How to Make Your Home Pet-friendly

Posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2019

According to figures shared by House Beautiful, 12 million – or 44% – of the UK’s households include pets. The national pet population has reached roughly 54 million, with dogs living in 27% of households and cats residing in 17%. You might even have added to these figures yourself.

Still, it might not strictly follow that your abode is currently pet-friendly. Unfortunately, homes can be littered with hidden hazards for pets, but there are ways of eliminating an array of risks.

Keep your own foods and medications out of pets’ reach

If you regularly leave these foods and medications on the likes of countertops or tabletops, watch out for “ladders” which curious pets could ascend to access these elevated areas.

Of course, it might not be long before your perishable goods go from a tabletop to a bin – but, even there, they might not be entirely safe from your pets. Your little friends could, after all, be tempted to rummage through bins, but fitting lids tightly on these bins could act as an effective deterrent.

Eliminate risks of falling

For a pet, reaching as high as a tabletop could risk them falling from it, potentially with the result of a serious injury. Furthermore, such areas could be far from the only parts of your home posing that risk; remember to keep toilet lids down and windows closed.

Strong dangers of leaving a toilet lid up would include those of the pet becoming poisoned or drowning, as This Old House explains, so it’s important to check diligently in the bathroom.

Give your pet their own “play space”

You might already have experience of leaving a washing machine door open while you fetch some clothes, only to return and find your kitten or puppy inside. You could reduce the chances of such sneakiness by giving your little friend a special, dedicated space in which to play.

In this space, you could store the pet’s toys in a neat but readily accessible way, allowing them to chase balls and enjoy some “me” time without putting themselves at needless risk.

Make sure your upholstery is fur-free

Some fabrics can seemingly accumulate pet hair as though they are special “pet hair magnets”. Good examples of such fabrics include velvet, corduroy, mohair, velour and chenille. You can probably also recall occasions when your cat has dug into the fabric, so be sure to avoid delicate materials like silk.

Instead, invest in such quality textiles as smooth tapestries, leathers and synthetic fibres. With such choices of upholstery, you can help to keep fur at bay and claws from tearing into the material.

Keep it clean – your flooring, that is

If your pet often spends time in the rainy or muddy outdoors or is still going through toilet training, it would be in your interest to have easy-to-clean flooring.

Laminate, stone and ceramic flooring could do the trick, while hardwood floors prone to speedily staining should be avoided, though harder woods like mahogany or oak would be relatively…hardy.

Please note that if you live in a leasehold property, adjustments to the flooring, and even having a pet in the first place, may require the consent of your landlord and therefore it is recommended you check beforehand.