Rabbit Pet Insurance in Australia

What is rabbit insurance?

Rabbit insurance is a type of pet insurance that helps pay vet bills if your rabbit gets sick or injured. In most cases, you pay a monthly premium to an insurer for this protection. It's often considered a form of exotic pet insurance.

Most pet insurance providers will pay a specific percentage of your rabbit's vet bill or require you to pay an excess (a contribution you'll need to make whenever you make a claim). There's often a limit on how much you can claim per year – with rabbits, this is often around $4,000 to $6,000.

When you take out rabbit insurance, you'll generally need to wait around 21 days before your rabbit is covered for illnesses – but accidents are usually covered straight away.

What does rabbit insurance cover?

A typical rabbit insurance policy can cover you for the following costs:

Accidents

A basic rabbit insurance policy will help cover costs related to accidents. This can include torn toenails, crushing wounds, penetrating wounds and fractures. It can also cover you for legal costs. For example, if your rabbit hurts someone and they sue you.

Illnesses

Some policies can also help pay for vet bills related to illnesses. This can include digestive system problems, respiratory infections and skin disorders.

Routine care and alternative treatments

Routine care refers to preventative treatments your rabbit might need – for example, vaccinations, examinations and dental care. In many cases, you'll have to pay extra for routine care if you want it included in your cover.

Get pet insurance for your rabbit

Petcover is the only provider currently offering rabbit pet insurance.

Name		Accidental Injury		Illness		Maximum Yearly Benefit		Reimbursement Rate
					Up to $4,000		70%		Read the full review

Pet insurance for older rabbits

It can be much harder to get pet insurance once your rabbit gets older because they're more likely to develop health issues.

Watch out for:

• Age limits. Many insurers will not offer cover if your rabbit is over 5 years old. However, if you buy a policy before they're 5 and continue to pay your premiums, you will be covered after they're 5.
• Pre-existing conditions. If your rabbit has developed any any pre-existing conditions when you take out cover (an ailment your rabbit had before you took out a policy) you won't be covered for treatment related to those conditions.

Your questions about rabbit insurance answered

• Can I get rabbit pet insurance?

  Yes, although a traditional pet insurance policy is unlikely to cover you. This is because they're designed primarily to cover the ailments and accidents of cats and dogs. Rabbits have a very different needs to cats and dogs. They must be vaccinated against calicivirus (rabbit haemorrhagic disease) as well as having regular flea and worming treatments.

  If you think your pet rabbit would benefit from pet insurance you might want to look for insurance that cover exotic pets.

  Owning a rabbit is illegal in Queensland, so you won't be able to get rabbit pet insurance if you live in that state.

• Do rabbits need pet insurance?

  Rabbits generally live for 5 to 8 years, though some can reach 12 years old so if buy a rabbit, make sure you're prepared to care for them that long. This could mean taking out pet insurance to make sure you're covered for potentially expensive treatments and surgeries. Diseases such as Myxomatosis and Calicivirus are common in rabbits, as are dental problems and mite infestations.

• What vaccinations do rabbits need?

  There is a vaccine for Calicivirus (rabbit haemorrhagic disease). Your rabbit usually needs to get this every 6 months.

• What is an annual condition limit?

  An annual condition limit is a cap on how much you can claim in a year on a specific condition. For example, there might be a $5,000 a year cap on surgery attached to your policy. These should be outlined to you when you take out cover.

• Are rabbits considered exotic?

  If you're having difficulty finding pet insurance for your rabbit, it's generally because they're considered exotic pets. This means you'll need to take out a specialist policy to get covered.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

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