'Quirky' list of NZ pet insurance claims released

A Birman cat falling into a pot of paint accounted for one of the $3m paid out in pet insurance claims over the past year by Southern Cross. File photo / Peter McIntosh.

A list of New Zealand's most unusual pet injuries has been released revealing how a cat was trapped in a toilet seat and left dangling for some time while a Birman fell into a pot of paint and had her fur shaved off.

Anthony McPhail, head of Southern Cross Pet Insurance, said the business had paid out more than $3 million on 10,000 claims over the past year, including some "quirky" cases.

Some of the more unusual claims from last year included:

• One cat found his left hind paw caught in a hinged toilet seat, where he was left hanging for some time. This resulted in a very swollen foot and a number of open wounds.

• Seeing something in the backyard, one English Bull Terrier was so eager to investigate they ran into a ranch slider, shattering the glass in the door. The poor pooch received a cut under the eye requiring stitches.

• After falling into a pot of acrylic paint, a Birman cat decided to try and clean herself after her owner's best efforts proved fruitless. She ended up being sedated and shaved.

• A Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was so committed to returning a stick from the ocean, she swallowed a large amount of sea water. This required a vet to aspirate the fluid in her lungs and air in her stomach.

• A thirsty Tibetan Terrier Cross decided to get in on the action when their owners glass of wine fell on the ground and smashed. This resulted in a vet visit to remove glass from her mouth," the information said.

The most expensive claims were:

Dogs:
Pericardial effusion $9232
Chylothorax $8864
Spinal (vertebral column) disorder $7772
Cruciate ligament rupture $7674
Fracture $7465

Cats:
Traumatic injury (Hit by car, face factures and tongue amputation) $8461
Peritonitis $5236
Renal (kidney) disorder $5000
Peritonitis $4819
Traumatic injury (bite - attacked by dog) $4762