Insuring your home against pet damage

The cost of pet damage

Social media is full of photos of owners pet shaming their animals for naughty behaviour like destroying furniture.

Pets can create thousands of pounds of damage in a year, with cats being the worst culprits.

How can I insure against pet damage?

With LV=, you need extended accidental cover for damage caused by domestic pets.

Most standard home insurance policies, including LV= Home Insurance, provide some cover for accidental damage. But sometimes, this is limited to fixtures and fittings or certain types of home contents, such as home entertainment equipment. And often it will specifically exclude pet damage.

To make sure you're covered for that time when your dog chews through the table leg, you'll need extended accidental damage cover.

What is extended accidental damage cover?

This type of insurance covers you for the annoying, silly accidents that happen out of the blue: the spilt pot of paint on the carpet or your antique vase that's shattered by a game of indoor keepy-uppy.

With LV=, you'll also be covered for damage to your furniture and carpets by your pet scratching, digging or chewing.

Not every extended accidental damage policy will cover you for pet damage, so it's very important to read the detail in your policy.

You'll also find this cover only applies to your own home. So if you take your dog to visit Aunt Clara and it chews her antique chair leg, you won't be able to claim on your home insurance. It's more likely your pet insurance will cover this type of damage.

When you insure your pet to cover vet fees, the insurance will often come with third party liability cover. This insurance pays out for legal costs and compensation if you're responsible for your dog injuring someone or damaging their property. However, it's unlikely to cover damage done by cats to other people's property.

Damage caused by other animals

Dogs and cats are not the only animals that can cause damage to your home and its contents. Rodents, insects and other critters can also cause havoc.

If the animal is considered a pest, you may be covered for pest infestation with home emergency insurance. With LV=, if you take out home emergency cover in addition to your home insurance, we'll help you get rid of certain pest infestations.

For damage by other wild animals, such as deer or foxes, or even birds that fly in to a window, you'll need to check with your insurer.

If the damage is to the fabric of the building, such as a broken window, then you may be covered for accidental damage on your buildings insurance. If the damage is accidental, like a fox knocking over a valuable statue in your garden, then you may be able to claim on your home contents insurance.

Three ways to keep Fido entertained

Got a chewer on your hands? Dogs may start to chew furniture and soft furnishings when they're bored or lonely. Here are three ways to keep your pooch entertained.

• Leave the radio on when you go out – it can be calming for your dog
• Give them a puzzle toy to play with – these keep canine minds busy
• Invest in a self-fetch toy – they're fun for your dog and don't require your constant attention