Some things that don’t harm humans can be very dangerous to pets, for example, detergents. But that doesn’t mean you banish your pet friends to the yard. You can add a few things to make your house pet friendly without sacrificing comfort and style. So, whether you have been longing for a pet or already have a new addition to the family, here is what you must do.
1. Feeding and Washing Stations
Having your cat or a dog eat in the kitchen with the family is always fun. But kitchens are the busiest rooms of a home, and pets can knock over dishes. In fact, Metro published a story in December 2020 warning homeowners to keep pets off the kitchen during Christmas days. Vets from the UK had given a warning earlier.
Once you have your pets as a new addition to the family, create a built-in feeding station to save them from injuries. Fortunately, if they are messy eaters, you can easily track spilled water and food within the room. It’s always advisable to create a feeding station outside the kitchen. But if you have a spacious kitchen, under the cabinetry can be the best area to build the pet feeding station.
However, if you have many pets to feed, you can do a simple kitchen renovation. This entails small shelves that can prevent the pets from crossing into the cooking area. The advantage of feeding stations is that you can leave food and pet water in the station for them to feed on when you are away.
Another addition to consider when you welcome a pet as a new addition to the family is the washing stations. Almost 90.5 million US. families own pets, but unfortunately, they hoist them in laundry and bathtubs. The most trendy home renovation nowadays is the pet washing stations, considering pets can carry dangerous pests in their hair.
Most of the washing stations look like half-height shower stores. These are best if you have bigger dogs. But if you have smaller pets, ask your bathroom contractor to build a sunken tiled tub nearly a counter height.
2. Mud Rooms
Mudrooms are excellent additions beneficial for pets and humans. When you choose to have a pet as a new addition to the family, renovate the house to set up a mud room. Traditionally, mud rooms used to be at the back or side doors. But you can set it around the front door to make it easier for children and pets to clean their messy feet.
Creating an attractive and functional mud room in the front area is not complicated. Prepare special places for walking and design a platform for wiping messy feet and footwear. Regardless of the size, install drawers for storage and several hooks for dump towels. In the drawers, pet owners store poop bags, toys used for outdoor playing, and treats. This will help reduce the dust and grime in the house since pets can jump everywhere.
3. Built-In Beds
Pets owners have traditionally used crates as sleeping places for pets. But experts insisted on having a better place for the pets to sleep. They pointed out dogs and gave a few facts on why they needed a dog bed. One of the reasons is for the pet to master its domain. Surprisingly, pets need time for themselves, just like humans.
Secondly, sleeping on a hard surface can pose health risks to pets. They need a soft bed to avoid pain and discomfort. Dogs suffer hip dysplasia, arthritis, and other structural ailments that need an easy life to cure.
The third thing to know before having a new addition to the family is that special pet beds help maintain home cleanliness. Since dead hair usually plucks out of the body while asleep, it’s easier to clean the sleeping area without messing up the whole house.
4. Cat Highways and Shelves
Invest in cat highways and shelves if you look forward to having kitties at your home. Cats love to climb and jump. So, setting up a few shelves to rest on and the walkways will keep them active. But you need to carry out the project carefully so that you won’t lose the living room space.
Install a cat highway higher than eye level and leave space for the windows and photographs. Luckily, you can have a lot of flexibility when creating cat highways and shelves. Kitty condo towers and scratching posts are excellent ideas to keep the cats active. However, avoid using plastics in making cat walkways and shelves because they are slippery. A wooden walkway is better since the cat nails can grasp the surface well. You can also use other materials with a rough surface to facilitate easy cat movement.
5. Invest In a Vacuum Cleaner
A pet as a new addition to the family will require regular house cleaning. Pet hair has an odor and contains oil that attracts dust and grime to the fabric. Experts advise vacuuming the hair off the furniture at least twice a week or daily if your pet sheds a lot of hair.
There are special vacuums made for the animals. They miraculously suck up the pet’s hair. Some efficient pet hair vacuums can cost from $91 to $500. The size and power will be determined by your pet’s size, number, and the amount of hair in their bodies.
6. Choose Hard Surface Floors
Pets often jump around and may scratch the floors or damage the carpets with their nails. As such, you must invest in a hard surface floor like concrete or ceramic tiles. Apart from being toenail-proof, they make the room more appealing. On the other hand, porous materials like marble or natural stones are not suitable for the pet.
However, the worst floor you should never hire a flooring contractor to do if you have pets is the wood. Dogs and cats can easily scratch the wood, and it’s also prone to stains. Pet hair oil easily stains wooden floors.
If you have to use a carpet, choose stain-resistant material that is easier to clean and vacuum. You don’t need to invest much in carpet cleaning businesses at all times since you can do it yourself. Schedule at least two times professional cleaning services in three months and carry out the simple vacuuming yourself.
