Practical Pet-Proofing Tips For Your Home

First of all, why do you need to do this? The simple answer is to protect both your pet and your home.

Basic animal care says that you should provide a safe home for your pets. However, this should not come at the cost of ruining belongings or endangering your health. Pet proofing your home will ensure that you, your stuff and your pet are kept safe.

But pet proofing is more than just putting a leash on your feline or canine friend. Pet proofing your home need not be expensive. In fact, you don’t need to make major changes at all. Here are some practical pet proofing tips you can do for your home.

There are pet owners who allow their cats and dogs in their bedroom. Protecting yourself and your pets in the bedroom can be done using these simple tips:

• Keep all fragile items in drawers – don’t let your pet just spill your expensive perfumes
• Use childproof locks and latches to secure your cabinets and drawers
• Secure everything that might fall on your pet – or on you
• Secure electrical wires – some pets use this as chew toy

The kitchen is a place where a lot of damage can be done. So here are some kitchen tweaks that you might want to consider:

• Use trash bins with cover – those with latches are better
• Install latches on pantry cabinets
• Put cleaning chemicals in airtight containers, then store then in cabinets

If you allow your pets in the house, the living room will be one of the most common places you’ll see them. As such, animal proofing your living room is essential.

• Organize electrical wires and phone wires – use plastic ties or even plastic moldings
• Secure decoration on shelves using double sided tape or similar products – you may even want to tie the whole shelf to the wall
• Use outlet covers
• Cover air conditioning vents – hardware stores have different vent covers

Pets don’t really have anything to do in your bathroom or toilet. So if they venture there on their own, chances are it’s not to take a bath. Before curiosity causes havoc, pet-proof your bathroom immediately.

• Keep your medicine cabinet closed - get a medicine cabinet with latches
• Use toilet seat covers that are heavy enough to prevent pets from lifting
• Use cabinets to store your bathroom items

The basic idea is to secure everything that might fall or break. Likewise, you need to close and latch every door or drawer that they may go into. Lastly, make sure that they don’t eat items that might harm them. Pets are curious. Moreover, they may not know what is dangerous for them. So take the initiative to protect them.

Many safety equipment and materials can be bought from your local hardware store. Some pet stores also offer pet-proofing products. It’s just a matter of finding the right supplies and installing them.

If you really love your pets, it is not enough to let them into the house. In fact, this is just doing half the job. Instead, provide a safe environment for them by implementing pet proofing strategies. Proper animal care is making sure that you consider all hazards and trying to eliminate them. By doing so, you ensure the safety of your pets while protecting your home.