Small Mammal Insurance

Cover for chinchillas, guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, and more from £16.87 a month!*

Small pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, or chinchillas are super popular as first pets, especially for kids, because of their small size and sweet nature. But while they don’t cost much to buy, their tiny size can make vet care trickier and more expensive than people expect.

Taking care of your small pet isn’t just about giving them the right food and environment. You also need to be ready for any health issues that might pop up. Even little problems can require specialised (and costly) care. Pet insurance can cover those surprise vet bills so your pet can get the care they need to stay happy and healthy.

Read the list of small mammals we can cover.

How much does small mammal pet insurance cost?

The cost of small mammal insurance really depends on the type of pet you’ve got.

Take a cross-bread guinea pig, for example. If you paid around £30 for one, insuring it would cost about £16.87 a month for £2,000 of vet fee cover each year.

What age can I insure my small mammal?

This varies dependant on pet type. For the most part, we insure small mammals from 8 weeks and upwards but for more information on your specific pet type, read our policy documents.

Can you insure small mammals who have recently been unwell?

We can’t cover your small pet if they’ve been to the vet for an accident or illness in the last 3 months. But don’t worry – once they’ve been treatment-free for 3 months and are fit and healthy, we can insure them. Pre-existing conditions won’t be covered in the first year, but after that, we’ll review them based on the policy terms, with no exclusions applied.

As always, cover is subject to our Policy Terms and Conditions.

 

What small mammals can you get pet insurance for?

A range of policies to suit you and your pet

Type of cover

Vet fees

Excess

Add up to 3 pets per policy

Essential

£2,000 (Shared by all pets on cover)

£65 per treatment

✔️

Premier

£2,000 (Per pet, per policy period)

£65 per treatment

✔️

Caring for your small mammal

Small mammal care depends on what type of small mammal you own and even then, there’s different nuances dependant on the breed.

Other considerations you’ll need to consider will be diet and ensuring your small mammal gets variety using the right type of food. Our guinea pig diet guide is designed to help guinea pig owners. Alongside this, housing set up will be another key consideration with pets such as guinea pigs having a variety of bedding options available such as fleece, paper bedding or wood shavings.

Furthermore, some small mammals require additional exercise options outside of their cage. Ensuring you have a safe and secure space where your small mammal can get further exercise ideally at least once per day outside of their hutch or cage is incredibly important.

Small mammal care however involves far more than this. Caring for their health is incredibly important too. Conditions to watch out for include GI statis (the slowing of passage of food through the GI tract) which can affect a large number of small mammals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas.

Signs of illness in small mammals is varied from a sluggish appearance, abnormal breathing, diarrhea and liquid coming from the eyes or nose. Any sign of illness should not be ignored and you should consult a vet as soon as you can to ensure your small mammal gets the care they require.

 

Why choose ExoticDirect?

  • Specialist exotic pet insurance providers since 1996
  • We can pay your vet directly
  • We’re a friendly UK based team

 

*Prices are correct as of November 2025.