4 Crafty Ideas for Pet-Proofing Your Home

If you’re thinking about getting a dog, or you already have a dog and they’re getting to that age where they’re getting a little destructive, it’s time to think about pet-proofing.

What’s pet-proofing? Pet-proofing is like baby-proofing — thinking about your house from a dog’s eye-view, imagining what nooks and crannies they could make a mess of, or potentially get hurt exploring. It’s about reducing potential hazards and strengthening potential weak points within the home.

Here are four fun ideas for pet-proofing your home.

Photo credit: Unsplash

It is easier than you might think for pets to get into cabinets and drawers – and not just dogs. Cats are notoriously nosy creatures, and their paws are able tools in pushing open doors, prying open cabinets, and pulling out drawers.

There are many fixes for this problem, from the homemade (rubber bands) to the high-tech (keypad locked drawers and cabinets for the real off-limits items). But the best solution is simple child-proof latches.

You can get childproof latches online or at any major retailer of home goods. Simply apply the lock or latch to the handle side of the cabinet drawer or door, and the other piece just on the other side and apply the latch. Some homeowners who live with dogs and cats only child-proof one cabinet, and keep all the objects that would harm their animals in there, so every drawer isn’t prohibitively hard to access.

One of the easiest ways that dogs and cats get themselves into trouble is by letting their tummies take over and rooting out food they shouldn’t eat. It doesn’t even have to be food!

Get a good set of four-sided vacuum-sealing Tupperware to keep all food and non-foods that would be harmful to your curious companion out of sight, and out of smell.

Try as you might, you’re not always going to remember to completely close the toilet after each use, lid and all. Even if you do, bigger dogs are strong enough to be able to push back the lid and take a drink anyway.

Is it always bad for a dog or cat to drink out of a toilet? Not necessarily. Fresh water is pumped in after each flush. But if you regularly clean your toilet, the sides could be sticky with toxic residue, and if you don’t clean your toilet, foul bacteria will begin to grow along the sides.

You don’t want your dog or cat to ingest either of those substances, so auto-closing toilet lids are the way to go to protect them.

This fix is more for your peace of mind than their safety. Some cats aren’t satisfied with the scratch post you buy for them, and some dogs are just prone to digging — even if they aren’t outside.

If you don’t want Grandma’s priceless family heirloom Afghan to get torn up in Fido’s fit of excitement, think about investing in a rug that’s either impervious to dog and cat claws, or one that you’re okay with seeing shredded to pieces.

We love our pets, but we can’t help their curiosity. Make sure they don’t overdo it with these four simple tips.

Published in: Ideas | Author: Scott