7. Match Colors to the Pet Fur
Ideally, have a new addition to the family before shopping for the living room curtains and furniture colors. The advantage of matching the house colors with pet fur is that the house will look appealing. And secondly, once the hair comes off the body, it will be difficult to identify them around the house.
Matching colors will help you schedule regular vacuuming and cleaning of the house without having to rush. But ensure you purchase an AC from a reliable HVAC company to keep the home cool because pets’ hair can harm human health. If you have asthmatic people around, maintain the HVAC system because they are at higher risk.
Furniture material is also essential. You don’t need plastic or wooden furniture legs much when you have pets around. Pets love chewing, so they will quickly damage furniture legs. Ideally, choose metallic furniture legs or ensure you have better furniture refinishing that will not attract dogs. Invest in plastic or rubber toys that dogs can play with instead of furniture.
8. Store Fragile Items and Chemicals Properly
Cats and dogs often jump around and disorganize items in the house. If you have glass utensils and other equipment, you need to store them in safe places to avoid accidents. Glass can break and injure pets or children if they fall off. Ideally, lock them in the cabinet and ensure they are in a safe place after use. On the other hand, chemicals like cleaning supplies must have a safe storage area because they can harm pets. Have a special drawer for the house’s washing detergents and other chemicals.
9. Be Careful With the Wiring
The best way to protect your pets from electrocution is to have concealed wiring in your home. Pets chew the wires because they are protected with rubber. And in the process, they damage the covering exposing themselves and people to danger. A concealed wiring hides the wires for safety and creates a cleaner look.
However, even with concealed wiring, you will have a few cables in the room that cannot be concealed. Examples are TV video cables and aerial cables. The best way to protect pets from these cables is to invest in protectors they cannot chew.
10. Get Trash Cans With Lids
Trash cans usually carry bad foods, indigestible items, and harmful chemicals. Having your pets around these can mess up their health or litter the house as they try to sniff in and check whether food is inside. So, invest in trash cans with lids to keep the children and pets from accessing the inside. Additionally, clear the trash cans regularly to avoid the accumulation of litter in the house. This will improve the air quality in the house for the pets to stay active.
11. Pet-Friendly Indoor Plants
Pets may need indoor plants to have a balanced environment. They tend to be more active in a natural environment than in a room with screens and furniture. One of the advantages of most pet-friendly plants is that they don’t need much investment in pest control. In fact, an indoor plant is less likely to be infected with pests.
You can purchase pet plants as the normal indoor plants for your home for aesthetics. Examples of pet-friendly plants in the market are:
- Spider Plant
- Parlor palm
- Orchid
- Radiator plants
- Money tree
- Air plant
- Friendship plant
- Christmas Cactus
12. Install Blockades
Pets can easily get into the areas between the sofas and other furniture. If the spaces are too small, they can get stuck and injured. The best way to protect your kitty or a porch is to install blockades on these areas. This will limit the pets’ movements to remain in an open space where you can monitor them.
Blockades also help to keep pets off the areas with washing machines, refrigerators, dryers, and other appliances in the house. In a Canadian Veterinary journal, entrapments of cats in a front-loading washing machine were reported where; one cat died the day after the rescue. The other cat developed severe complications after ten days of treatment. Before purchasing a pet as a new addition to the family, ensure the area is well sealed, and everything else is set. Your cat will be safe from injuries or even death.
13. Dedicate a Space
Homeowners have been renovating their homes to have a large living room that will accommodate the family and guests. But not only humans who love spacious rooms. Pets, like dogs, need a spacious area to play around with their toys.
On the other hand, cats love spaces to jump around and be free. Especially if children play around with the pets in the room, you must invest in space. You can combine the living room with the dining to create a good sitting area and use the front area as free space.
14. Outside Playing Areas
In most pet stores, you will find already-trained cats or dogs. Most are trained to play outdoors as they enjoy the sun and the natural environment. So, if your pet is used to going in the open, you will have to invest more in your yard. Do landscaping in a way that will create comfort for the pets by leaving walkways and spaces for the sun to penetrate.
Additionally, build your yards keeping in mind your pet can escape and move to the road or disappear. Install fences and add structures that will limit the movement outside the yard. Moreover, you will need to take care of flora.
The plants growing in your yard could be poisonous to your pet. Do thorough research and call a specialist to analyze the area before releasing the pets to move around. Also, check the sprinkler systems because they can tamper with them as they play around.
Pets are a fantastic new addition to the family because they keep everyone lively. But before you purchase your amazing friends, ensure the house is ready to receive them. You will have to care for them as you care for your kids. Once you master the care practices, pets will quickly find their way into your heart.