also check 'What's Not Covered'
  • Condition Limits: The maximum you can receive per year for specific treatments and conditions
  • Stand-down Period: The time you will have to wait before making a claim on any of the conditions listed
  • Extras, Add-Ons & Ways to Save: Extra cover included in your plan or available as an add-on and different discounts available for policy holders

Top 5 Cat Insurance Plans in New Zealand Compared

  1. PD Insurance Deluxe Plan - The most-well rounded full coverage plan for cats
  2. PD Insurance Accident Plan - The best cheap cat insurance plan for accidents-only
  3. Petnsur Rhodium Plan - The least restrictive cat insurance plan, great value for money
  4. Cove Major Plan - High policy limits, wide coverage and many discounts available
  5. Southern Cross PetCare Plan - The most flexible cat insurance policy available
Find out more about each of the best New Zealand cat insurance plans below or keep scrolling to compare all cat insurance policies.

All Other Cat Insurance Plans in New Zealand Compared

While the 15+ cat insurance plans listed below are not among our top rated pet insurance plans for cats they might suit your needs better than they fit our criteria. Stand out plans listed below include:
 
Select the 'show more' link to see even more of the plans we've compared.
Show 13 more plans
*The average monthly cost of cat insurance for policies listed on this page is based on quotes obtained for a 6 month-old female Domestic Shorthair named Quotes. She's desexed and we've picked the maximum policy limit, excess and co-payment where we had the option (a moderately expensive option). We haven't selected any add-ons. Quotes were last updated in May 2024.

The significant difference in the prices you see above for seemingly similar cat insurance plans can primarily be explained by the fact that cat vet bills, on average, are not that large (especially compared to dog insurance) which means that if you have a large excess or co-payment, the insurance company will likely not have to pay so much and therefore your premiums will be quite affordable. For example, for PD insurance's Deluxe Plan, we selected the $200 excess and the average cost was $51.48 compared to a similiar plan, Southern Cross's PetCare Plan which was only $26.53 but we selected a $500 excess and 20% co-payment.

Who Offers Multi-cat Insurance?

Every cat insurance company in New Zealand offers multi-cat insurance (of course they want you to take out multiple policies!) but Petnsur and AA Pet Insurance are the only companies that don't give you a discount for insuring multiple pets.

The cat insurances in New Zealand with multi-cat, multi-pet or multi-policy discounts are:
 
Note that the above discounts will be applied to all pets or policies i.e. if you insure two cats with Cove you will get 10% off both cat insurance bills.

Several cat insurance companies in New Zealand have other discounts available too. For example, Cove also offers 10% off when paying annually instead of monthly while Southern Cross has a 2.5% discount for paying annually and a 2.5% discount for Southern Cross Health Society members.

Who Offers Cat Dental Insurance?

There are six cat insurance plans with dental cover in New Zealand. They are:
 
Only AA and PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan cover dental by default. For the other four cat insurance plans listed above you will need to add dental care as an extra which will also slightly increase the cost of your monthly premiums. 

Does Cat Insurance Cover Vet Consultations?

Most, but not all, cat insurance plans in New Zealand cover vet consultations. 

Know that with Southern Cross, you will have to pay for an add-on to get cover for vet visits, otherwise vet cover is included with all other insurers. Also note that vet consultations often have limits eg. a maximum consultation fee per visit or year.

 
PlanAnnual Cover Limit
AA Pet Insurance Accidental Injuries + Illness
 
$300
 
Cove Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan
 
$5,000
 
Cove Pet Insurance Major Plan
 
$25,000
 
Cove Pet Insurance Major + Minor Plan
 
$25,000
 
PD Insurance Accident Plan
 
$200 per visit
 
PD Insurance Classic Plan
 
$200 per visit
 
PD Insurance Deluxe Plan
 
$200 per visit
 
Petcover Safety-net Plan (Catastrophe 1 / Catastrophe 2)
 
$400
 
Petcover Mid-range Plan (Core / Vital / Key)
 
$400
 
Petcover Superior Plan (Entry / Mid-point / Superior)
 
$9,000 / $10,000 / $15,000
 
Petnsur Rhodium Plan
 
$6,000
 
Petnsur Silver / Gold / Platinum Plans
 
$4,000 / $6,000 / $9,000
 
Petnsur Titanium Plan
 
$5,000
 
Southern Cross Pet Insurance AcciPet Plan * Optional Add On
 
$1,000
 
Southern Cross Pet Insurance PetCare Plan * Optional Add On
 
 
$1,000
 
SPCA Pet Insurance Everyday Cover
 
$300
 
SPCA Pet Insurance The Works Cover
 
$500
 
SPCA Pet Insurance Big Stuff Cover
 
$25,000
 
Tower Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan
 
$5,000
 
Tower Pet Insurance Essential Plan
 
$7,000
 
Tower Pet Insurance Comprehensive Plan
 
$15,000

How Much Does Cat Insurance Cost?

