Owning a pet and being a pet parent requires more than just play time or feeding. Being a pet owner is similar to having a baby which is why it comes with huge responsibility.
If you ever think of getting a pet, you should be prepared to spend a good amount of money on pet supplies, vaccinations, and food. Most importantly, you should be ready to invest your energy and money into turning your home into a safe environment.
Your house and the simple details in it play a major role in ensuring your comfort and that of your little one.
In this blog, Pet Barn is going to provide you with multiple ways you could make your house pet friendly. Here are some of them:
1- Say no to Light Colors
Whether it is your sofa, your carpet, or your kitchen cabinets, try to refrain from choosing light colors to furnish your home. You never know how things might spill or how your pet might accidentally turn them dirty. Maintaining them in their brand new condition might be extra hard when having a pet around!
2- Replace Fabric with Leather
Fabric is really hard to clean when they get stained especially because it absorbs anything that spills and it gives out really bad odor.
We are sure that you do not always have the time to wipe this fabric clean, this is why your safe option is choosing a leather sofa. It is really easy to wipe clean and leather does not absorbent.
3- Think Twice about your Flooring
The ideal choice when it comes to flooring is to choose wooden tiles such as oak, maple, cherry, elm, sycamore and mahogany.
There are many reason why pet owners recommend that but the most common reasons they suggest are:
– Tiles do not function as a place where hair and bacteria can hide. They are easy to clean and they are more hygienic for both you and your pet
– Usually, having carpets at home with a pet are linked to higher risks of allergies
– Tiles are scratch resistant
– Pet’s paws or nails do not get stuck into them
If you are a carpet freak and you prefer having a carpet, make sure you choose a dark colored carpet with flat surfaces so that it would be easy to clean. Make sure you clean them on regular basis because as mentioned earlier, bacteria and dirt stick more often to carpets.
4- Keep Valuable Items out of Reach
It would be a bad idea to put fragile and delicate pieces of furniture in a place where your pet can touch it.
If you have a vase, your dog or cat are most likely to break it because they are curious and they would do anything to get it. This is why you should place it somewhere your pet cannot reach.
5- Stay Away from Household Toxins
Make sure you keep chemicals such as medication, detergents, soap, etc. in a safe space because ingesting them could be fatal to your pet.
In addition to that, plants could be dangerous for your pet. This is why you need to make sure that whatever you place at home is pet friendly and not harmful.
For example, some plants such as the Mistletoe, Philodendron and Poinsettia are poisonous to your dog. If your dog ever ingests them, you should instantly take them to the vet.
6- Make Sure You Hide Cables
It is most likely that your pet would chew on any cable they come across to at home. This is why we suggest that you run to the nearest hardware store in your neighborhood.
When you get there, shop for a cable protector that would hide all your electrical cables. This valuable and useful piece would also be chew-proof which makes it safe for your pet.
7- Consider your Trash Bin
Say goodbye to short lidless baskets as trashcans and replace them with tall covered trash bins. Otherwise, you will suffer from your pet randomly jumping into the bin and taking out food leftovers or used tissue paper.
This is a very good detail to think about especially that picking things out of the trash might be risky for your pet because there often would be a risk of infection.
8- Create a Safe Space for your Pet
No matter how much your pet likes laying randomly on the floor next to you, they definitely still appreciate having their own private space.
Make sure you get creative and invest in buying comfortable beds for your pet and placing them in a specialized space for them at home. This way they would feel special and they would resort to this space whenever they want to take some time off and feel secure.
Owning a pet is not as simple as you think. You have tons of details you should worry about such as your choice of furniture, your way of décor, and much more.
We would love to hear how you have turned your home to a pet friendly space. Share with us some ideas in the comments section below.
