Create a Home That Works for You and Your Pets
Having pets in the home involves a lot of vacuuming hair, picking up squeaky toys, and repairing rips, tears and splintered furniture legs. The good news is that there are ways to live in harmony with your pets while keeping your home intact. From installing a waterproof pet couch cover to clipping your pets’ nails, here are a few ways you can protect your furniture from your pets.
1. Provide Alternatives for Chewing and Scratching
Dogs, especially puppies, love to chew on things. However, dogs chewing on your furniture can cause damage. Help your dog break the habit by giving him his own things to keep him entertained, such as squeaky toys and chew sticks. Choose toys that are safe, nontoxic and designed for pets. Consider the size of the toy in relation to your dog’s size. If the toy is too small, your dog may easily be able to swallow it.
Scratching is a natural instinct for your cat. Instead of trying to curb her behavior, redirect it. To avoid shredded sofa legs, let scratching posts or trees take the brunt of the scratching cats inflict on furniture. Cat scratchers come in a variety of styles and sizes. Tree structures give your cat her own space and afford her the luxury of climbing, jumping and sleeping all in one unit. Look for scratchers that are tall and stable enough to accommodate your cat’s full weight and height. One scratcher is good, but two or more are ideal, especially when you strategically place them in your cat’s favorite places. Try placing a scratching tree with a bed or perch on top next to a window so your cat can spend the day bird-watching or basking in the sun. If your cat is more inclined to scratch horizontally, a mat scratcher may work best.
Supervise your pets when they’re playing with toys and dispose of any items that become damaged.
2. Groom Pet Hair and Nails
Grooming your pet is an important part of her regular care, but it also affects your furniture and home’s environment. Brushing your pet daily with a grooming mitt is an easy way to remove excess hair. It also cuts down on the amount of hair that ends up on furniture, counters, clothes, etc.
Even though your pets may be a bit fussy about it, grooming their nails can lessen the risk of injury to you and your pets. It also protects your furniture from scratches and punctures. If your pets won’t let you groom them, you can always take them to the groomer and let a professional do the job.
3. Install Gates
Sometimes our pets can be like little tornados on four furry legs. One surefire way to prevent your pet from ruining furniture or knocking things over is to confine him to a certain area of the home with a pet gate. Pet gates are portable so you can place them in a doorway, hallway, or at the top or bottom of a stairway to keep your pet’s movement limited. A gate also gives him the freedom to romp and get the exercise he needs, and he won’t be confined to a small space like he would in a crate.
4. Consider Using a Crate
Crates offer another way to restrict your dog’s access to certain areas of the house. You can also use a crate as a training tool to prevent dogs — especially puppies — from chewing on the furniture.
5. Provide a Pet Bed
Pets like to have a comfortable place to sleep just like we do. Provide your pet with a comfy bed of her own. Whenever she climbs on your bed, the sofa or any other surface that’s off-limits, gently coax her onto her own bed.
6. Use Sofa Protectors
If you enjoy cuddling on the sofa with your pets but don’t like the hair and dander that come with it, a sofa protector is a great line of defense. Sofa protectors are typically reversible and machine washable, making them convenient to clean.
7. Reward the Behavior You Want
If your pets make themselves comfortable on an out-of-bounds sofa, chair or bed, try positive reinforcement to teach them to stay off the furniture. Use verbal commands to get them to hop down or gently move them to the floor. Praise them or give them a treat to reinforce the idea that staying off the furniture is the correct behavior. It may also be helpful to quickly distract them with a toy or activity. Patience and consistency are key to this approach.
8. Clean Muddy Paws Before Pets Enter the House
Dogs love to romp in the mud, but they don’t understand that their dirty paws are a homeowner’s nightmare. To keep your furniture free from muddy paw prints, keep an old rag or cleaning cloth near each door so you can wipe your pup’s paws before he comes inside.
9. Try Pet-Friendly Fabrics
If you can’t bear to restrict your pets from jumping on your sofa and chairs, your next best option is to choose pet-friendly fabrics, such as leather, faux leather, microfiber, microsuede, etc.
Leather is easy to clean and doesn’t collect hair. The major drawback to leather is that it’s susceptible to your pets puncturing it with their nails, which brings us back to the manicure. Be sure to keep your pets’ nails neatly trimmed so they don’t poke holes in the material.
Microfiber fabric is tightly woven, which makes it more resistant to liquids seeping in. It also holds up well to pulls and tears. Woven fabrics like herringbone or chenille have dimensionality or visual texture that can help hide stains. This is especially true with multicolor patterns.