I read a meme somewhere that said, “Plants are the new pets, and pets are the new kids.” That really struck a chord with me. A lot of people my age are opting to either delay having kids or just decide not to have any at all. Instead, a lot of people turn to adopting furry friends like dogs or cats. With everything’s that happening right now, who can blame them? Even then, having a pet is still a huge responsibility. Aside from the usual vet visits, have you ever considered whether you have a pet-friendly home?
Pet-Friendly Home Checklist
1. Safety First!
Get down to your doggo’s level and see the home through his eyes. Make sure to cover any open electrical socket and tidy up any loose electrical wires that your pets might get into. Also, hammer down any protruding nails from floorboards or trims. This is really important especially if you have new playful pups around that are just raring to gnaw at everything they see, or if you have a senior pet that might have some trouble seeing.
2. Get Pet-Safe Plants
Before you go on another plant shopping spree, make a quick google search if these plants are safe for pets. There are actually a lot of common indoor plants that are poisonous to cats and dogs such as aloe vera, pothos, and the zz plant. Even if your furry friend isn’t the type to munch randomly on plants, it’s still a good idea to avoid these types of houseplants at the nursery. If you truly cannot live without them, make sure you place these plants in very hard-to-reach areas.
3. Secure the Trash Bins
If your pet can make trash pandas (raccoons) give a run for their money, get some trash bins with secure lids. Sometimes, these rambunctious little scamps just can’t help themselves when nobody is looking (or if they’re ballsy enough, they do it while making eye contact with you). Make sure that all your trash bins are securely fastened with a lid so that they can’t go through the garbage. This saves you a lot of time from cleaning up any potential mess, and from going to impromptu vet trips if they manage to eat something they shouldn’t have.
4. Install Some Screens
I have a friend whose cat actually jumped from their second floor balcony. The cat is fine, don’t worry. But it did get a small gash on the chin from the jump. Stay on the safe side and install screens on windows and doors, even if your house is a bungalow. It lets a nice, cool breeze in and prevents your little escape artists from bolting out the door (or window, in my friend’s case). If you have the means, invest in stronger reinforcements for big dogs such as dobermans. (They can break down anything!) Make your home pet-safe for pets of any size!
5. Use Low-Odor Paint
Dogs and cats have a really acute sense of smell. If the smell of fresh paint stings your nose, imagine what it smells like to them! When you’re doing an interior painting project, don’t forget to bring them out the house. Take care of your pet fish too! You don’t want any kind of paint to splash into the aquarium. On the quest for a pet-friendly home, stick with low-odor, low-VOC paints such as Virtuoso Silk Touch. Another pro in using Virtuoso is that it’s also formulated with Teflon, making it an easy-clean paint. Perfect for pets who like to paw on the walls after a run outside the garden.
As paw parents, we want what’s best for our fur babies. These are just some suggestions to make your house truly a pet-friendly home. Do you have any other suggestion in making your home pet-safe? Write it down in the comments below and let us know!
