Aviva has revealed that dogs and cats have been answerable for hundreds of claims made to the insurer during the last 5 years.
The agency revealed that it obtained 5,837 claims categorized as unintentional injury between 2019 and 2023, with home windows, carpets, sofas and electrical devices being common casualties.
Aviva discovered clients had been recurrently tripping over their cats and dogs, ensuing within the unintentional injury of their houses and belongings.
But this was not all the time the case – in a single occasion, a canine tripped over a hoover, smashing a mirror to items within the course of.
Other circumstances embrace a canine headbutting and smashing a window after seeing one other canine walk previous, whereas an lively pair of cats with the “zoomies” knocked over a TV whereas their proprietor slept.
Aviva additionally highlighted a state of affairs the place an “overzealous” canine spilt paint all around the front room throughout home renovations.
Hazel Johnson, director of home and motor claims at Aviva, mentioned: “With roughly 23m cats and dogs residing in houses throughout the UK, our four-legged buddies can inadvertently trigger injury to our houses.
“From curious cats knocking over TVs, to playful pups smashing home windows, relating to pet-related claims, Aviva has seen all of them.
“While most home insurance policies exclude damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing, or fouling by domestic animals, accidental damage cover for other incidents can be a valuable addition to standard home contents policies.”
Walks
Aviva additionally highlighted that a few of its home insurance coverage insurance policies do present cowl for belongings which were swallowed by pets, with one such buyer needing assist after discovering their rings had been eaten by a hungry hound.
The insurer additionally noticed quite a few claims from clients who misplaced gadgets whereas out walking their pet, with earrings, bracelets, watches and cell phones topping the listing.
In some circumstances, the gadgets misplaced had been significantly costly or sentimental.
“As our claims data shows, expensive and sentimental items can also go walkies while people are strolling their pooches, so personal belongings cover can be useful, covering the loss of items outside the home, anywhere in the world,” Johnson mentioned.
“For more expensive items like hearing aids and engagement rings, customers should ensure they are specified on their home insurance policies in case they ever need to make a claim.”
