How to Create a Stylish Yet Pet-Friendly Home

We all love our pets; we wouldn't have them if we didn't. However, we also love our homes. Sometimes having pets can make it difficult for us to maintain a clean and orderly home. It is not the fault of our pets. They never mean any harm. However, accidents happen, and our pets could soil or damage our things. Sometimes they could get over excited and play with our furniture and other decorative elements in our home.  

The trick is to get ahead of these things. Design your home in such a way where it would be hard for your pets to accidentally destroy your things. Set them up for success, so you do not get disappointed if they fall short of the disciplined behavior you have trained them to have.  

Remember that even though you love your home, and you want your home to look good, our pets need even more care. Your house and your pets’ walking route to is their entire world. They have to be comfortable to move around in it. They have to feel like the space belongs to them as well. Be sure that you are not restricting them from expressing themselves. You may have some things in your house you want to keep safe, but it is your job to provide outlets for your pets to get their energy out so that they don't take it out on your things anymore.

It is solely a pet owner’s responsibility to make sure their pets don’t destroy their furniture. You can give your pet all the best training and discipline, but animal instincts will sometimes take over. They don't do it to be mean or malicious, animals are simply curious and want to play. Sometimes they have so much energy that they have to take it out on the things around them, so also make sure to exercise your pets regularly to be able to allocate their energy appropriately. Sometimes it’s not an issue of too much energy. Maybe your pet simply has occasional accidents on your furniture. It happens, so you have to be proactive about preventing such events. Carefully consider the type of material your furniture is made of. You can always find pieces made of stain resistant and washable materials. Pieces meant for the outdoors are usually more forgiving with dirt and stains.

If the problem is that your pet sheds a lot, purchasing furniture that is a similar color to their fur can be an easy solution to make the hair less noticeable. However, the downside to this is that it’s harder to see if you’ve cleaned something thoroughly enough. Keep the pros and cons in mind and see which is more important to you in terms of your house’s cleanliness.  

Many common household items could be toxic, poisonous, and even deadly to our beloved pets. However, this does not mean that we have to ban these items from our homes. Instead, we should ensure that we store and dispose these items responsibly. Try not to have storage where your pet can reach. Opt for higher storage (relative to your pet’s height), especially for items like medicine and chemicals. If you still need storage in lower areas, or if your pet can climb high places, ensure that your things are stored in containers with lids or cabinets with doors. Make sure that the lids lock and cannot be easily removed.

You are not only protecting your pet from harmful items, but you’re also preventing any messes they can make by playing with your things. Make sure that even when throwing away harmful items, you’re still keeping your pet in mind. Your trashcans should have lids, or they should be hidden away in somewhere your pet cannot reach.

Again, no matter how well-trained your pet is, accidents happen and there’s no reason to get angry over it. Just take the necessary precautions to protect your flooring from your pet’s excrements. Just because you have a pet doesn’t mean you can’t have a rug. Don’t deprive yourself of a beautiful area rug. There's no need to compromise style for functionality. All you have to do is make sure that the area rug is either washable or stain resistant. 

Wall-to-wall carpeting, however, is another story. It would be much too big to clean and even if you were able to clean it, undesirable smells can still linger. So, choose water-resistant flooring instead. It makes cleaning up waste so much easier this way. Aside from smells, your pet may also be tempted to scratch carpeting due to its texture. Keep this in mind when choosing area rugs. Go for the less chunky types.

You don’t want your pets to go out without your supervision. They could get run over by cars, get into fights with other animals, or attack strangers. You are responsible for your pet and how they interact with the world. 

Ensure that they do not leave the safety of your home without your knowledge. Cats are particularly good at sneaking out of the house because they are so good at climbing out of windows. One way you can make sure your cat doesn’t get out is to install screens on your windows. This way, you can keep the windows open to let the breeze in without worrying about your cat climbing on a ledge. This is especially important for people who live in high-rise apartments and condos because going out of the window could be deadly for your pet. 

Still, you should allow your pets some freedom. If you have a gated backyard, you could install a doggy door (that you can lock when needed). Put door stoppers for the rooms your pet is allowed to enter. This does not only help them with mobility around the home, but it also prevents them from being hurt by swinging and banging doors.