From doggy dentistry to sick and injured Toms, this National Pet Day, Tower is digging into the data around their customers to reveal the most common kiwi pet claims, breeds and names.
Kahu
In the year In 2022 Tower Tail said the top four claims on behalf of policyholders were caring for sick children (43%), helping dogs recover from injuries (28%), covering routine care appointments (24%) and travel. For a doggy dentist (2%).
While cats are known for their curiosity, Tower data shows that they are more cautious than their canine counterparts and add 43% fewer claims. Of the cat claims, 39% were for injured toms, 31% for pain, 25% for routine care and 3% for dental claims to repair some gum flies.
And according to Ron Mudaliar, Tower’s Chief Underwriting Officer, the insurer conducted research to better understand Kiwi pet owners.[1] What out-of-insurance costs people are prepared to pay.
“We found that 35% of pet owners are willing to spend up to $1,000 on veterinary care and another 44% are willing to pay up to $5,000, but it’s common for pet expenses to exceed these amounts in an emergency. Since we launched pet insurance in late 2021, our biggest The claim was over $7,000 and that was for a specialist in lifesaving care for our client’s dogs.
“The best thing you can do for your furry family members this National Pet Day is make sure you have insurance, so if something goes wrong, you’re not stuck with mounting pet bills.”
When it comes to breed, Kiwis are the clear favourites, with domestic shorthairs (26%) and Labradors (6%) taking the titles for most insured cats and dogs.
Rounding out the top five cat breeds, excluding mixed breeds, are ragdolls (11%), tabbies (9%), domestic shorthair crosses (5.5%), and ragdoll crosses (4%). Excluding mixed breeds, Staffordshire Bull Terriers (4.5%), followed by Border Collies, Labradoodles and Jack Russell Terriers (each at 4%) were the most commonly insured dog breeds.
“Our job is to be there when people need us most. From Alsatians to Beagles, pet insurance gives you peace of mind that vet expenses won’t get in the way of your pet getting the help or care they need,” says Mudaliar.
‘Fighting like cats and dogs’ may be an old saying that fits these enemies, but Tower Pussicats and pooches have more in common than you might think; Luna, Bella and Max feature in the top five most popular names for cats and dogs.
Tower leader moggy monikers; Luna followed Charlie, Max, Bella and Bruce. Top dog breeds; Followed by Luna Bella, Poppy, Max and Coco.
“More than half of Kiwis own a cat or a dog. Whatever you call them, our pets really are part of the family,” says Mudaliar.
“At the Tower, we treat every day as National Pet Day. We’re so proud to help Kiwi families look after their four-legged friends – Happy National Pet Day Aotearoa.
[1] Independent research by Pureprofile, representative of the New Zealand dog and cat owner population
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