We all love our pets, but we don’t want to give them free reign to destroy our homes. We also want to make sure that pets are safe in our homes. There are countless easy ways to make sure your home is pet-proof to keep your furry friend healthy—and out of trouble.
Kitchens and eating areas
There are many foods that are safe for humans to eat but that are unsafe for pets to eat. If you want to keep your pet from getting into cabinets and potentially ingesting something harmful, put childproof latches on your cabinets. Also, store foods, medications, and cleaners in places where your pets can’t reach.
Living rooms
Many pets love to explore around the living room, possibly hopping up onto couches and running across table tops. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that none of the wires for TVs, lamps, or phones are dangling within your pet’s reach. Also, if you have a game closet, make sure you always put everything away so that your pet can’t choke on any small pieces that come with the games. Put covers over heating and air vents so that your pet can’t accidentally step on them and burn themselves. Also, make sure potentially harmful plants and valuables your pet could knock over are out of reach.
Garage
As with other rooms, hide chemicals and potentially harmful tools in securely locked cabinets or move them to shelves that your pet cannot reach. Make sure to always clean antifreeze from the ground because it can be lethal to your pet. During the winter, always bang on your car hood to make sure your cat isn’t hiding in the engine to stay warm.
Laundry room
Keep all chemicals and products on high shelves or in child-locked closets or cabinets. Most importantly, check your dryer before you turn it on. Sometimes, smaller pets hide here when it’s cold outside and they’re looking for warmth.
Bedroom
We typically keep a lot of our health and beauty products and medications in our bedrooms. Make sure these are out of your pet’s reach so they don’t accidentally swallow something inedible. Also, keep your laundry basket hidden behind a closet door if you have one to prevent your pet from swallowing buttons or drawstrings.
Bathrooms
Always remember to close the lid to the toilet seat and hide toilet cleaner. If you’ve just cleaned the toilet, your pet could try to drink the toilet water and ingest harmful chemicals. If the toilet cleaner is just lying around, your pet could end up trying to eat or drink it as well. Always put your cosmetics and products in medicine cabinets that your pet can’t reach, and store shower items on tall racks so that your pet can’t get into your shampoo bottle.
Doorways and windows
Make sure you close and lock your doors when you leave your house so that your pet doesn’t run away. Also, if there are certain rooms you don’t want your pets getting into or if you don’t want them getting to a certain floor of the house, install a doggie gate to block them from crossing certain thresholds. You can also just remember to close the doors of rooms that you don’t want your pets to go into. Be mindful about keeping your windows open in the warmer months. Pets can easily jump out of low windows.
When pet-proofing your house, think of your pet’s typical habits. If you’re wondering whether or not they’ll try to investigate an object you have lying around, they probably will. With a few adjustments, your pet will stay safe and your home will stay intact.
