Worried Your Pet Will Ruin Your Furniture? Try These 7 Things
We all love our pets and want them to be happy. But, we also like our furniture and don’t want it ruined. There are at least 7 things to do to protect furniture while being good to our animal companions. The first step in success in pet ownership is good training both for the animal and for the human. A pet owner should be familiar with their pet and what is normal behavior for that animal. Then, they should find strategies to prevent damage to their home.
Dealing With Animal Accidents
Some animals don’t ever become completely housebroken or have health issues that cause them to not have complete control of their urination. If an animal is having accidents in the house or on furniture, it can be a real issue with bad odor and stains. Are you taking the animal outdoors to urinate often enough? Are you paying attention every time the animal asks to go out? Is the animal in heat? If it is a male, has he been fixed? If an animal is sick, take them to the veterinarian to get treatment, and discuss the situation with the vet for his advice.
One solution for relief while the issue is being dealt with is puppy or kitty pads. You can find these online, just look for puppy pads at Pet Parents and order the right size. They have pads for both dogs and cats. Once you have the pads, place them where the animal most often goes to have an accident or on furniture you want to protect.
7 Tips For Protecting Furniture
- When pets are allowed on furniture, clean that furniture every week by vacuuming, dusting, wiping with a damp cloth, and so on. Rotate removable cushions often. By doing this, you avoid one cushion becoming the dog’s go-to place to nap. Frequent cleaning also helps furniture stay newer looking and catching stains early makes them easier to remove. Choose pet-friendly furniture with easy-to-clean upholstery.
- When dogs are taken outside to play or go for a walk in the dirt, especially on rainy days, wipe their feet and legs with a towel at the door so dirt and mud do not get tracked in. To be safe, check the whole dog for dirt and wet spots to wipe off. Dogs need to go out to do their peeing and pooping. A cat litter box should be placed properly for a cat and cleaned out often.
- Draping covers on the furniture the animal likes to lounge on will make clean up easier and avoid the furniture getting stained. You can remove the cover to launder periodically and when you are having company.
- Avoid pets getting up on furniture by purchasing them their own dog bed and locating it near where you relax. You can get bite and scratch-resistant beds from makers like Bobby Bed which would last longer than your average piece of furniture would. If your pet does not immediately take to the bed then teach him or her to use that space to relax. Put a bone or treat for him on the bed. Give him toys or a dog blanket to have there. Reward the pet for using their new special place.
- Scratching is a special problem to avoid if at all possible. More cats then dogs scratch. For cats, get a scratching post or box and train them to use it with rewards when they do. You may need multiple ones, but they are inexpensive and easy to make as a DIY project. You can spray furniture with cat repellent as a last resort. Grooming a cat properly can help avoid scratching damage. Cats and dogs need their claws trimmed periodically. Do not de-claw your cat!
- Close doors on rooms you don’t want the animals in such as guest bedrooms. Cover beds and other places they lay with covers to collect the pet dander and fur. Cat and dog beds can give them a better alternative. cats like special enclosed beds. Consider making a shelf in a cabinet into a cat cave, or put a pad in a wicker laundry basket set in an out of the way corner.
- Best yet, be consistent in training your dog or cat where they are welcome to relax.
