Making adjustments for your furry little family member to be safe and comfortable at home will require some work, just as optimizing the living space for yourself did. But, it’s a small price to pay to give your fuzzy pal a happy life. Just consider your pet’s particular needs, whether it’s a puppy, kitten, or an older dog or cat, and make some simple changes to provide a cat or dog friendly home .
Pet-Friendly Home Meaning
You can imagine what a pet-friendly home is like for a dog or cat. It’s a safe, healthy, comfortable, and enjoyable living environment for a pet animal. Figuring out specifically which kinds of tweaks need to be made in your home can be a little harder. Some recommended changes are not obvious. So, here’s some help, including some surprising advice that you probably haven’t heard before.
How To Make Your Home Pet Friendly?
These are some easy tips to support your dog friendly home design to give your pet a healthy, happy home with you:
Inspect Your Home From Your Dog’s Perspective
Literally, spend a little time down on all fours and inspecting the living spaces and storage areas that your pet can access by crawling, climbing, or jumping on furniture:
- Remove access to tiny toys, decorative items, and other choking hazards.
- Remove access to plastic bags, cans, small boxes, etc., and other suffocation hazards.
- Shorten cords on blinds. Cut the cords to eliminate strangling risk from loops.
- Eliminate exposed electric shock risks.
- Keep medication out of reach of pets.
Remove Common Pet Safety Hazards
Many thousands of incidents of pets being exposed to hazards in their homes are reported through veterinary clinics and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) every year. Here are some common household health and safety hazards that can put pets at risk:
- Houseplants: Plants that are toxic to dogs include mums, lilies, aloe vera, poinsettias, and others. Check the ASPCA’s Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database.
- Poisons: Put safety latches on lower cabinets where cleaning products, pesticides, and other materials toxic to animals are stored.
- Antifreeze: Many thousands of dogs have died due to antifreeze poisoning, a shocking statistic. Animals love the sweet taste. So, keep it away from pets, and clean up spills.
- Window Safety: Cats dying or being injured from falling out windows happens so much that vets refer to it as feline high-rise syndrome. Do not depend on screens for fall prevention.
Prevent Pet Access to Trash Can Contents
If your pet may be tempted to dig in your kitchen trash can or outdoor garbage cans, secure those in a way that makes access impossible. Many extreme safety and health risks may be in those bins, including small sharp chicken bones, toxic fruit leaves or stems, sharp lids, plastic bags, and:
- Various fruit seeds can cause cyanide poisoning fatal to dogs.
- Caffeine in chocolate and coffee are toxic to dogs.
- Items containing Xylitol (sugar substitute) can cause fatal liver failure.
- Nutmeg can cause seizures in dogs and damage the central nervous system.
Check the ASPCA’s list of foods toxic to pets.
Optimize Your Outdoor Pet Space
Set up a comfortable pet bed under an airy sun and rain shelter. Provide an abundant fresh water supply, and provide some sturdy, safe toys and pet chews. Most dogs and cats love to be outdoors, so, the ideal dog friendly house provides plenty of yard time. if you’re away from home all day:
- Install a pet door entering a safe yard space.
- Remove toxic plants from your yard, such as some ferns, daffodils, ivies, and others.
- Prevent pets from accessing areas treated with insecticides or fertilizers.
Check the ASPCA’s database of plants hazardous to pets.
How Pet Door Products Can Help!
We make today’s best energy-efficient pet doors. We produce a selection of dog door designs and sizes, and even color choices to fit with your home’s aesthetic.
For questions about pet door installation or about ordering, call Pet Door Products at (801) 973-8000, or contact us here online!
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