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There's no doubt that your beloved pets are part of the family, and should feel as such when they're living in your household. However, if you're looking to bring home a new furry friend and your residence isn't yet suitable for housing multiple animals at once, it may be time to improve the state of your living space for the comfortability and safety of everyone, and every pet, involved.
Here are some easy and effective ideas for turning your home into a pet-friendly resort, where your cats and dogs can feel loved, cherished and protected every day of the week, without putting any strain on your family in the process.
Check for Safety Hazards
If you already own a dog or cat, you're likely to have safety-proofed your home in ways you don't even recognize anymore. However, owning an older dog or cat who doesn't care to cause a lot of commotion in your household anymore is different than inviting a new, potentially young puppy or kitten into your living space. Young animals are rambunctious and loaded with energy, and are undoubtedly ready to explore every hidden nook and cranny of your home once they arrive — whether those hidden areas are safe for them to explore or not.
Therefore, it's time to pet-proof more of your surroundings. Check for low-hanging wires attached to electronic devices, lamps or other furniture that can easily be swatted at by a sneaky kitty or a curious pup who doesn't understand the risk. Move any dangling plants or potted plants further away from the edge of any countertops or tabletops to discourage them from falling. Be sure to keep certain appliance doors closed, such as your dishwasher, washing machine or dryer. Ensure that cabinet doors are properly latched or locked to keep inquisitive pets out, and keep any dangerous cleaning chemicals out of reach of your fur babies.
Overall, it's best to pet-proof your home in the same way you would for a baby, accounting for all things that may simply be too interesting for a small pup or kitty to resist. That being said, if an accident or mishap does occur, it's safest to have a pet first aid kit on hand, as well.
Prepare for Leaving Your Pup Unattended
As much as you'd love to spend every waking hour watching and playing with your new little furball, keeping your household operating smoothly does require handling other responsibilities from time to time. This means needing to spend some moments away from your active little canine, moments in which he could no doubt find a way to get himself into trouble.
Thankfully, there are ways you can prepare to leave him unsupervised without needing to fear for his well-being. Set up a protective gate in front of any staircases in your home so you can guarantee your pup doesn't make his way onto any other floors while your back is turned. Meanwhile, you can even invest in a solid crate for him while he's young, training him to not only view the object as a restrictive area, but a place for him to consider his own personal hideaway, as well.
Load up on Pet Supplies
Buying supplies for your pets doesn't necessarily mean just buying them food, feeding bowls, potty pads, litter boxes and the like (though these things are certainly important). Give your young furry friends some extra homey treats to give them a warm welcome when they arrive, such as a comfortable bed to sleep in, or hand over some fun new toys to encourage active play and interaction.
While you may have some of these items laying around the house already from your older pets, it's always important to give your new arrivals some individual things of their own. Being presented with these items gives your fur babies a sense of comfort and relaxation in times of stress or anxiety, knowing they have their own personal belongings.
Keep Your Home Mess and Clutter-Free
In order for your pets to feel comfortable in your living space, the humans that live under the same roof have to be comfortable where they're living, too. In this case, you'll need to find ways to declutter your home in order to keep a balanced household, almost guaranteeing that you and your family members won't feel as though you're residing in a pet store instead of your own home.
Once you've collected a fair amount of toys for your cats and dogs, give the toys a place to live for the long-term that doesn't involve being a tripping hazard in the middle of the floor. Bundle them together into one place so you know where they're stored, and you can keep inventory of which toys to keep or get rid of after your puppy or kitten gets bored of them.
Beyond this, you can also protect the state of your furniture by adorning your couch or chair cushions with high-quality furniture covers. These are designed to safeguard your upholstery from pet hair, claw marks or soil spots, and they can be washed and reapplied whenever necessary, making clean-up a breeze. For puppies and kittens just learning to control themselves, these items can work like a charm for your furniture as you work through their earliest stages of life.
Expanding your family with new furry additions is never a bad idea; just make sure you're properly prepared to handle the responsibility of additional animals with a pet-friendly home that welcomes the new feisty furballs with open doors.
