The best pet insurance for multiple pets in 2024.

Over 97% of U.S. pet owners consider their pets part of their family, and over a third have more than one furry family member, according to a 2023 study from the Pew Research Center.

Having more pets entails a higher likelihood of accidents, ailments, and maintenance, which translates to increased vet expenses. Fortunately, there are pet insurance providers that provide reduced rates for multiple pets.

What are the top multiple pet insurance companies in different categories, as chosen by CNBC Select? (For more details on our selection process, please refer to our methodology.)

Best for pre-existing conditions: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers coverage for curable conditions if your pet has been treatment- and symptom-free for at least 180 days.

Multiple pet discount: 10%

The Complete Coverage plan offers discounts to veterinary professionals and includes coverage for alternative therapies and behavioral issues.

Best for wellness coverage: Spot

Spot's wellness plans include teeth cleanings, preventative testing, microchipping, and spaying/neutering costs.

Multiple pet discount:10%

Wellness coverage starts immediately after purchase, and no veterinary exam is needed for enrollment.

Best for affordability: Embrace

This discount is for you! Embrace offers a healthy pet discount that can help you save money. If your total reimbursements are under $300, you can receive 5% off the following year. After two years, the discount increases to 10%.

Multiple pet discount: 10% off each additional pet

Policies that stand out include those that cover pet examination fees, which can range from $50 to $200 and are not always covered by insurance.

Best for exotic pets: Nationwide

What kind of pets do you own? A collie and a chinchilla? A cockatoo and a calico? Nationwide is one of the few pet insurance providers that covers exotic pets, including birds, reptiles, rabbits, and other small mammals.

Discounts of 5% and 10% are available for two to three pets or four or more pets, respectively.

At Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies, Nationwide provides preferred pricing and automatic claims for pet prescriptions.

Best for paying vet directly: Pets Best

Pets Best's Vet Direct Pay option allows you to avoid maxing out your credit card by reimbursing the veterinarian directly for surprise bills.

Multiple pet discount: 5% off BestBenefit accident and illness plans

All policies include a 24/7 pet emergency helpline staffed by vet techs and veterinarians.

Best for high reimbursement rate: Pumpkin

Pumpkin's pet insurance policies offer a 90% reimbursement rate, higher than many competitors. Annual coverage limits range from $5,000 per year to an unlimited option.

Multiple pet discount: 10% off each additional pet

Pumpkin plans are suitable for pets of all ages, including senior pets, making them a great option for owners.

More on pet insurance for multiple pets

ASPCA

The ASPCA offers pet health insurance policies for cats, dogs, and horses, which are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company and United States Fire Insurance Company. These policies cover accident and illness, and include coverage for behavioral therapy, alternative treatments, prescription food, and microchipping.

Accident-only coverage is available for a minimum age of 8 weeks with a waiting period of 14 days for accident and illness coverage.

Spot

Spot Pet Insurance's policies are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company and United States Fire Insurance Company. In 2024, Independence Pet Holdings, which also owns Pets Best, acquired a majority interest in Spot Pet.

Policies: Accident only, accident and illness, preventative care

Age limit: Minimum 8 weeks, no maximum

Waiting period: 14 days

Embrace

In 2023, JAB Holding Company acquired Embrace and made it part of Independence Pet Holdings, which also owns Pumpkin, Spot, Pets Best, and other top pet insurance providers. Embrace partners with USAA, Allstate, and Geico to offer policies to their customers, in addition to other insurance companies.

The policies available include accident and illness coverage, accident-only coverage, and preventative care. The age limit for coverage is between 6 weeks and 14 years, with pets aged 15 and older eligible for accident-only policies.

The waiting period for accidents is 48 hours, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for orthopedic conditions (waivable).

Nationwide

In June 2024, Nationwide announced that it would not renew approximately 100,000 pet policies over the next 12 months due to the increasing cost of care. Despite this, Nationwide still stands out for covering exotic pets and providing prescription discounts at Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies.

Policies offered: Accident and illness, preventative care

For accidents and illnesses, the age range is between 8 weeks and 10 years old.

The waiting period for accidents and illnesses is 14 days, while for hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament injuries, it is 12 months.

Pets Best

Since its launch in 2005, Pets Best has insured over 100,000 cats and dogs. Its policyholders receive a 24/7 emergency vet helpline and the option to have Pets Best pay their vet directly.

Policies offered: Accident only, accident and illness, preventative care

Age limits: Minimum 7 weeks, no maximum

The typical waiting period for accidents is 3 days, for illnesses it is 14 days, and for cruciate ligament conditions it is 6 months.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin offers coverage for prescription food, microchipping, and end-of-life care, which other insurers may charge extra for. Additionally, there is no maximum age for enrollment, making it a suitable choice for older pets. However, the Better Business Bureau gave Pumpkin a B-, noting the length of time it takes to respond to complaints.

Policies offered: Accident and illness, preventative care

Age limits: Minimum 8 weeks, no maximum

Waiting period: 14 days for all covered conditions

What does pet insurance cover?

Pet insurance policies offer coverage for various conditions, injuries, and routine care, with three primary options available.

• An accident-only policy covers injuries such as lacerations, broken bones, and swallowed objects.
• The accident and illness policy now includes coverage for cancer, heart disease, respiratory infections, and other conditions, as long as they are not pre-existing.
• Routine pet care, including vaccines, testing, and teeth cleaning, are expenses that are covered by a wellness plan.

Rarely do pet insurance policies cover pre-existing conditions, such as illnesses or injuries that were diagnosed before enrollment. Some insurers, however, will cover specific conditions that are deemed "cured" after a set period without treatment or symptoms.

How much does pet insurance cost?

The average monthly cost of accident-only pet insurance for dogs in 2023 was $17, while for cats it was slightly less at around $10, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

On average, policies for accidents and illnesses cost approximately $56 per month for dogs and $32 per month for cats.

The cost of your pet insurance will vary based on various factors, including your pet's age and breed, your location, the policy you choose, and whether you insure multiple animals. All the companies on this list offer a discount of up to 10% for insuring multiple pets.

Why trust CNBC Select?

Our goal at CNBC Select is to deliver top-notch service journalism and in-depth consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make well-informed decisions when it comes to their finances. Each pet insurance review we publish is the result of thorough reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, who possess extensive knowledge of pet insurance products. At CNBC Select, we take pride in our journalistic standards and ethics, and we ensure that our content is free from any commercial influence or external third-party input. While we do earn a commission from our affiliate partners on many offers and links, our editorial team remains independent and uninfluenced by any commercial considerations.

Our methodology

Dozens of pet insurance companies were analyzed by CNBC Select to determine the best options for multiple pets.

We narrowed our options to those that provide a multi-pet discount, and then evaluated various factors, such as policies, deductibles, reimbursement levels, coverage limits, waiting periods, and customer reviews from the Better Business Bureau.

We ranked our recommendations based on their suitability for pre-existing conditions, wellness coverage, affordability, exotic pets, and direct payment to vets.

We took into account CNBC Select audience data, including demographics and engagement with our content and tools, when possible.

The policies and premiums for pet insurance companies may vary and are subject to change according to the company's policies.

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