Jealous Dog Chew Up Your Smartphone? That's What You Get. (Infographic)

Former West Coast Editor

June 9, 2014 3 min read

Throw your dog a bone. Put down your cell phone.

And your tablet. And your laptop. And your gaming controller. Seriously. Stop staring at your electronics already and play with your neglected furry friend. Or pay the price.

Some 28 million gadget-loving Americans should take this easier-said-than-done advice. That’s how many people have had a pet wreak havoc on an electronic device, according the 2014 Pet Accidents Survey conducted last month by SquareTrade, a consumer electronics extended warranty provider.

Your pets aren’t as bright as you think. They don’t “get” why weird glowing screens suck up so much of your time and attention and they’re jealous. Jealous enough to exact revenge on them with their paws, claws and, yes, pee and, er, other stuff.

The survey, detailed in the fun, “faux-paws”-filled infographic below, showed that pets most often abuse power cords, which pose an electric shock risk when chewed on while plugged in.

The second most pet-mangled electronics are -- no shock here -- smartphones. (Apparently dumb phones weren’t fancy or cool enough to warrant a question on the survey or maybe domesticated animals are too savvy to waste their jaws on them.)

Warm, cozy laptops, which cats love lazily lounging on, are the the third most pet-damaged gadgets. Lucky, gamers. Lowly game controllers came in last.

So, now you know. If your jealous, probably male furball hasn’t already posed a slobbery threat to your favorite gadgets, it could. What can you do? Love your pet up more often. Keep your gadgets out of paw’s reach. Pet-proof your beloved gadgets by covering them in protective cases.

Then tweet about it. The study also revealed that some of us adore our pets enough to create social media accounts for them. One in six pet owners have, including our very own Wendy Frink. Her beloved pup, Hamilton Pug, has almost 5,000 followers on Twitter, nothing to bark at. And you bet Ham’s fans follow him in Facebook and Instagram, too. Did we mention he’s hosting a black collar fundraiser for charity? Oh, and, for the record, Hamilton Pug has never harmed a single gadget. Yet.