The Best Rabbit Insurance Plan in New Zealand
The best rabbit insurance in New Zealand is Petnsur's Gold Plan. It's a comprehensive rabbit insurance plan with cover for medical, surgery, specialist and alternative treatments as well as hereditary conditions. This plan has a 20% co-payment and $1,500 annual limit.
Alternatively, Petcover has two rabbit insurances, their Value and Plus plans. The Value plan has a slightly higher $2,000 annual limit while the Plus plan has a much higher $4,000 limit and with either plan you can chose a $125 or $225 excess.
We like Petcover's plans less though because for many treatments including diagnostics, specialist visits and alternative treatments you'll pay a 10 to 50% excess instead of your plan's fixed excess.
All NZ Rabbit Insurances Compared
- Third party liability
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 7 days for accidental injury
- 21 days for medical treatments
- 40% co-payment for specialist treatments
- Cheapest rabbit insurance in New Zealand
- Fully covers alternative treatments
- Covers hereditary conditions after 3 years
- No hidden conditions or limits
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Relatively low policy limit
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40% co-payment for specialist treatments
We think Petnsur's Gold Plan is the best pet insurance for rabbits in New Zealand because it is simple, has good cover and no hidden conditions.
It's certainly a shame that the 20% co-payment is non-negotiable but with a $1,500 policy limit, you'll probably end paying around what you would with Petcover's plans that have a $125 or $225 excess.
Otherwise, we're happy to see alternative treatments and hereditary conditions covered along with surgeries and specialist treatments, even if the co-payment on specialist treatments is 40% and hereditary conditions are only covered after 3 years.
All in all, with the lowest monthly cost, no upper age limit and no hidden condition limits this plan is ideal for most rabbit owners, with the exception of those wanting a bigger annual policy limit.
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Pre-existing conditions
- Hereditary conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days
- $400 limit + 10% co-payment for alternative treatments
- 30% co-payment for specialist treatments
- 50% co-payment for diagnostic examinations
- $1,000,000 + $500 excess for third party liability
- No co-payment on many conditions
- Large third party liability limit
- Covers dental illnesses
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Hidden co-payments on certain conditions
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Must take your rabbit for annual check-ups
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Co-payments can increase after your rabbit turns five
Petcover's Plus Plan for rabbits is a great option if you're looking for a more comprehensive rabbit insurance with a higher policy limit.
Importantly, this plan covers dental and third party liability as well providing compensation for advertising/reward and loss of your rabbit. Do note though that despite having more cover, there are some condition limits that reduce your cover for alternative treatments, specialist treatments, and diagnostics.
Costing just $28.63 a month on average and with a more appealing excess of $125 or $225 compared to Petnsur's Gold Plan, Petcover's Plus Plan is still worth considering and provides slightly better value than Petcover's cheaper, but almost identical Value Plan.
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Pre-existing conditions
- Hereditary conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days
- $300 limit + 10% co-payment for alternative treatments
- 30% co-payment for specialist treatments
- 50% co-payment for diagnostic examinations
- $1,000,000 + $500 excess for third party liability
- No co-payment on many conditions
- Large third party liability limit
- Covers dental illnesses
-
Hidden co-payments on certain conditions
-
Must take your rabbit for annual check-ups
-
Co-payments can increase after your rabbit turns five
Petcover's Value Plan is a less comprehensive version of their Plus Plan with a slightly lower average monthly cost ($23.46 compared to $28.63) owing mainly to its $2,000 policy limit as opposed to the Plus Plan's $4,000 policy limit.
Otherwise, this plan is basically the same, except you get $100 less for alternative treatments each year ($300 compared to $400).
While we don't recommend this plan because there is more value with the Plus Plan's $4,000 policy limit and fewer hidden limits with Petnsur's Gold Plan, this plan still may suit you if you want cover for dental and third party liability but are on a tighter budget.
*The average monthly cost of rabbit insurance for policies listed on this page are based on quotes obtained for a six month-old female Mini Lop. Our example rabbits are 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.
What We Think About Petnsur's Rabbit Insurance
Even though Petnsur only offers one rabbit insurance plan, it's our preferred option. That's for a couple of reasons.
Petnsur's Gold Plan is the cheapest rabbit insurance in New Zealand. It also has no upper age limit, so is great if you have an older rabbit. And it covers alternative treatments, hereditary conditions (after 3 years) and has no condition limits (although you there is a 40% co-payment instead of a 20% co-payment for specialist treatments).
