Cat's hide-a-bed mishap named most unusual pet claim of the year
Nationwide Pet presented the feline named Giles with its 15th annual Hambone Award for most unusual pet insurance claim.
Nationwide is presenting its 15th annual Hambone Award to New York City’s Giles the Cat, who was injured in an unfortunate sleeper sofa incident.
According to Giles owners Reid and Kaitlyn, the claim started with a visit from Reid’s parents and a night spent on a hide-a-bed.
“You have to make sure that Giles isn’t under the couch, because it’s a crawlspace and there’s not a lot of those in the apartment — when the couch is open, he’s under there,” Reid said in a release.
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In an early morning rush to the airport, the family neglected to check for Giles before folding up the bed, according to Reid, who added: “When they put the couch away, they didn’t realize that he was under there and … the mechanism or whatever bopped him in the face pretty good.”
After dislodging the feline from the sofa, the pet parents B-lined it to a neighborhood veterinary clinic. Giles received a few stitches and a new phobia for hinged objects.
The Hambone Award is given to bring awareness to the unique situations pets can cause and how pet insurance can help their owners manage the costs when an animal companion has a mishap, according to Nationwide. In addition to an award, Giles’ owners received a gift card and a donation made in the cat’s name to an approved pet charity of the family’s choice.
“Giles’ predicament shows just how easily an ordinary situation can become precarious for a pet,” Dr. Jules Benson, vice president of pet health and chief veterinary officer for Nationwide, said in a release. “We’re so glad that the quick actions of Giles’ family and their veterinary care team set him up for a speedy recovery.”
Nationwide reported that all of the nominated pets made full recoveries and their owners were reimbursed for the veterinary expenses covered by the company’s pet policies.
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