In New Zealand, cat insurance costs an average of between $10 and $40 per month but can cost as little as $7 or upwards of $75 a month. 

This wide-ranging difference is impacted by several factors including the age and breed of your cat, the level of cover you opt for, your costs (i.e. your excess and co-payment) and the annual policy limit (the maximum amount that you can claim every year).

Below we compare quotes for every cat insurance policy in New Zealand along with the excess, co-payment and policy limit for each quote so you can get an idea of which plans suit your budget and how different factors impact the cost of your pet insurance.

Price Comparison of All Cat Insurance Quotes

PlanAverage Monthly CostExcessCo-PaymentPolicy Limit
AA Pet Insurance Accidental Injuries + Illness$23.29$50020%$15,000
Cove Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan$10.35$50010%$5,000
Cove Pet Insurance Major Plan$16.55$1,00010%$25,000
Cove Pet Insurance Major + Minor Plan$20.10$50020%$25,000
PD Insurance Accident Plan$10.85$200None$5,000
PD Insurance Classic Plan$36.43$200None$10,000
PD Insurance Deluxe Plan$51.48$200None$20,000
Petcover Safety-net Plan (Economy)$25.44$15020%$7,000 for some accidental injuries
Petcover Safety-net Plan (Catastrophe 1 / Catastrophe 2)$21.75 / $26.23$90020%$5,000 / $10,000
Petcover Mid-range Plan (Core / Vital / Key)$19.24 / $22.32 / $28.32$20030%$5,000 / $10,000 / $15,000
Petcover Superior Plans (Entry / Mid-Point / Superior)$33.06 / $36.86 / $43.72$15020%$9,000 / $10,000 / $15,000
Petnsur Surgery / Surgery Plus Plans$14.36 / $22.64None10%$1,500 / $3,000 for surgical treatments
Petnsur Rhodium Plan$43.19None$300$6,000
Petnsur Silver / Gold / Platinum Plans$38.00 / $47.19 / $74.64None30% / 25% / 20%$4,000 / $6,000 / $9,000
Petnsur Titanium Plan$68.10None20%$18,000
Southern Cross Pet Insurance AcciPet Plan$6.76$50030%$5,000
Southern Cross Pet Insurance PetCare Plan$26.53$50030%$15,000
SPCA Pet Insurance Everyday Cover$37.93None30%$11,000, $2,000 per condition
SPCA Pet Insurance The Works Cover$46.23None20%$20,000
SPCA Pet Insurance Big Stuff Cover$29.55$1,00020%$25,000
Tower Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan$13.85None20%$5,000, $2,000 for non-life threatening injuries
Tower Pet Insurance Essential Plan$33.22None20%$7,000, $2,000 for non-life threatening injuries
Tower Pet Insurance Comprehensive Plan$39.54None20%$15,000, $4,000 for non-life threatening injuries

What Are the Cheapest Cat Insurance Plans in New Zealand?

The cheapest cat insurance in New Zealand is Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan at $6.76 per month. This is with a $500 excess, 30% co-payment and $5,000 policy limit. 

Accident only cat insurances like this are significantly cheaper ($7 to $14 per month) than full coverage (accident and illness) plans ($16 to $75 per month). 

The cheapest full coverage cat insurance plan is Cove's Major Plan at $16.55 a month with a large $1,000 excess, reasonable 10% co-payment and large policy limit of $15,000.

All of the quotes on this page are for a six month-old Domestic Shorthair. Be aware that older cats and cat breeds with more health problems are more expensive to insure. Despite this the cheapest plans will almost always still be the cheapest for any breed and age (do consider comparing several quotes to make sure you get the best price though).

Also know that the excess and co-payment of each plan affects the cost of your premiums significantly. For example, we selected a $500 excess and 30% co-payment for Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan and it was $6.76 per month whereas it would've costed almost three times more ($19.75 per month) with a $100 excess and and 10% co-payment.

FAQ About Cat Insurance

Our experts recommend either PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan or PD Insurance's Accident Plan for kittens. The Accident Plan covers accidental injuries, third party liability and vet consultations with a $5,000 limit, no co-payment and $100 to $200 excess while the Deluxe Plan also covers illness, dental and hereditary conditions and has a $100 to $200 excess and a $20,000 policy limit.