If we had to make some improvements to the plan it would be to add a few more treatments/conditions to what's covered i.e. dental, pre-existing condition cover for rabbits that are symptom-free and even third party liability are all reasonable inclusions.
Other things to improve would be to reduce the co-payment, 20% can be quite large for big vet bills, and to increase the policy limit. While most bills will be less than $1,500, having peace of mind that you have cover for the worst case scenario is invaluable.
What We Think About Petcover's Rabbit Insurance
We definitely think that Petcover's rabbit insurance plans are okay, especially if you're after a higher policy limit, then the Plus Plan is unrivalled.
Otherwise, $1,000,000 in third party liability cover seems excessive but we'll never say no to extra cover so we appreciate it. Having dental cover is also certainly a plus and reason enough to choose Petcover instead of Petnsur.
The main issue with Petscover's plans are just that for diagnostics, specialist visits and alternative treatments you'll pay a 10 to 50% excess instead of your plan's fixed excess - which is at least important to know so you can avoid any surprises.
The flexible excess of $125 or $225 is also worth mentioning - both options are not too expensive and will work out to be cheaper than Petnsur's 20% excess for larger vet bills but Petnsur will be cheaper for any small vet bills.
So all in all, these plans are absolutely fine, good even if you want to be better protected from larger vet bills but slightly more expensive on average and with a few more conditions to be aware of.
What to Consider When Buying Rabbit Insurance
Two main things to consider when buying pet insurance for rabbits are the cover you'll get and the costs (both the monthly cost of your premiums and the potential cost when taking your rabbit to the vet).
Because there are only two rabbit insurance providers in New Zealand, the cover you can chose is pretty similar but there are some slight differences.
NZ Rabbit Insurance Cover Comparison
| Condition/Treatment | Petnsur Gold Plan | Petcover Plus Plan | Petcover Value Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accidental injury | $1,500 | $4,000 | $2,000 |
| Illness | $1,500 | $4,000 | $2,000 |
| Third party liability | Not Covered | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Dental | Not Covered | $4,000 | $2,000 |
| Vet consultations | $1,500 | $4,000 | $2,000 |
| Alternative treatments | $1,500 | $400 | $300 |
| Routine care | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Vaccinations | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Pre-existing conditions | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Hereditary conditions | $1,500 (after 3 years without symptoms) | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Breeding conditions | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Parasite conditions | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Occupational treatments | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Emergency boarding | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Overseas treatments | Not Covered | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Advertising/reward | Not Covered | $500 | $500 |
| Loss of pet | Not Covered | Up to the rabbit's purchase price | Up to the rabbit's purchase price |
How Much Does Rabbit Insurance Cost in NZ?
Sure, you get more cover with Petcover's Plus and Value Plans, but what's the difference in costs?
The table below shows what you can expect to pay for a number of different treatments, depending on your insurance.
| Potential Costs | Petnsur Gold Plan | Petcover Plus Plan | Petcover Value Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Yearly Cost | $271.68 | $343.56 | $281.52 |
| $500 Accident Claim | $100 | $225 | $225 |
| $2,000 Illness Claim | $800 | $225 | $225 |
| $1,000 Alternative Treatment Claim | $200 | $640 | $730 |
| $1,000 Diagnostic Examination Claim | $200 | $500 | $500 |
| $1,000 Specialist Claim | $400 | $300 | $300 |
Petnsur's plan has the cheapest premiums and because of it's co-payment is cheaper for smaller vet bills. However, for larger vet bills either of Petcover's plans are cheaper, although because Petcover's Plus plan has a $4,000 limit, it will be far cheaper for your largest vet bills.
Some specific treatments also cost more/less depending on your plan, notably specialist claims are cheaper with Petcover whereas diagnostics and alternative treatments are cheaper with Petnsur.
Is Rabbit Insurance Worth It?
It's much more common to insure your dog, or even cat, and rabbit insurance is not something every bunny owner has, but that doesn't make it less 'worth it'.
One important question to consider when deciding if rabbit insurance is right for you is whether your rabbit is as important to you as other pet owners' dogs or cats are to them - if the answer is yes then getting rabbit insurance is probably a good idea.
Another thing to be aware of is that from a purely analytical approach, rabbit insurance will not be worth it for the average bunny owner.
That's because of how insurance companies make money. Put simply the income insurers earn from all monthly premiums is larger than what they pay out for all claims i.e. there is a higher chance that you will end up spending more on your insurance than you will get back when you go to the vet.
