When you get yourself a pet, your life changes in many ways. Not only you get a new best friend, but a roommate too. And you want your four paw buddy to feel comfortable at his new home, right? And in order to achieve that, you need to create some conditions at your home. It doesn’t have to be hard or expensive, it just takes a little effort and imagination! Let’s find out together how to make your apartment pet-friendly.
Forget the expensive materials and make your apartment pet-friendly
If you are not planning to buy new furniture, just make sure to protect the old one, especially fragile materials. And when picking new furniture, you may want to skip high-quality wood or shiny leather. It’s just not a good choice for your little buddies. And if you are moving, better pick the property with less expensive furniture. Your pets damaging the furniture can be particularly unpleasant when renting a place. It’s just not a good choice for your little buddies. Dogs tend to scratch furniture when they jump on it to sleep or grab food. Also, cats scratch furniture just because they feel like it. It’s their nature, and it is not much you can do about it. If you have some antique furniture, storing it in some of the top Manhattan storage units is a good idea.
Instead of these fancy materials, go for fabric covers for chairs and sofas. Most importantly, make sure they are machine washable! And for cabinets, tables, and other hard materials you should consider getting something cheaper in case they get scratched. Furthermore, better try to avoid dark colors in matching shades because everything will fade a bit with cleaning.
To pee or not to pee
We are getting to the least fun part of owning a pet. Pee and poo management is quite a challenge. When you get a pet, especially a puppy you need to prepare yourself that there will be plenty of accidents to clean up at the beginning. The best way to minimize having this is toilet training from the moment you bring them to their new home.
Especially, if you live in an apartment with limited outdoor access, toilet training can be quite a pickle. Training your pups and grow up dogs to a toilet on synthetic surfaces such as puppy pads or fake grass can sometimes be counterproductive. That is because you will be teaching your pet that it is ok to go on surfaces which feel similar to pee pads. Guess, what, your carpet feels similar too. As a solution, you can try using the Potty Plant, for example. It feels more natural and allows dog owners to bring real grass into apartment living. This way you kill two birds with one stone, teach your pet where to go to the toilet and make your apartment pet-friendly.
They will pick their sleeping spots
Interestingly, animals choose themselves where they want to sleep. And you should respect their decision. They will probably follow the heat during the winter and cold during the summer. And at night they will cuddle up in their favorite corners or they will sleep by your feet. Because their biggest joy is to spend time with you, even while they sleep. But be careful with sharing the bed, because once you let them, they will try to do that every night. Don’t even bother trying to make them sleep where you planned them to sleep. Even if you buy the most expensive memory foam on the market, they will still ignore it if it’s in the wrong place.
Only after you learn their favorite spots, you can figure out a nice bed that will blend in well in that area. For example, if your cat loves a spot on the bookshelf, clear it off for him. And if your dog wants to be right next to your bed, you can get him a nice big pillow that matches your sheets. This way you will make your apartment pet-friendly and fashionable at the same time!
Try to protect your furniture
You can try, but there are no guarantees you will actually make it. If you can by any chance cover your furniture, go for it. And it’s always a good idea to try to distract your pet with some toys. You also need to punish them gently when you catch them chewing the furniture, in order to remember that as something they shouldn’t repeat. It’s especially important to distract them from bad behavior and monitor them in beginning.
Better safe than sorry
In order to protect them properly, you need to try to see your place through your pet’s eyes. Dogs, especially puppies, have more energy than you can imagine and they could destroy something that is important to you. Our advice is to keep your family heirlooms and other valuables on some high and safe place. At least until your pet has grown out of the destruction phase.
Keep your pets away from toxic products
Most importantly, beware the objects that can be dangerous for your pet. Chewing through electrocute and live cables is extremely dangerous for your furry friends. Therefore, be very mindful of what you leave out for your pet to see and play with and what is within the reach. Especially puppies are extremely inquisitive and don’t have yet developed their sense of safety. Be aware that they will chew, eat and drink everything they see and find interesting. Hence, it is extremely important to keep your cleaning products and poisons locked away.
Help your pet relocate
Relocating is a big challenge for all of us, and imagine how hard is for our little furry buddies. They just can’t understand what is going on and you need to make the moving easier on your pets. They will need extra attention in that period and some time to adjust to your new home.
The great news is that some of the local movers Manhattan offer help with your pet relocation, so you don’t have to worry about regulations. This is especially useful when you are moving long distance. But don’t you worry too much about adjusting. Remember, your pets’ home is where you are!
