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A pet is a wonderful addition to a home, whether you’re housing cats, dogs or something more unusual. However, it can be hard to get the balance right between making your home a safe and natural place for both humans and animals alike. As you coexist, it is often hard to ensure that your house is as clean and as presentable as you always would want it to be.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to pet proof your home – from simply being aware of potential danger to remodeling your shared spaces, better accommodating all who use them! Pet friendly home ideas usually fall in one of two areas, and let’s take a look at them below.
Design choices
Rather than trying to remove any evidence whatsoever of pets in your home (like muddy footprints or hair), many animal lovers will design their house to work in harmony with their pets:
– Pet-proof Flooring
There are many home improvement projects that will help you keep your pet (and your house) in better shape. High quality linoleum is great for keeping clean and can look very smart if you know what you’re doing. Or, if you’re looking to get more creative, what about building your cat a specially disguised litter box or making a dog run in the garden?
– Shabby chic is your best friend
When choosing or re-purposing furniture, go for the “worn look.” Dogs that can’t resist scrambling up on the sofa or cats that love to keep their claws sharpened on them are a big problem. That is, if your furniture is meant to look flawless. Consider instead, thick leather upholstery that looks better the more ‘worn’ it becomes.
– Hide the evidence
Have a black cat? Don’t buy a white sofa! Whichever acquisition comes first, it’s worth thinking about how simple choices can make your life easier and your home look better.
– Thwart chewing
Just like humans, animals can learn behaviors that make them more acceptable creatures to be around! If your pets are always chewing cables and shoes, or jumping on furniture they shouldn’t, consider spraying these objects with something unappealing, such as bitter apple. That, plus a bit of positive reinforcement, should do the trick! (Bitter Apple Anti-Chew Repellent via our Amazon Affiliate link.)
Keeping safe
If your pets go outside, it’s hard to make sure they’re always safe from risks. Consider getting cat or dog insurance for emergencies and follow these tips to keep your pets as safe as possible:
– Watch what they eat
Some plants, such as the lily, are particularly harmful to animals. Although cats will often eat grass or similar to purge themselves, you should take steps to prevent them from eating plants they might not be familiar with, particularly when leaving them alone in the house.
– Curious cats
The phrase about what curiosity did to the poor cat doesn’t need repeating, but it’s worth bearing in mind not only that many animals are naturally curious, but also that they can also be quite skilled at getting to the object of their curiosity! For the DIYers amongst you, there are plenty of creative options you could use, such as special fastenings or gates, to keep objects in their rightful place.
– Be mindful of chemicals
Some chemical cleaning products, for example, pine-based ones, are much more toxic to animals than humans. Clean up any spills. In particular, watch out for antifreeze – its primary ingredient, ethylene glycol, smells and tastes sweet and could seem like a refreshing drink for your pet.
– Watch wiring: Many pets, particularly cats, harm themselves on electrical cables and curtain cords in homes. They can panic when entangled and either ensnare themselves further or bring everything crashing down around them. Keep cords tied up and cables tidied away (and don’t forget to get pet insurance to make sure your loved animal gets the right treatment should the worst happen).
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Editor’s Note: There are is no questions that many remodelers are also pet owners, find more tips in our category, Remodeling with Pets. Thanks for reading for reading and Cheers. ~jb, editor – BuildingMoxie.com.
Photo Credits:
Cool Dog Sheds via dogsinthegarden.co.uk.
This and other Cleverly Disguised Litter Boxes @ beautynewsnyc.com.
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