Rabbit pet insurance in Australia

Rabbit insurance is hard to find in Australia, with just one insurer offering it. Here’s what you need to know before you buy.

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Key takeaways

  • Pet insurance for rabbits is hard to find because they're considered exotic pets for insurance purposes and only one provider offers cover for this.
  • Rabbits are legal to keep as pets everywhere except Queensland.
  • Given the lack of insurers willing to cover rabbits, it might be worth self-insuring by regularly stashing money away in a savings account.

Pet insurance for your rabbit

Petcover is the only provider currently offering rabbit pet insurance.

NameAccidental InjuryIllnessMaximum Yearly BenefitReimbursement Rate
petcover logoPetcover
Up to $4,00070%Read the full review

What is rabbit insurance?

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.

Hand holding money icon
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.
Clock
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:

Ambulance with pet paw

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.

Vet building

Illnesses

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

Animal vaccination

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.

Common rabbit health problems (and what they cost)

Rabbits may be small, but their vet bills aren't. They're prone to a few specific health issues that can be expensive to treat, which is exactly why cover (or a savings buffer) is worth thinking about. Common problems include:

  • Dental disease. Rabbits' teeth grow continuously and can overgrow or misalign, often needing ongoing treatment.
  • Gastrointestinal (GI) stasis. A potentially life-threatening slowdown of the digestive system, one of the most common rabbit emergencies.
  • Respiratory infections. Common in rabbits and often needing veterinary treatment.
  • Viral diseases. Calicivirus and myxomatosis are serious and often fatal, which is why vaccination matters.

Because rabbits are treated as exotic pets, they often need a specialist or exotic vet, which can cost more than a standard consult.

Insurance vs self-insurance

With only one insurer offering rabbit cover, some owners choose to self-insure instead, setting aside money regularly rather than paying a premium. For example, putting away $50 a month gives you $600 after a year. The upside is flexibility and no exclusions or waiting periods.

The risk is timing. If a major bill lands before your savings have built up, say GI stasis surgery in month three, you could be caught short. Insurance smooths that out by covering a big bill from day one (after any waiting period), in exchange for an ongoing premium. Which suits you comes down to your appetite for risk and how much you could comfortably cover out of pocket if something went wrong early.

Frequently asked questions

Ceyda Erem's headshot

Ceyda Erem is Finder’s senior writer for insurance and has almost 10 years of experience writing about personal finance. Formerly a copywriter for several business and finance clients, Ceyda has written hundreds of articles, guides, blogs and more to ensure Australians stay in the loop about how to best manage their money. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Writing from Macquarie University. See full bio

Ceyda's expertise
Ceyda has written 246 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Insurance

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