We like these plans because they have a small excesses, no co-payments and are comprehensive. However, we also recommend checking out plans like Cove's Major Plan which has fewer condition limits and AA Pet Insurance's only plan which covers extras like overseas treatments, parasite treatments and pre-existing conditions.
While we think that the best cat insurance for older cats is still PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan because it is comprehensive, has a small excess and no co-payment we also like AA's only pet insurance plan or SPCA's Big Stuff Cover because they both cover any pre-existing conditions your cat may have. SPCA's Big Stuff Cover also has no upper age limit while you can take out the AA plan up until your cat's ninth birthday.
All of SPCA's pet insurance plans and AA's only pet insurance plan cover pre-existing conditions. You will first have to waive pre-existing conditions by applying with your insurer and usually this requires submitting a vet's note after a certain time period (eg. 18 months) with no symptoms.
All cat insurance plans will cover your pet for their lifetime (except Petcover's Safety-Net Economy Plan).Note that both new and reoccurring conditions will still be subject to any annual claim and specific policy limits as outlined in your policy wording.
The best cat insurance discounts are available at Cove. With Cove you can get up to $100 off as a sign up bonus as well as 10% off for having multiple polices, 10% off when paying annually and $100 off your premiums when referring a friend.

Here are all the cat insurance discounts available in New Zealand:
 
  • AA Pet Insurance: 5% discount for AA members
  • Cove Pet Insurance: Puppies get up to $100 off for 3 months + 10% multi-policy discount + 10% discount when paying annually + up to $100 when you refer a friend
  • PD Insurance: Buy online, get 1 month free + 5% multi-pet discount + $150 per pet when switching to PD Insurance
  • Petcover: 10% multi-pet discount (3+ pets)
  • Petnsur: Six weeks of free insurance (no obligation)
  • Southern Cross Pet Insurance: Puppies get 6 weeks of free insurance worth $2,000 + 5% multi-pet discount + 2.5% Southern Cross Health Society member discount + 2.5% direct debit discount when paying annually
  • SPCA Pet Insurance: 10% multi-pet discount
  • Tower Pet Insurance: 5% multi-pet discount
Yes. To cover the increased chances that your older cat will need treatment as they age as well as the rising cost of vet bills because of inflation your cat insurance premiums will increase annually.

This increase is generally not that significant but if you're interested to know how much your cat insurance might cost when your cat is older then you can apply for a quote for your cat but with an older age just to see the cost.
Your excess is the amount of your vet bills you will have to pay before your insurance kicks in.

Your co-payment is the percentage of your vet bills (after the excess is paid) that you will have to pay.

For example a $5,000 vet bill with a $1,000 excess and 20% co-payment will cost you $1,000 + 20% of $4,000, or $1,800.
Your condition limit is the maximum amount your insurance policy will cover per condition/treatment. 

Your policy limit is the maximum amount your insurance policy will cover for all eligible conditions/treatments each year.

Why Should You Trust Comparesis?

Unlike other comparison sites Comparesies is independently run which means that we are not owned by any corporate media firm with strong financial and business interests. That means that our comparisons are always honest and we always recommend the companies that we would use ourselves - no matter the financial incentives.

They are currently three people who work on Comparesies - Mason, Louis and Thibault. Together we have over fifteen years of experience in the technology and comparison industries. We started this project because we were sick of seeing only websites with corporate motives and shallow, biased content showing up on Google Search results for queries where every day Kiwis wanted helpful, honest answers.

We are always looking to improve Comparesies so if you have any questions, comments or opinions you would like to share with us don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

Our Cat Insurance Review Policies

Here are the factors that we look at when ranking NZ cat insurance policies:
 

Cover

What conditions and treatments the policy covers and doesn't cover. Almost all plans cover accidental injury, many cover illnesses but what about dental, pre-existing conditions, and vet consultations? The most comprehensive cat insurance plan is AA Pet Insurance's.
 

Costs

What is the average monthly cost of the insurance premium? How small is the excess and co-payment, and are they flexible? The cheapest cat insurance plan in New Zealand is Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan.
 

Policy Limits & Other Conditions

What is the maximum amount you can claim each year? How about for specific conditions like dental, cruciate ligament injuries and patella luxation? Cove's Major and Major + Minor policies only have a $1,500 condition limit for emergency boarding and they have an annual policy limit of $25,000.
 

Eligibility

What is the minimum and maximum age your cat can be when taking out a new policy? SPCA's Big Stuff Cover and Everyday Cover plans have no upper age limit and a minimum age of 8 weeks. 
 

Stand Down Periods

How long do you have to wait before you can make a claim on certain conditions? Tower's Essential and Comprehensive cat insurance plans only have stand down periods on illnesses (14 days) and dental (90 days).
 

Extras and Add-ons 

What unique extras are covered and what extras can you add-on to the the policy if you want additional cover? SPCA has add-ons for vet consultations and dental with their PetCare Plan while PetCover's Superior Plans include several extras like cover for emergency repatriation, quarantine/loss of documents, lost pet, advertising/reward, holiday cancellation, and death.
 

Discounts and Ways to Save

What cat insurance discounts are available? Cove has a $100 off for your first three months sign up bonus for kittens as well as a 10% multi-policy discount, 10% discount for paying annually and up to $100 for referring a friend.
 

Reputation and Customer Service

How well known is the insurer, who underwrites their policies and what is their online reputation from real users like? We only list trustworthy cat insurance providers, many of which are household names like Tower, AA and Southern Cross.