Rabbit pet insurance in Australia

Pet insurance for your rabbit

Petcover is the only provider currently offering rabbit pet insurance.

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

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.

Self-insurance: an alternative to rabbit insurance

With scarce insurance options available for rabbits, you may want to consider alternative options to ensure you'll be able to fund any treatments or procedures they may need in the future, like self-insurance.

As the name suggests, self-insurance refers to setting up a designated savings account to cover potential vetinary expenses. Rather than pay a monthly premium, you put the money in the savings account. For example, if you put away $50 every month, you'd have a decent savings stash of $600 in 12 months. Self-insurance can ease the financial burden of accidents and illnesses your rabbit may encounter.

FAQs

• 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 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'll need to seek cover from Petcover — they're the only provider to offer cover for rabbits in Australia.
  Keep in mind, 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. Diseases such as Myxomatosis and Calicivirus are common in rabbits, as are dental problems and mite infestations, so you might like a pet insurance policy to help with the cost of this. However, pet insurance for rabbits is hard to come by – there's only one insurer in Australia, Petcover, who offers this cover. It's always worth getting a quote but ultimately, you'll have to decide if it's worth it.

• 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.

• Is it worth insuring rabbits?

  Yes, insuring rabbits can be worth it, especially since veterinary care for rabbits can be expensive due to their unique health needs. Pet insurance for rabbits can help cover the costs of unexpected illnesses, accidents and certain treatments, providing peace of mind.

• Who insures rabbits?

  According to our research, Petcover is the only insurance provider to offer cover for rabbits in Australia.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise

Gary Ross has written 570 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
• Managing the cost of living