Turning Your Multi-Pet Household Into a Well-Organized Environment

There are few things more delightful than owning a house full of sweet, lovable pets. However, having so many fur babies under one roof can potentially lead to a less-than-peaceful atmosphere, especially if you're dealing with various species in an enclosed space. Cats and dogs are often stereotypically pitted against each other. Yet, in fact, many can learn to become comfortable around each other over time, even just as roommates, if not as actual friends. If you're feeling overwhelmed with your current living situation and it's time to make some changes for the sake of the entire household, here are a few helpful tips for turning your multi-pet residence into a calm, harmonious environment for the long-term.

Focus on Providing Multiple Sleep Spots

In an effort to keep the peace within your household, you should ensure that your furry friends have their own separate spaces within the home, most importantly, when it comes to eating and sleeping. If your home is presently looking more like a frat house than an organized family residence, it's time to start designating certain areas for your animals to sleep in. Allowing your cats and dogs to choose their own personal sleeping quarters gives them the means for creating a safe space that's entirely their own, which can help prevent other issues like scent marking and fighting down the road. Simply place a few different-sized pet beds around the home, and allow your four-legged friends to choose their intended sleep nest. While cats are often more instinctually prone to sleeping on their owner's bed or couch, dogs can become more inclined to stay in their own dog beds, leaving you with cleaner furniture as an added bonus.

Make Separate Feeding Stations a Priority

Just as pets can be very territorial over their sleeping places, so too can they become possessive over their feeding areas. While dogs and cats generally get along eating next to members of their own species, placing dog and cat bowls too close together can potentially cause discomfort and unease, which is sure to lead to greater tension among the fur babies. Set up a plan to feed your cats in a quiet space, like a laundry room or mud room and allow your dogs to have more space by serving them in the garage or on your back patio. Such basic changes to the feeding arrangements can mean a world of difference, not just for your pets' overall comfortability in your household, but for the sake of everyone's ideal peaceful environment, as well.

Upgrade Your Home to a "Gated" Community

Yes, just as humans find solace and safety in living in a gated community, pets can also learn to enjoy living in a space with gated sections for optimal relaxation. For instance, if you're bringing home a new pet, it can take some time for your current animals to become accustomed to the new arrival, regardless of whether it's a cat or a dog. Bringing a newbie into the fold requires a slow and steady introduction, so using pet gates or other similar barriers to fashion together different areas of the house for early separation of your furry friends can be the wisest decision. Such divisions may seem like a step backward at first, but it's vital that your new pet gets to know its surroundings comfortably before being thrown into the large group right from the start. This can prevent bad behaviors as well, such as potty accidents and territorial fighting, which can be detrimental to both your pets' well-being and your home overall.

Invest in Necessary Cleaning Supplies

You may get used to pet odors and dander over time, and before you realize it, you have visitors coming over and commenting on smells that you can't even recognize anymore. Keeping up on chores and cleaning your pets’ living areas is crucial to maintaining a tidy home for everyone's enjoyment. Find a suitable heavy-duty vacuum that's designed especially for picking up animal fur and dander. Invest in high-quality cleaning products that are pet-friendly to avoid harmful chemical residue and ones that are armed with odor eliminators to ensure a fresh, clean atmosphere for days afterward. Make sure to properly clean your dogs' blankets, washable toys and any attire your pups are used to wearing. Meanwhile, clean rugs or other upholstery that your cats are prone to sleeping and resting on to remove fur and dander at least once a week.

When in Doubt, Give Your Cats Their Own Room

Sometimes you can make all the positive changes in the world, and your cats and dogs still won't get along. This is normal, and it simply means that you'll have to set up a specific room for your cats to reside in (if you have extra room to spare). Setting up cat trees , litter boxes, beds and food bowls within one space just for your lovable felines may be the best approach for maintaining the harmony within the home. This way, all of your pets can convene together throughout common spaces in the home during the day, but the cats still have more private quarters to return to in the evening to feel as though they have their personal space.

All in all, it's important to give your pets plenty of space to roam while also helping them feel as though they're safe and secure within their surroundings. However you need to make adjustments to meet the needs of your four-legged friends, these helpful guidelines are a great starting point for a happy and comfortable multi-pet living space.