Rabbit Insurance????!

Hi all

Im currently turning my garage into a place for my bun's so that i can look after more, and maybe help out the local rspca's. especially chatham rspca as they have lots of bunnies that need rehoming, but because my garage aint empty yet i cant take any.

I want to home atleast 10 - not just from the rspca but id like to own 10 bunnies. I would like to get them all insured, can anyone recommend any insurer's that do discounts for multiple bunnies etc etc, i cant find an insurer that will insure bunnies that are aged 5 and over, most insurers like pet plan in the small print says it will insure the bun up until 5years, when it advertises that the bunny will be covered for 'life.'

How many buns do you all have and are they insured and by what company? have u had any trouble with insurance stuff???

sam xx

Although lots of places do pet insurance, I couldn't many that do rabbit insurance. These are the ones I've found so far:

http://www.phapet.com/rabbmamm.html
http://www.petplan.co.uk/
http://www.pinnacle.co.uk/pet/index.php3?js=1&token=27973cc807370a353c0da46f33bf0aab

They all offer slightly different cover (things like advertising, boarding fees etc) so aren't necessarily directly comparable. I think you might struggle to cover 5+ year old rabbits, so you might be better off 'self-insuring' (i.e. setting up a savings account) to pay for the expenses of the rabbits you can't cover. Obviously though there's no guarantee you'll have enough in there to cover whatever might happen.

I'd also check that the insurer is happy to cover rabbits where you don't know the history of them - many policies require you to declare pre-existing conditions - so if you don't know their history you might want to check you're still able to declare that. I only mention that as I can just see an insurer refusing to pay out on a technicality like that!

We're having some difficulties with Petplan, but I think that's down to the specifics of our case rather than being something that should put people off them. They do seem to be the most common provider amongst people on these boards.

Hope this helps

Russell

Thanks

Thanks for your reply

Why do they only insure upto 5 years of age?? what happens after??

I might spend 5 years putting into insurance and never use it, until the bunny is over 6years old.

Y do petplan advertise that the bunny will be covered for life and then it says in small print up unitl the age of 5?? Can u ask for longer insurance?

Id rather go with pet plan as its a well known one - i think il have to have a chat with them and see what they say.

A savings account is a good idea aswell but it might take ages to save up, and insurers will pay up straight away regardless of how much i have paid for my insurance

sam x

The "up to 5 years" does not mean that they cut off at 5 years old, but that they will not insure a new bunny older than 5 years old! So if a bunny is insured below that age, he is insured for life as the insurance goes on as he gets older. The excess may increase, so may the premiums, but he continues to be insured.

I might spend 5 years putting into insurance and never use it, until the bunny is over 6years old.

Click to expand...

As long as you continue to pay your premiums, they will pay out in these circumstances.

As I have six bunnies, I have decided that it is not viable anymore to have them all insured. So instead I put aside £100 a months for vet fees.

Vera

I wish I could afford insurance as it'd make me feel happier about the buns, but right now I'm semi-happy knowing I have the vets at work to help, the vets at Uni, and that my vet does payment plans, should anything happen...

I'll be much happier in July, when I'll be living right across from the Uni vet school!!!

I do a very similar thing to Vera.

Louise

If u intend to take in rescues then have a word with ur vet they may give u a disscount ours does. If u dont ask u dont get . val ps: i dont think insurance will work out very good it will cost too much as uve been advised ur better off putting money away for it. If u have the knowledge to treat many minor things then u could cut out the vet for most things providing ur vet will let u buy the treatments u need without seeing the rabbit .

Just noticed this on the PHA website:

"Age limits are entry criteria and once accepted, insured cover will continue for as long as required. Policies are reviewed yearly as they are 12 month contracts and terms and conditions may change."

And Petplan says something similar:

"Petplan covers illnesses and injuries for life. This is invaluable if your pet develops an ongoing condition such as arthritis or eczema, as the majority of policies including those offered by Tesco, Churchill, Direct Line, Paws etc. will stop paying out after the first 12 months. Or alternatively offer a maximum benefit policy including those offered by Sainsbury, More Than, Pet Healthcare Services, which means over the pet’s lifetime they will only pay up to a set figure per condition regardless of the cost of treatment. With Petplan’s Covered for Life policy, there is no time limit on how long you can claim for each illness or injury, regardless of severity. All you need to do is renew the policy each year and the full veterinary fees benefit is reinstated."

And so does Pinnacle:

"Once insured, cover may be continued for the rest of your pet's life."

But they all also say that they are able to change terms and conditions... :wink:

My buns are both insured and Ella is about to be classed as senior so her premiums go up !!! I have claimed for paw injuries which did save up some money, but Im going down the self insurance route too now. We havent insured the new kitten and the renewal note just came in for Ella and its 75 pounds for the year ( this supposedly includes a multi-pet discount (3 Monsters) and a discount for not paying monthly. Our insurance for 4 animals is more monthly than the house insurance !

I personally don't think it's worth it, it would cost you around £90 per month, you are very unlikely to spend that on vet fees. I think its better to put the money aside each month, if at the end of the year you havent used it you can put it towards their vaccinations or some new treats etc.
That way the money is there if you need it but if not its not gone to waste.

good idea!!

Yeah i think i will do that
Il put money aside each month for the buns - at least i know it will be going on them, and it wont be going to some spongey insurance company - sorry i dont like them - always kick up a fuss when claiming - there good enough to take your money, but its like getting blood out of a stone when u need some back, grrrrrrr!!! lol

A savings account is a good idea!!!

thanks xx

I think pet insurance or self insuring is essential if you own a pet, if i cant afford the insurance i never take on an animal.
When the end comes for the animal, dog, horse, reptile, cat or bunny it makes sure money is no barrier for all the treatment neccessary. We had a dog once who never needed the vet until he died but when he did the bill was in the thousands, I always insure animal so all paths can be tried if it happens that way. My best mate keeps horses that are all worth too much to insure, so i can see from that point of view.

Both my buns are insured with pet plan my water dragons and tortoise are insured as they can be expensive when they get injured so far i have had two broken legs with the waterdragons and a big operation to put back Georgies (My older male who i had to pts in then end ) intestines back in!!! he eat a peice of bark at some point and couldn't get it out through the other side I think its handy to either have insurance or have money put aside because you never know what is around the corner

uummmmm??

Good point,

il think i will stick with a savings account tho - il put in 100 a month, their still babies so fingers crossed i wont have to touch it until they are older - but yes, you never know whats around the corner!!!

xx

I know Abbey National does a good, high interest, savings account. Well, they used to, ages ago, when I had one...

Might want to check that out!

Thanks

Thanks

I will have a search on the net for a high interest one!!!