Protect Your Home From Damage by Pets
We love them to bits, but pets can sometimes create havoc, cause damage and leave your home looking like it got hit by a tornado!
15/02/2020
We all love our pets, even though sometimes you want to pull your hair out in frustration for the mess they create - leaving your home like it was hit by a tornado! Even the most well-trained pet can do unintentional damage to fixtures and fittings in your home, so we thought it would be great to do an in-depth article on protecting your home from damage by pets, whether cats, dogs or other, while still smothering them with all the love they deserve.
How to cut down on pet hair
Cats and dogs alike shed plenty of hair, and more when the seasons change. From puppy or kitten age your pets should be groomed on a regular basis. If you start early enough your cat or dog will become accustomed to the grooming procedure and will not put up a fight. The problem is that many pet owners tend to overlook their grooming responsibilities and this can result in pets hating the sight of a grooming brush or bath.
- Daily Grooming
Teach your pet to enjoy the grooming process, even if you have to blackmail them with treats for a while. Daily grooming will keep pet hair down to a minimum and reduce shedding on your bed or upholstered furniture, and less hair to sweep or vacuum up off the floors.
- Regular Bathing
While I'm not a fan of bathing my pets too often, I do try and bathe them at least once every two months and continue with the daily grooming. Monthly bathing will most definitely cut down on the amount of pet hair that is shed in a home, but you're going to find it difficult to do if you have a cat or dog that is not used to this routine.
A good idea is to set up a washtub outdoors and try to keep the pet as calm as possible. Pets have a way of knowing when something is wrong, so try and make this a fun experience, or keep them as calm as possible before, during and after the bathing. A few treats will go down well to soothe their bristling tempers.
However, even with the above added to a regular schedule, some cats and dogs tend to shed more than others. When deciding to adopt a pet as part of the family, make sure that you are knowledgeable as to moulting or shedding, or rather opt for a breed that doesn't shed as much.
- Protect floors and furnishings
As part of your pet's grooming regimen, don't forget about their claws. In dogs, especially larger breeds, it is so easy for their claws to scratch laminate or wood floors. They can also damage interior and exterior doors with their scratching, so always ensure claws are cut to a minimum. I have noticed that claws sometimes split or crack when being cut, and which can be painful for your pet. I apply my personal hand and nail cream to paws and claws and have found this reduces splitting when cutting their claws.
If you don't think you are up to the job or cutting claws, take your pet to a grooming parlour and let them do this for you. Alternatively, make an arrangement with your local vet - many offer this service for a minimum fee, and the fee has to be far less than what it would cost to replace your laminate floors!