Inviting a furry friend to move in is a big step with a lot of responsibility. Whether you are becoming a pet parent or you have been pet parenting for many years, there is a lot to consider for your animals and your home.
Animals can bring so much joy and boost mood among the house, and also chaos. Suddenly the leather couch has scratches, there is hair everywhere, no white or black sweater is safe from animal hair and sometimes even mysterious stains arrive overnight.
Overall, the joy of having a pet outweighs the difficulties. Like any living thing, having a pet is like having a new roommate and you need to make adjustments in your home for the animal's safety and comfort.
Assume that your pet could get into anything, especially if you haven't had a pet before. Although every animal has their own way of making mischief. Here are ways to pet-proof your home, going room by room to create a good environment for you and your furry friend.
The Kitchen
Identify the problem areas that definitely need proofing, this is rule number one for every room of the house.
As the kitchen is the place with food, animals will always be drawn there. To avoid pets climbing up onto the table, where you eat, always push in the chairs to avoid animals climbing up. Although, they may anyways if they are good jumpers.
Many people feed their animals in the kitchen, but this is a potential mistake as this is where you eat too, and creating a separation of your food and the pet's food is important for your sanity and the health of the pet. A big rule for pet owners is to not feed pets foods they cannot digest, and your food in general isn't good for them.
Create a separate area, such as the laundry room or even the backyard for animals to form a habit of finding their own food there.
If you have left food on the counter before such as fruits or sweets, it is best to change that when animals come into the house, just in case they jump on the counter and take a bite, you don't want your animal to get sick.
Lastly in the kitchen, guard sharp knives in drawers or knife holders, so animals won't be in danger of accidentally getting into something sharp. And use baby-proof locks for under-the-sink cleaning supplies, to avoid a pet consuming dangerous chemicals.
The Living Room
The living room is going to take a hit on your aesthetic goals in order to protect your pets, but there are some remedies a well.
If you have plants in the living room, or anywhere in the house, be aware that some plants are poisonous for animals, so do your research when buying plants. You never know what your animal could get into, so it is important to safeguard electrical wires and outlets. Be mindful of where you leave your chargers, at least in the beginning stages of having a pet.
It is also common that furniture gets scratched when animals join the household, it is recommended to buy couches and ottomans that are easy to clean or made with performance fabric to prevent scratches, tears and stains.
The Bathroom
In the bathroom, animals damage should be minor, but maybe annoying. The occasional ruined toilet paper roll, or finding your pet drinking out of the toilet. Most of this can be avoided by closing the door.
The biggest concern is safeguarding the medicine cabinet and any other bathroom or toiletry item that could be hazardous to your animal if they consume them.
Some people, mostly cat people or apartment dwellers, make a bathroom area for their animals also in the bathroom. It is better if you have the space to make a separate area so you can control the smell and safety of a place that is frequented by your animals.
The Bedroom
In the bedroom, the same rule applies to every room, don't leave things out if you don't want your animal to get into it. This is a good push to stay organized and decrease clutter to keep your house in order for your and your pets.
Specifically in the bedroom, once again be aware of outlets and chords, this goes for your home office especially if you have one!
In the bedroom, if you have curtains be aware that is an easy target for animals to play with, be ready to see some animal hair there, and in your bed.
In the bedroom, your biggest concern will become decreasing animal hair. Buy a vacuum and make part of your cleaning routine minimizing animal hair in the bedroom, and all around the house.
Having a pet is like welcoming a new roommate, companion, and with these easy pet proofing steps, you can have a happy home for both of you.
