As a fur parent, you probably already know that dogs and cats can get into trouble just as much as kids. The curiosity of these pets is innate. They might start poking around your house, and stumble onto anything dangerous. Therefore, you must make every effort to maintain a pet-friendly environment in your home. 

There are numerous safety recommendations you can keep in mind to safeguard your dogs, as well as methods for maintaining a clean home even when you have pets.

Safeguarding Your Home

You must bear in mind that while some things are not dangerous to people, it might still be dangerous. This is the first thing you have to remember as you begin the process of keeping your home safe for your pets. For example, if a cat consumes a lily, her kidneys may shut down since some plants can be harmful to animals. 

Meanwhile, to find out what is actually harmful for your dogs, you must conduct some research as a homeowner. You can simply strive to keep anything out of reach in addition to recognizing exactly what is hazardous for children. The following are some methods you may ensure the health and safety of your pets:

1. Baby Proof

Install child-resistant latches on the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, so your pets won't be able to get harmful foods and toxins.

2. Keep Items High

If the childproof locks don't keep your dogs out, put medications, cleaning supplies, and other chemicals on high shelves where they can't be reached by animals.

3. Conceal The Trash

Garbage cans should be covered and, if at all feasible, kept outdoors or in a cabinet or closet. Trash bins are frequently loaded with an assortment of expired food, hazardous chemicals, and small, inedible pieces of trash, all of which can be damaging to your animals.

4. Put Up Barriers

Behind huge units, animals may become trapped and overheat. Put up barriers to stop them from getting behind items like refrigerators, air conditioners, dryers, washing machines, and dryers to avoid unlikely situations.

5. Maintain Food Out Of Reach

Make sure food is secured behind a locked door or out of reach. Different foods cause issues for dogs and cats, and the packaging itself could be a choking hazard. All food should be kept out of reach of the animals.

6. Put The Toilet Lid Closed

To stop small creatures from drowning, keep the toilet lid down. It's risky to let your pets drink from the bowl because it exposes them to a variety of toxins.

7. Eliminate Loose Wires

Try to get rid of any dangling cables from stereos, TVs, game consoles, or other similar devices. If your pets chew on any wires, they can suffer injuries.

8. Disguise Anything Breakable or Chewable

Avoid putting harmful objects like vases, picture frames, or other knick knacks on low shelves where your dog or cat may reach them. Smaller or breakable goods need to be stored higher than where your pet can access them.

9. Harmful Houseplants

Keep an eye out for plants that could harm your pet and try to stay away from bringing them inside. There are numerous common houseplants that are harmful for your animals to consume, including lilies, azaleas, oleander, tulips, yew, chrysanthemums, and English ivy. Check to see if your houseplants pose any risks to your cherished pets.

10. Threads And Strings

Ensure that all thread and string are securely stored. Pets can be in grave danger in sewing rooms in general. A cat can easily suffocate when playing with some thread. Needles also pose a real hazard to animals.

11. Shoes And Clothes

To prevent your pets from eating your dirty clothes and shoes, keep them in closets or designated bins. Other than potentially ruining your personal stuff, pets can choke on minor parts like buttons and zippers.

12. Traps In Cabinets And Closets

Do not tuck your dog or cat into a cabinet, drawer, or closet. Without food and water, you don't want to trap them! Before closing the doors, make sure there are no animals in any cabinets.

13. Claws And Rugs

Pick carpets with low loop counts and those that are stain-resistant, such as indoor/outdoor rugs. Particularly cats are vulnerable to self-injurious hooks from their claws.

You need to know what your dog and cat should be doing in addition to making sure that your home is pet-proof. Both positive and negative reinforcement of your pets' conduct can safeguard your possessions and your personal health and safety.

14. Suitable Chew Toys

Give your pets, especially a puppy, a few chewable items. These could be sturdy chew toys, animal hooves, snouts, or other tasty treats that dogs like to gnaw on. Also, don’t forget to do your homework before leaving your pet with any of these objects as some of them, like some rope toys, may be choking hazards.

15. Scrubbing Pads

Provide your cats with a scratching post. You could have seen some fresh stains on your couch, window trim, or even the carpet. Consider installing scratching posts in the locations you visit.

16. Nail Caps

You may reduce the harm a cat can cause to your furniture, cherished apparel, or even to you by using claw caps. In case you haven’t used it on your pet before, the caps will still allow  the cat to retract its nails. They are fastened with a small amount of cat-friendly nail adhesive and fall off naturally.

Since your pets are members of the family, you want to take care of them so that they are secure, content, and healthy. These suggestions will help you keep your animals safe while keeping a close check on them.

Maintaining A Clean Home

A tidy home is what every homeowner wants. Finding a means to keep your house clean despite having dogs or cats running about is part of being a true pet-friendly homeowner. You can maintain a tidy home and safeguard your beloved furry friends by following these recommendations:

17. Conceal Pet Hair

Choose décor items like cushions, blankets, rugs, and bedding that won't reveal hair. In other words, if you have a black cat, consider decorating with deeper hues. If your puppy is white, think about using softer hues.

18. Injury Cleaner

Be ready for mishaps. Accidents do happen, especially if you have young animals. Make sure you have a cleaning solution that can clean and disinfect animal feces.

19. Shut-Up Storage

Utilize closed storage to prevent your little dog from pulling anything off the shelf. This also helps maintain a cleaner, safer home. 

20. Groom Regularly

Want to reduce pet hair around the house? If yes, then commit to regular grooming.

21. Vacuum Cleaner Done Right

Consider purchasing a vacuum with a high performance particle air filter to efficiently remove pet hair.

22. A lint cleaner

Before you go out, make sure you have plenty of lint removers on hand to remove hair from your clothes.

23. Unclean Paws

Before letting your pet inside the house, wipe off their paws. This will help avoid any paw prints left in your house.

24. Food Dish

To make cleaning up spilt food easier, lay a piece of plastic placeware underneath your pet's dishes. You may prevent ants and other unwanted insects from getting into the food by keeping the dishes slightly raised.

Being organized is the key to maintaining a tidy home. You need to be prepared for those incidents by keeping a decent vacuum, lots of lint brushes, and carpet cleaners on hand.

Preserving a Positive Environment

Your goal is for your pets to help them remain healthy and feel comfortable in your home. You can do this so by maintaining a clean and safe house for your fur babies.

Knowing what is harmful to your cat or dog can help you determine when to take them to the vet and when you may simply clean up the mess that has been created. However, when you have doubts, you should visit a veterinarian to examine your pet.

Do you have other tips for a pet-friendly house? Feel free to drop them in the comments section!