“Get a pet, they said. It’ll be fine, they said.” For most of us, pets are not just animals – they are family. Having a pet inside our house makes our lives lighter and sometimes crazier. There is an explicable joy just watching our furballs do crazy stunts-and-fails from time to time. Pets bring positivity inside our home as a baby child does – they can sometimes help us cope with gloomy days too!
As pet lovers, it is hard to imagine our life without our pets. They are our priorities as well. The company that those balls of cuteness bring to our lives are often irreplaceable; that’s why as their human, we have to make sure that we give them the same amount of love as they give us. In addition, we have to ensure that they live in a safe, friendly environment where they can be themselves (with minor disasters).
Although our pets can be adorable, they can sometimes unwittingly cause trouble inside our house, and things can get a little nasty. Living with our pets entails dealing with crazy stuff. Things like torn-off sofas, mud-riddled carpets, paper towels swinging and hanging everywhere, and yes, your favorite flower vase lying on your floor beyond repair – these are pet nightmares that we pray won’t happen to us (or for some, never again). How can we avoid this situations? How can we make our home pet-friendly so that our tiny little Lokis won’t cause much mischief?
START WITH THE FURNITURE
Most people forget about their pets when they buy or move into a new house. When you are in either of these situations, the best way to start building your home with your pets in mind is to purchase furniture sets that are animal-friendly. For starters, buy a sofa made of fabric that is scratch and stain-resistant. Our furry buddies usually want to cuddle with us as we lounge on our couches. But, sometimes, when they’re at it, they might leave a nasty surprise for you to find out an hour later. Hence, you may want to choose synthetic microfiber, leather, and ‘outdoor’ fabrics. Velvets, silk, and tweed are susceptible to stains and scratches, and you won’t want the hassle of getting rid of the stink and pet hair time and time again.
GO WITH FLOORING INSTEAD OF CARPETS
We can’t keep our dogs from running around the house, scattering muds all over the place after playing outside on a rainy day. Sometimes, we can’t take away that joy from them either – what we can do, though, is to make sure that we can have as little work as possible when dealing with their mess later. Carpets are a gorgeous addition to our home’s aesthetics, but living with pets can turn the thing a nightmarish nuisance instead. Muds and our furry friends’ pee and poo are the worst combos for a carpet, and you will undoubtedly take a heck of a time trying to clean it up. You may want to stick to tile flooring instead so it will be easier for you to clean the house.
KEEP TRASH BINS OUT OF THEIR SIGHTS
Pets, specifically dogs, are fond of looting trashcans and cluttering the house with trash like confetti. Hence, it will be wise to position the bins out of your pet’s line of sight. It is also necessary that these bins have lids so that they won’t easily spill, in case your dog finds and decides to tackle it for no reason at all. Further, make sure that you throw harmful chemicals and substances away on a different trashcan to avoid accidental ingestion by your furry buddy.
AVOID USING EASY-TO-BREAK GLASSES
Cat owners can easily relate to this. Cats don’t discriminate, and they always have that tendency to poke and smash things into pieces. Cats don’t care if it’s your favorite vase or your wedding photograph. They just basically don’t care. So when living with your mischievous cat, you can avoid using breakable glasses to minimize the clutter and avoid accidents.
BEWARE OF WIRINGS
When you are using extension wires at home for charging laptops, make sure that they are not within your pets’ reach to avoid all the scary accidents imaginable. Likewise, when working at home, keep flower vases, tumblers, and water glasses away from these wirings because our pets may unintentionally knock them off, and we don’t want them; you or your computer pay the price.
KEEP HUMAN MEDICATIONS AND CHEMICALS OUT THEIR REACH
Have your food and medications sealed somewhere safe from your pet’s reach. For all you know, these foods and meds can have harmful side effects on your pets that can threaten their life. Don’t leave uneaten foods on the table and eliminate the ‘ladders’ where your pets can parkour their way up to your cabinets. Store your insecticides and cleaning agents away to keep both your children and pets safe from accidental contact.
GIVE THEM TOYS TO ‘PLAY’ WITH
Provide something that your pets can tear with their teeth and paws so that they can refocus their grit into something less valuable than your new pair of shoes or your iPhone charger. This will also keep them occupied and leave you alone, especially when you are busy doing chores, having an online meeting, or working on your tasks at home.