Your pet is a beloved member of your family. Just as you would childproof your home for kids, you should also ensure it’s a safe environment for your dog, cat, bird, or other pet, as well. The first thing to do to make sure your home is as pet-friendly as possible is to keep it clean. Not only can carpets and surfaces attract dust and dirt that’s harmful to humans, it can also be harmful to pets. The same goes for indoor air quality. Just as you wouldn’t want to breathe in filthy air, neither does your pet.
Animals love to explore, but they can also make a mess. To avoid having laundry and shoes scattered around the house, put dirty clothes in a laundry basket with a lid and put shoes in your closet and close the door. Dogs may not know the difference between the kids’ toys and their own, so it’s a good idea to put trains, cars, and stuffed animals on shelves or behind closed doors. No one likes trash on the floor either, so help your animals be good by putting trash in a trash can that they can’t get to and knock over.
Pets love the outdoors, but there are certain plants that are poisonous to animals, such as azaleas, English ivy, and Chrysanthemums, and therefore should be eliminated from your yard. Beware of what materials you’re using to landscape, as well; cocoa mulch may look nice, but it also smells delicious to animals and is toxic if ingested.
By taking a few small measures, you’ll ensure your home is pet-friendly and your pets are safe and healthy.
These are really great tips to ensuring that your home is Pet-friendly. It’s almost like having a baby in a sense that you totally need to make sure that they are in a safe environment.
I love this infographic! It is so cute and informative! There are a lot of small and dangerous items to our pets that we don’t think about about! It is super important for the safety of our 4 legged family members to think about the many safety issues surrounding them.
What a cute and informative infographic! So many great things to think about and keep in mind for protecting your pets in your home.
I have heard over the years that some houseplants are dangerous to dogs. It’s one reason I guess I should be glad I have a black thumb.
Yep just like with babies you have to make sure the pets are protected too! I had no idea how many plants could be dangerous!
These are great tips, and I will share your post on Twitter. (I am a pet person and have a lot of friends who are too.) I really like your tip about childproof latches on low cabinets. I have an energetic small dog who easily could get into a kitchen cabinet to browse!
My house was animal proofed before it was baby proofed! Now with two young children and a third on the way, two cats, and three dogs, my house is totally little critter friendly!
Great post. There are so many hazards for pets and kids in our homes. It’s important to stay one step ahead. Love your infographic.
I remember my kids had those shape bracelets that were popular about 5 years ago. One day they were gone. I later found them all over the back yard…the dog had eaten them. No one wanted them back after that. The same dog also ate a couple pounds of fudge, the mess we woke up to the next morning was epic. She was fine both times, we called the vet. She said Labs tend to eat everything.