8 Silly Pet Moments that Turned into Pet Emergencies

Pet mishaps and mischievous behavior for April Fool’s Day

We have pets for many reasons – companionship, support, fun, sporting, and more. And one of the best parts of being a pet parent is enjoying their unique personalities. Either you or someone you know has posted pictures or videos of pets sleeping in odd positions, giving the stink eye, enjoying their favorite toy, or after getting into mischief.

But sometimes pets’ antics can land them in a bit of trouble. For April Fool’s Day, we’re sharing some stories of mishaps, the results of silly or mischievous behavior. Basically, animal April Fool’s jokes gone awry. (Don’t worry, all animals in these stories were okay.)

Pets eating things they shouldn’t

Curious eating is probably the most significant category for trips to the vet. While you may think it is only the young pups and kittens, it seems dogs and cats also remain curious about what to put in their mouths. You will hear countless stories of dogs that eat socks and, um, more personal clothing items they find. While pet parents have learned to keep these out of reach as much as possible, there have been surprises no one expected.

Perhaps one pet wanted to get more involved in cleaning. One puppy ate a mop string and had to have a length of intestines removed!

Another pet parent told us the story of their dog eating a whole dead squirrel (a WHOLE squirrel) and going into shock with seizures. The vet tried countless ways of trying to get it out the way it went in, but there was no other way to remove it besides surgery. And the new kitchen they had been planning was put off for another year.

How about puppy curiosity? We encountered two stories of puppies just to learn about their environment – including eating stones and a pinecone. There is so much out there for puppies to learn.

Cats can also get into mischievous eating. How about a cat that ate a nerf dart or another that ate a jeans button (how did they get it off?).

Of course, pets might blame their pet parents for eating something they weren’t supposed to eat. Sometimes pets just want their human’s attention. One pet parent said their pet learned to go into the hamper to get dirty socks and then paraded them around to get attention.

Klutzy Pet Behavior

If only we could see into their minds. Do they imagine they are their wolf or big cat ancestors? What causes the zoomies and sneak attacks? We have seen videos of cats thinking they could jump further than they could or dogs running so fast they end up tripping themselves. Let’s hear how some of these stories turned out.

One dog was playing at the top of the stairs when he fell almost 20 steps! One minute he was in a fun puppy moment, the next he found himself at the bottom. The result was a significant bill and some tough decisions on how to proceed.

Sometimes pets can trip themselves up on everyday activities. One dog went to jump off the couch but stumbled and broke a leg.

Cats are not immune to accidents, even on things they have done a hundred times before. One pet parent said their cat broke a leg just jumping off the couch. The same as the dog in the example above.

Another cat pet parent said her cat got its foot stuck in a recliner that resulted in the poor kitty losing part of its paw.

Do pets know of dangers and safe behaviors? Nope. And that is why it is so important to get pet insurance. For the mischievous and excited dogs and puppies, and the curious and not-so-balanced cats, Spot Pet Insurance can help protect you from thousands of dollars in surprise vet bills. Our dog insurance and cat insurance plans have optional coverage for accidents, just in case you find yourself in one of these sticky situations. Because pets do funny things, and sometimes those funny things come with a bill.

We also recommend reviewing our questions to ask before going to the Vet ER to be prepared for any pet mischief.