Dogs and cats have caused their owners to make over 6,000 insurance claims in the last five years, says the insurance company Aviva.

Pets have wrecked windows, carpets, sofas, and even tech stuff like laptops, tablets, and phones, Aviva reports. One dog smashed a window with its head when it saw another dog outside, and two cats knocked over a TV and broke it.

A customer said their dog jumped on a table and knocked off their laptop, breaking the screen. Someone else claimed because their dog ate their rings.

People often say that accidental damage has been caused after they have tripped over their pets, according to Aviva. The insurance company also gets claims from people who say they have lost items such as earrings and phones while walking their dogs.

Hazel Johnson, who helps lead home and car claims at Aviva, mentioned: "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."

The numbers come from an analysis of Aviva home insurance UK claims data, looking at accidental damage caused by dogs and cats between the beginning of 2019 and the end of 2023.