How to Pet Proof Your House for a New Dog or Cat
Let’s say you’re preparing your house for your first dog or cat. (Exciting!)
Or perhaps, you’ve had dogs or cats before… You simply need a quick refresher on how to pet-proof your house.
Here are tips on how to pet-proof your house for a new dog or cat — including ideas from Houzz and the Denver Post.
Houzz: Pet proofing a house, room by room
Oh, Houzz.
We could spend hours on your app looking at house photos, and now you’ve given us even more to explore: great tips to pet-proof your house.
This article provides a room-by-room pet-proofing guide, from your house to your yard.
Pet-Proofing Your Home: A Room-by-Room Guide
Denver Post: Tips to get your house ready for a puppy
Getting a puppy? Here are even more tips to puppy-proof your house and yard.
And finally, we’ll add a few veterinary tips of our own…
If you’re planning for your new dog:
Choose a safe and comfortable place that can serve as your dog’s haven, such as the place where you want to put your dog’s kennel or bed.
Keep in mind, a dog is a pack animal, and when you bring it home, you’re separating it from its pack.
You may want to put the kennel near people, such as in a family room or your bedroom, rather than putting the dog all by itself.
If you’re planning for your new cat:
Declaw your cat when it’s very young if you’re going to do it at all.
You’ll save your cat the pain of getting declawed later in life… and help protect your leather furniture and upholstered chairs along the way.
(Earlier is much better for declawing!)
If you’re nervous about your furniture, you also can train your cat to use a scratching post.
You just need to be willing to do some cat training.