Despite this, if you are unfortunate enough to face large vet bills over your rabbit's lifetime then rabbit insurance will have definitely been worth it. So in reality you just don't know if getting insurance is going to be worth it or not - the same is true for life insurance, car insurance or any other insurance you are considering.
So, if your rabbit means a lot to you and your family and if you don't have the finances to pay for large vet bills then rabbit insurance is almost certainly worth it.
Otherwise, you could of course set aside $20 to $30 per month in a 'future vet bills fund' to act as your own back-up insurance.
How Do We Review Rabbit Insurance Plans?
We looked at a number of different factors when rating New Zealand's best rabbit insurance plans including:
Cover - What conditions and treatments are covered and what limits (if any) do specific conditions have?
Cost - How much does the insurance cost each month and how much will this cost likely change over the lifetime of the rabbit?
Excess and Co-payment - What portion of your vet bills do you need to pay and is this amount different for certain conditions?
Conditions - Are there any other conditions to be aware of like stand-down periods, maximum ages or extra requirements?
Discounts - What discounts are available (if any), for how much and how accessible are these discounts?
Insurer - Is the insurer well-respected and does it have positive user reviews, a professional support staff and a clear and honest website?
Because there are only two pet insurers that offer rabbit insurance in New Zealand our ratings were quite similar. The different ratings we gave were mainly due to the slight differences in the conditions, costs and cover offered by each rabbit insurance plan.
More Questions About Rabbit Insurance
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The best rabbit insurance in New Zealand is Petnsur's Gold Plan. It covers medical, surgery, specialist, and alternative treatments along with hereditary conditions after three years.
Petnsur's Gold Plan has a 20% co-payment and $1,500 annual limit so if you are looking for a higher limit then we recommend Petcover's Plus Plan which has a $4,000 limit and $125 or $225 excess. This plan also covers dental, third party liability, advertising for reward and loss of your rabbit although it doesn't cover hereditary conditions. -
You can buy rabbit insurance online with either Petcover or Petnsur. These are currently the only two insurers that offer rabbit insurance in New Zealand.
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On average, rabbit insurance costs between $20 and $30 a month, or $250 and $350 a year, in New Zealand.
These costs are based on a healthy, six month old Mini Lop that is desexed but they can be slightly higher for older rabbits or rabbits with more health problems. -
The most comprehensive rabbit insurance in New Zealand is Petcover's Plus Plan which covers accidental injury, illness, third party liability, dental, and vet consultations up to $4,000.
Lesser cover for alternative treatments, advertising/reward, and loss of pet is also included. -
The cheapest rabbit insurance in New Zealand is Petnsur's Gold Plan which costs around $23 per month.
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Petcover's Value and Plus plans cover dental treatments for rabbits up to $2,000 and $4,000 respectively.
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Choosing an insurance with a high excess will cost you more when making claims but will make your monthly premiums lower. On the other hand, choosing an insurance with a low excess will be less expensive when making claims but will make your premiums more expensive.
In this way there is always a trade off so it is hard to say which option is better without knowing how much you will need to use your insurance. However, if you want to be better protected for larger or more frequent vet bills then choosing a low excess is the best option.
About the Authors
Mason
Editor-in-chief
Mason was born and raised in New Zealand before moving to US and then Sweden. Despite looking so youthful, he worked as a senior website manager for 5 years before founding Comparesies. Mason's expertise in insurance is the most valuable asset for our users. Today he is the primary author/editor on Comparesies. Mason has an Staffy called Betty and a blind/deaf rescue bunny called Buu.
Louis
Editor
Louis has worked in the comparison industry for 5 years in Sweden after founding another company in France. His industry experience, and strong communication skills have been invaluable in building the bridge between our community and our content. Louis is our ideas man and is responsible for sourcing user and specialist opinions. Louis has a Ragdoll called Colette (which is also his grandma's name).
Elin Viberg
Editor
Elin is a passionate dog lover with roots in Sweden and a background in the service industry. With several years of experience working closely with customers, she has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver outstanding service. Elin's love for animals, especially dogs, drives her to constantly seek the best information and products for pet owners. At Comparesies, she contributes her dedication and expertise by ensuring that our content reflects the care and quality our readers expect.
Thibault
Editor
Thibault has engineering background from both France and Sweden. Comparesies is his second company after successfully founding a tech scaleup. His experience is vast within insurances and customer satisfaction. Thibault is responsible for maintaining the website and sharing his knowledge through page editing. Thibault doesn't have a pet at the moment but wants to get a tortoise when he has the space.