Pet Proofing Your Home: Keep Them Safe

Are you planning on getting yourself a dog or cat or any other pet? What is holding you back? Could it be the fact that you are unsure of just how capable you are of handling a pet? Or maybe you are a new pet owner and just want to know if your home will need to be pet-proofed or not?

The truth is that when it comes to owning a pet, it is just the same as having a baby in your home, and sometimes it may be even worse depending on the circumstances. Pet proofing your home, like the name indicates, has to do with protecting your pet by either removing things that might cause it harm while also protecting those items from being damaged by your pet.

The good news is that most of the pet-proofing you will need to do will only last for as long a the pet is little. But when it is all grown up, you may not need to go through all that stress, for the dog will have passed the danger stage.

Well, the most common pets that people keep nowadays are cats and dogs. Do you have one of these pets? Or maybe you have both? And are you wondering about the steps needed in pet-proofing to your home? This article will highlight key areas that need to be pet-proofed, steps needed in carrying out that very task.

WHEN TO PET-PROOF Your Home

Well, there is no specific time to start pet-proofing your home. It mostly depends on you and how much danger you think your pet can get into. You would also need to consider the age of the pet. If it’s a dog, well, is it fully grown, or is it a puppy. And if it’s a cat, is it fully grown, or is it a kitten.

Younger pets seem to need more care and protection than older ones. So, if you have either a young dog or cat or any other pet, then it is more advisable to pet-proof your home before getting the pet.

PARTS OF THE HOME NEEDING PET-PROOFING

The good news about this is that you will not need to go through a lot of stress before pet-proofing. The most important thing to have in mind is the type of pet you have and what likely could endanger it. Once you can understand and identify the danger, then removing or correcting it can follow.

Well, what are the areas in your home that may likely cause problems or may endanger your pet’s life? Let see a few of those areas.

• KITCHEN: This is one sector in your home that can and will pose a problem between you and your pet. The kitchen is where most things, if not all, you eat comes out from. And of course, this is one part of your home that will always attract your pet. This is not good because most of the food we eat cannot be eating by them.
• TOILET AND BATHROOM: This part of the house could prove to be unsafe for your pets. Some pets have been known to eat Soap and other detergents, even sometimes our disinfectants. So we will definitely need to pet-proof those areas.
• LIVING ROOM AND DINING: This part of the home, though it may actually need protection from your pet. If you have a dog or cat, you may need to prevent them from using your couch so that they do not end up ruining it. Some other pets have been known to eat wires and other appliances.
• OUTDOORS: Many things could harm a pet outdoors, from some plants to even some insects, so you may need to take precautions, making sure everything is safe before releasing your pets to the outdoors.

HOW TO PET-PROOF ALL CORNERS OF YOUR HOME

One thing is sure, most of your worries may not even be a big deal. And most times, what you see to be a danger to your pet may totally be ignored by your pets. But just to be safe, here are a few pointers for the effective and not all that stressful pet-proofing of your home.

We will take it, one section of the house at a time.

LIVING ROOM

This part of the home is not all that hazardous to your pet. But just to be safe, here are a few pointers.

• Make sure all electrical wires like TV, Standing Fan, AC, and so on are kept out of reach from your pet. Most times, it is wise to pin these wires directly on your wall.
• Make sure the house is clean and well-kept at all times. If books and crayons are used in the living room Or dining area, make sure they are cleared at once.
• Make sure your heating and cooling vents are always closed.
• Make sure to watch out for paws when closing the doors.

BATHROOM AND TOILET

This is another part of the home that requires pet-proofing. Here are a few steps for effective pet-proofing.

• All bathroom and toilet wash and chemicals should be kept out of reach from your pet, most especially disinfectants.
• Toilet bowls should be kept clean and shot, after use, to prevent pets from drinking from it or probably even drowning.
• Make sure to keep the toilet and bathrooms clean at all times.

KITCHEN AREA.

This part of your house could cause problems both for you and your pet. But no need to worry. Here are some tips to keep both you and your pet safe.

• Use childproof latches to prevent your pets from forcing open your kitchen cabinets in search of food. Another option is to install your cabinet off the ground and out of the reach of your pets.
• Make sure to cover all spaces or gaps in your cabinet to prevent your pets from forcing through.

Note: Some foods we eat are harmful to pets, like cheese, spices, avocado, and so on. Make sure to keep harmful food substances away from pets.

GARAGE AND BASEMENT

Most of the items we no longer use are kept either in the garage or basement. And some of these items may be harmful to our pets. So we need to make sure that those items are kept out of the reach of our pets.

Overall we need to make sure that the garage and basement are always clean and neat.

Conclusion

Pet proofing your home could be made easy only if you are a fan of cleaning and taking absolute care of your environment. Cats and dogs are really smart and can be trained to do or act in any way we want. So training of our pets, be it a dog or a cat, could serve as an additional proofing of your home.