Sock stealing puss a pricey insurance claim
A serial sock stealer with a taste for eating its ill-gotten gains, was responsible for one of last year’s more unusual claims on Southern Cross pet insurance, highlighting how everyday items can spell real danger for fourlegged friends, and rack up the vet bills.
In this case the Labrador’s sock snack on a day at the beach resulted in a trip to the vet, and a claim for $2789. It is not known if the socks were returned to their owner.
“Even the most well-behaved pets aren’t immune to having accidents or getting up to mischief, but there’s no such thing as ACC for cats and dogs,” Southern Cross Pet Insurance general manager Anthony McPhail said.
“We get quite a few claims for things you would never dream might happen, and a lot of these situations can be very costly and stressful, for the animal and the owner. Our experience shows it’s important not to underestimate how much vet bills can be.
The other most unusual claims of 2019 were for:
■ A Persian cat that fell into a swimming pool while being chased by another cat, and was treated for hypothermia — $1065.
■ A Labrador that swallowed a pin cushion, complete with pins, while the owner was sewing. Surgical removal cost $3488.
■ A Hungarian vizsla dog that had halitosis issues and was ‘zonked out’ was found to have been eating sheep pellets in garden. — $352.
■ An ocicat that came off second best in a fight with a feisty blackbird was treated for a scratch to one eye — $103.
■ A boxer with a bellyache after it raided the family’s stash of Easter treats — $270.
■ An overly enthusiastic Bernese mountain dog that ran through a closed sliding door had a serious leg injury — $1101.
■ A tonkinese cat had its paws treated at a cost of $177 after it jumped up on to a wood burner.
■ A Labrador-cross so eager to escape from boarding kennels that it ate through a fence, but got stuck in a second fence. Spinal fracture, multiple wounds and abrasions — $6999.
■ A cat that arrived home with a fishing line tangled in its tail — $271.