Having a pet in the home can add to the character and vibrancy of the home, as well as its positivity. A pet also helps in ensuring a stress-free environment while increasing the happiness quotient. The kids too love it, and it gives them a chance to learn to share with others and how to interact with animals. And most importantly, it also teaches you the power of love.
But are you, and more importantly, is your home ready for a pet? Pets come in all sizes and types. From the exotic to the ordinary, the small to the big, the lookers to the non-lookers, you name them, you have them. Several requirements need to be fulfilled before a decision to bring home a pet can be made. Never buy one on an impulse, or you may regret it later. Also, some types of pets need greater preparations to be undertaken, while others may have much fewer requirements. After all, dogs and cats may well have the run of the house, while a goldfish would be content to swim within the confines of its tank.
Here are some of the things you need to consider when making your house pet-friendly.
Flooring and furniture.
Your furry four-legged friend and plush carpet flooring don’t go well together. Carpets attract dog hair and it becomes very difficult to keep them clean. While polished wooden floors look beautiful and welcoming, they can accumulate significant damage with your cats and dogs running up and down them. The best option would be to opt for ceramic tiles or cemented flooring. If matched properly with the other elements of the house, they would not only look gorgeous but, at the same time, won’t get damaged. Cemented floors, being rough, would also keep the claws of your dogs in check.
When it comes to furniture, it is easy to find fur-resistant fabrics that are dog-friendly and have a high resistance to stains, fur, and odor. This makes it easy to clean. Leather couches wear easily, and it would be a bad idea to invest in those. Let’s face it, no matter how well you discipline your dog, it will eventually claim your couch for its own. Wooden furniture, just like wooden flooring, may be susceptible to damage from the claws of cats and dogs. Dogs, during their adolescence, also tend to chew a lot, and wooden furniture makes for an easy target, while cats may use it to sharpen their claws. Getting a scratchpad for your cats may help keep them off your furniture.
Trash Cans with Lids
This may seem like a trivial point, but unless you want your trash scattered all over, you must replace your trash cans with those with lids. While your dog may not show much interest in ravishing the garbage when you are at home, they may often get anxious when you are away. This is where having trash cans with lids will pay off. If possible, you must also avoid small trash cans and only use those that are tall and difficult for your dog to access.
Keep Medicines and Other Harmful Foods Out of Reach
Many of your regular off-the-counter medications, including vitamins and supplements, can be hazardous for your pets. Often flavored, they become quite tempting for your pets to nick off when kept in easy-to-access locations. Make sure you keep your medications in closed cabinets or locations that are hard to access. Furthermore, a lot of common foods are toxic to your pets. Chocolates, nuts, and even some fruits can be poisonous to them and should be kept out of their reach.
Invest in pet furniture and accessories.
While you should get a plush bed for your dogs, for cats you should invest in cat activity trees and scratching posts, or litter box furniture. The animal behaviorists at https://petsumer.com stress the importance of reading in-depth reviews of accessories and furniture for cats and dogs that can help you decide. Not only will they make your pets comfortable, but they will also help keep them off your furniture.
Build a Dedicated Mudroom
A dedicated mudroom is required, mainly for dogs. Dogs love to get dirty, and after a long walk, especially in the monsoons, you would want a dedicated space where you could clean their paws and dry them off before letting them into the house. You don’t need to have a different room altogether, but simply a dedicated space near the entrance of your house where you can install a small gate to keep your dog locked in while you clean them up. A small cabinet with dedicated towels, tissues, and maybe a brush in the mudroom would also come in handy.
Prepping Doors and Windows
cat walksUnless you want to keep opening your doors every few minutes as your cat walks in and out of the house, you will want to install cat doors or pet door. This becomes important if your cat likes to roam around. Installing a cat door would relieve you of the constant running to the door and allow your cat the luxury of roaming around freely. Keep in mind that this also depends on the kind of property you live in. If you live in an apartment, your cat roaming around freely would probably not be appreciated, so you might be better off without one. Cats can also be susceptible to High-Rise Syndrome, so you should invest in window screens if you live on a high floor. You should also make sure that the grills on your balconies do not have wide gaps, and if they do, you should install mesh. Dogs and cats both love looking out of windows. That said, using thin curtains that they could see through would be better. If you have birds, you should keep their cages away from windows to protect them from heat.
Having pets can really brighten up the house, and with a few minor changes, you can make your home welcoming and comfortable for them. These changes will not only keep them safe but, at the same time, could avoid some expensive damage.
