Tips to Make the Areas of Your Home Pet-Friendly
Pets can be even more curious than your kids at times. They will wander off and you will get busy doing something and then you’ll realize about an hour later things are awfully quiet. And then notice that they have gone and gotten themselves in a mess. Whether it is with the trash, knocked furniture over, got into the pantry, etc, your pets sure have minds of their own. Trying to find the balance of your pet and the freedom you want them to have inside as well as outside of your home can be difficult at times. That is why “pet-proofing” your home can be such a big help in putting your mind at ease and keeping your pets safe. Here are a couple of areas within/around your home and what you can do to ensure your pet’s safety.
Bathroom: If it is walking on four legs chances are it is going to find its way in here at least one time or another. There is something about toilet bowl water that seems to just call out to pets. And nothing more entertaining than shredding and rolling out a roll of toilet paper. Now things such as making sure that the toilet seat is always closed can help prevent some of that, but the toilet paper can get a little tricky. The safest thing to do is to make sure the bathroom door is always closed. To not only help avoid that mess, but other things that are found in the bathroom as well. Especially because a lot of times you will have different cleaning supplies in there, it is best that your pet does not find its way in and accidentally eat, drink those harmful chemicals.
Kitchen: Your pet will surely know the kitchen out of all the rooms in your house. And there is a good chance that it will be one of their favorites to be in. Your pets love to be in there begging for food whenever you are trying to prepare something. However, as yummy as the food might smell to them, they do not know what is safe to eat and what is harmful to them. Making sure that any left over scraps and such are securely thrown away and that the garbage can is also secure or out of reach to your pet is important so that they do not eat anything that could cause them harm. This also goes for any of the kitchen cleaning supplies or any sharp utensils that are in cabinets, you will want to make sure they are secure or out of reach.
Laundry Rooms: This being the place where a lot of harmful chemicals to animals are kept such as bleach and detergent, it is really important that different safety precautions are followed. Even things as simple as fabric softener sheets that may seem relatively harmless, contain chemicals that can hurt your pets if ingested. This being said, it is very important that these supplies are kept out of your pets’ reached or secured elsewhere. Even remembering to check the washer and dryers before closing the lid to use them is important, because your pet could accidentally wander into them. It is good to get in the habit of always remembering to close them when they are not being used.
Bedrooms & Living Rooms: As safe as the rooms may seem, especially bed rooms there are still plenty of things that you need to be cautious about. For example, electrical cords can be found in both of these places. And these are extremely dangerous for pets to chew on. Also smaller things found in the bedroom such as hair pins, ties, different accessories, etcs can be choking hazards to your pets. The cleaner you keep your rooms, the safer place it will be for your pets. Another thing that is sometimes overlooked is the windows. Especially in bedrooms if you have a two story home. Your pet may get curious and approach an open window and could potentially hurt themselves if they try to go out. Try your best to make sure windows are closed and locked if you are not around to supervise. Even when you are closing your closet or different drawers you should make sure that none of your pets have gone and buried themselves in those.
Garage: Even though you might not think that your pet will spend a lot of time in there, this is a place where a lot of different things that could be of harm to your pet are kept. Small screws, nuts, or bolts lying around could all be choking hazards. You can find antifreeze, car wax, motor oil, gas, battery acid all in a garage. If any of these are consumed they could be very harmful if not fatal to a pet. Make sure that these are placed out of reach so that your pet does not stumble upon them. Especially if you have a cat/doggy door that leads out into the garage so they are free to wander, you really want to make sure that any big electrical tools are unplugged and put away, any chemicals or spills are cleaned up, and that your pet is not under or behind your car when you are about to leave.
Yard: The outdoors will be such a big part of your pets’ life. They will probably spend a good amount of time outside playing, using the bathroom, and even just relaxing. And because they might not always be under your supervision, there are a couple of safeguards that you will want to have in place. If possible, having a fence around the yard to help keep your pet from wandering too far, and keep strays out is always a smart decision. Also having a gate/fence around pools is a good idea so that your pet does not accidentally fall in. And a MUST have for your yard is making sure your window wells are covered. One of the biggest threats to your pet outside is if you have an open window well that they could potentially fall into. They could just be running around and not see the open well and extremely hurt themselves. That being said, make sure that you put your animal’s safety as a top priority and secure your window wells with Safewells’ best covers.
Set your home up so that both you and your pet can live comfortably and safely!