Making your home pet-friendly – tips & tricks

Are you planning to adopt a cat or a dog? You might even have one already, but you decided to change your address. Local movers Virginia will take care of your belongings, and you should make sure your home is pet-friendly. If you are not sure how to achieve this, then here are all the tips and tricks of making your home pet-friendly.

Make sure your house is safe

Making your home pet-friendly should start by removing things that could be dangerous to your pets. Certain plants are poisonous for your dog or cat. This means if your cat eats a lily, their kidneys might shut down. For this reason, you should make sure to check other poisonous plants that can cause harm to your pets. Even though these plants are not harmful to humans, they are for your furry friends. That is why you should make sure your home is safe for your pets. If you really want to have one of these poisonous plants, then you can keep them in a room where your pet will not enter.

Ways for making your home pet-friendly

Here are some brief tips on how you can keep your home comfortable for your pets.

Childproof latches – you should use childproof latches on cupboards, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. This will stop your pets from getting inside and potentially swallowing some chemicals.
Store items high – similar to the previous point, all your medications, cleaners, and chemicals put on high shelves, out of reach.
Cover the garbage – if possible, store garbage cans in a cabinet; if not then make sure to cover the garbage cans.
Use blockades – put up blockades so your pets cannot get behind household appliances since they might get stuck and overheat.
Keep food out of reach – some food can cause problems for your pets, especially the wrapper since it presents a choking hazard.
Close the toilet lid – to prevent small animals from drowning and bigger ones from drinking harmful toxins.

a dog lying on the rug — Make your home comfortable for your dog.

Remove anything that is chewable

This one is a little bit tricky since pets can try to chew almost anything. However, there are certain things you can remove so your pets will not choke on those items. First, try not to leave any dangling wires from lamps and electronic devices. Secondly, do not place picture frames, vases, and similar items on low shelves. Your pets can reach it, break it, and maybe even try to eat it. In addition to this, if you have a sewing kit, make sure to keep it out of reach, especially needles and threads. You can take your sewing kits to storage units Virginia if you are not using them too often. Lastly, keep your shoes in closets that have childproof latches. This way, you will prevent your dog from destroying your shoes and possibly choking on buttons, zippers, and any decorations.

Making your home pet-friendly – things you should have

There are certain items you should get when you are making your home pet-friendly. For this reason, you should buy healthy chew toys. If you have a puppy, get them one of these toys since they form their teeth this way. These toys can be some type of durable toys, hooves, snouts, and so on. In addition to this, if you have a cat, then you should buy the scratch pads. This way, you will save your furniture and carpet from cat marks. Nail caps are also good for your cat, especially if you want to lessen the damage your cat can do to your furniture.

making your home pet-friendly by protecting your furniture from your cat's claws — Protect your couch from your cat.

Keep your home clean

Making your home pet-friendly means keeping your home clean. So after you’re done with the housewarming party, here is what you need to do.

Hide pet hair – it is impossible to completely have your home free of animal hair. For this reason, you can try to make them less visible. If you have a black cat, use darker colors when decorating your home.
Cleaning accidents – when you have a pet, accidents happen all the time. For this reason, be prepared to clean after your pets, at least until you train them.
Regular grooming – if you regularly groom your pets, you will have less hair to clean around the house.
Vacuum cleaner – get a vacuum cleaner that is good for picking up animal hair.
Lint remover – again, since your pet’s hair will be everywhere, you should have several lint removers for your clothes.
Dirty paws – before letting your pets inside, clean their paws.

a dog lying on the floor — Keep your home clean.

Have one corner prepared for your pets

You should have one place dedicated to your pets. This means, their food and water bowls, litter box, and pet’s bed should be always at the same place. This especially applies if you moved with your pet recently. In addition to this, it is better to put a plastic mat under your pet’s bowls. This way, it is easier to clean any food that your pet might spill while they are eating. Also, you should keep the food bowl slightly elevated. This will prevent ants and other insects from getting inside.

Do additional research

It is always wise to seek professional help if you are in a doubt. If you are not sure whether something might be harmful to your pet, you can ask your vet. They will have answers to all your questions. You can even ask your vet for tips for helping your pets to adapt to new surroundings. In addition to this, it is different when you have a dog opposed to having a cat. For this reason, tricks for making your home pet-friendly depends on your pet.