How to stop your pet from destroying your home

People in the UK love their pets. But, lovable as they are, cats and dogs have been known to cause havoc at home. Below, you can find some of the most common causes of pet damage in the home and how to stop this misbehaviour.

In some cases, you may be able to claim on your home insurance for this kind of damage, though it will depend on your provider and whether they cover these kinds of situations. But sometimes, getting the damage fixed just isn’t enough. Instead, you should try to control the behaviour altogether so your pet doesn’t destroy anything else in the future.

​Dogs

Dogs exhibit certain behaviours when they’re trying to tell us something. Generally, these behaviours include chewing and scratching to alert us to an issue.

How to stop a dog from chewing furniture

Chewing is quite common in dogs and it can be a sign of boredom. It’s also typical for dogs to chew on things when they’re exploring a new object, anxious or even just playing.

• If your dog is chewing because they’re bored, you should ensure that they have a supply of toys available to them at all times.
• Try to buy new toys regularly or have toys in rotation, swapping one out when your dog is bored.
• Walk them regularly as this will help to keep them entertained and alert, but should also tire them out.
• When you see them chewing a toy, reward them with praise and a treat. 

Why does my dog scratch the carpet?

Scratching or ‘digging in’ the carpet can be a sign of anxiety, happiness or restlessness. In some cases, they might be able to smell something or they may be trying to fluff up the space before lying down.

If your dog is frequently scratching at the carpet, they may need longer walks or more playtime with you. It isn’t enough to give a dog a toy and expect them to play with it - they need human interaction too.

Scratching can also be a sign of anxiety. You should monitor when they do it to see if you can connect the behaviour with another action. For instance, they might scratch when the doorbell goes or when they see a cat outside. Trying to determine the cause will allow you to understand why they do it, and therefore how to prevent this behaviour.

Cats

Cats tend to be more renowned for behaviour that can damage your furniture, such as scratching and spraying. However, this behaviour can be controlled with a bit of patience.

How to stop cats from scratching the furniture

Cats have a natural tendency to scratch as it helps to maintain healthy claws and so it isn’t something that you want to stop altogether. 

• Show them what they can scratch and what they can’t.
• Have a couple of scratch posts at home, maybe one upstairs and one downstairs, that they can use to sharpen their claws.
• Discourage scratching on certain objects by using double sided sticky tape or tin foil When they do use their scratch posts, reward them with a couple of treats.
• If they tend to go for one particular spot, such as the corner of the sofa, place the post in front of it so they’re more likely to use that.

How to stop a cat from spraying

Spraying is a behavioural technique that cats use to mark their territory. You may find that your cat always urinates on some surfaces too, such as beds, sofas and carpets. Spraying is slightly different to urinating but both are done for the same reason. If you have multiple cats, you’ll need to try and work out which one is spraying and why.

• You may be able to prevent this behaviour by adding extra litter trays around your home (at least one per cat, plus one more).
• Avoid using scented litter as your cat may not like this.
• Make areas where they usually spray inaccessible if possible.
• Anxious cats tend to spray more, so try investing in a calming plugin that releases pheromones.
• Consider neutering your cat, as they tend to be likely to spray.
• Try to completely remove the scent to prevent repeat marking.
• Avoid cleaning products that contain ammonia, as cat wee contains ammonia and they’ll mistake this smell for their own scent and will re-mark.

To erase the smell, you should use special cleaners that contain enzymes. These cleaners will help to break down the bacteria in cat wee that makes it smell so strong to prevent re-marking.

Does house insurance cover pet damage?

Pet damage isn’t always covered as standard for Home Insurance. Therefore, if you want to protect your fixtures and fittings, it’s worth asking your provider specifically about what pet damage they’re able to cover.

At Age Co, we offer Home Insurance, provided by LV=. If you choose to switch with Age Co, you’ll need enhanced accidental cover for damage caused by domestic pets.

If your pets have done some damage to a piece of furniture or another part of your home, you should check your policy documents to see if this type of incident is covered by your home insurance before making a claim.

Summary

Whether you have a cat or dog, no one wants their pet damaging their home. If you’re worried about accidental pet damage, keep these key points in mind:

• Dogs tend to scratch carpets and bite furniture when they’re bored. Long walks and an array of interesting toys can help keep them stimulated.
• Cats need to scratch to maintain healthy claws, so provide them with scratching posts and use treats to encourage them when using them.
• Cats also tend to spray, either territorially or from stress, when this happens you’ll need to fully eradicate the small, otherwise they’ll do it again.
• Neutering can help if spraying is a persistent issue, as can calming pheromones plugins.

Pet damage is often excluded from standard Home Insurance policies, so you may need to look for additional cover.