How to Make Your Home More Pet-Friendly

How to Make Your Home More Pet-Friendly

If you’ve had a dog or cat for a while, chances are your home is already at least somewhat structured around their safety and needs. But if you’ve just gotten a new, furry roommate, you may be wondering how to make your place more pet-friendly. Fortunately, Kari Whitman, an interior designer and owner of the Ace of Hearts dog rescue provided some tips for doing exactly that in a recent interview with Architectural Digest. Here’s what to know.

Pick appropriate fabrics

You may love velvet, but that may not be the best choice for a couch in a home where furry, shedding pets also reside. Instead, Whitman suggests going with faux leather or ultrasuede upholstery. “Not only are you making your carbon footprint print smaller by using vegan products, but also the materials are easy cleaning and scratch-resistant,” she tells AD.

Be careful with cleaning products

Dogs and cats have a tendency to lick things (including when grooming themselves), so Whitman says it’s important to avoid using cleaning products that may be harmful if ingested. “No Pine-Sol, no Swiffers, please,” she tells AD, recommending Mrs. Meyers and Indigo Wild cleaners instead.

Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting

Even the most well-trained pet can have an accident from time-to-time, so Whitman recommends having floors that are easy to clean and long-lasting, like wood or tile. She says that porcelain or ceramic tiles are the most pet-friendly, along with beech, bamboo, and recycled teak woods, because they tend to be more scratch-resistant.

“If you have a large dog and worry about scratching your wood floors, I strongly suggest a wood finish called Glitsa,” Whitman tells AD. “I have a 91 kg dog. I stained my wood floors black and have not had one scratch in five years.”

But this doesn’t mean you have to go without a carpet entirely. Whitman says that machine-washable or indoor-outdoor rugs are a great option for homes with pets.


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