I myself am a pet lover! I have 4 dogs at home. As a real estate agent I see alot of homes that have had alot of wear and tear from the pets that live there; Typically base board chewing, carpet stains, etc. Here are a few suggestions to prevent your adorable furball from turning your home upside down with chewing, scratching and accidents. These great tips came from the Right@Home newsletter sponsored bt Glade.
Get down!
When you’re on your hands and knees, you’ll suddenly notice things from your pet’s point of view. Like tantalizing wires and electrical cords, toy and game pieces, loose string, candy wrappers or coins and pills that may have dropped and rolled out of sight. Check those places where your vacuum cleaner couldn’t reach-your puppy or kitten can squeeze in there-and block off any small spaces and crevices.
An open and shut case!
Cats and kittens are attracted to dark enclosures, so look carefully before closing drawers and closets. Consider adding child-proof locks to cabinets for particularly agile puppies and kittens. Member Cary W. from North Carolina remembers the morning she could hear her cat meowing but couldn’t find her…until she finally opened the clothes dryer. (Luckily, the cat was fine, despite the static cling.)
Watch out for the puddle!
Accidents will happen. Scolding, sticking his nose into the stain or swatting him with a newspaper will only confuse your puppy. And it could make him think you just don’t want to see him peeing. (Then your pup might seek out more hidden locations, like behind the sofa.) To a puppy, the mess and the act are unrelated. Say a sharp “no!” when you catch him going indoors; then immediately take the puppy outside and stay out until he goes again. Then praise him lavishly and consider giving him a treat to help the behavior along.
Stinky!
To help prevent your home from smelling like a kennel, get rid of pet odors on soft surfaces and in the air with Glade® Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator in the Pet Odor Eliminator scent. It is specially formulated with odor-eliminating ingredients, which are shown in testing to truly eliminate odors without just masking them.
Chew on this!
Dogs chew to explore their world. And that can mean anything from your favorite shoes to a corner of your furniture. You can prevent this by making sure closet doors are closed and keeping things off the floor. Also, many dogs don’t like the taste of lemon or bitter apple-try spraying pet-safe products in these flavors on tempting chewables. With a puppy, try to keep him from getting bored-and therefore getting into trouble. Or use child-safety gates to keep him in a pet-friendly room or in a place where you can easily keep an eye on him.
Scratch that idea!
Cats need to scratch to claim their territory and exercise the muscles and tendons of their paws-and they won’t know which is your prized sofa. Id declawing is not an option, you can use double-stick tape on upholstery (test it first to make sure it won’t leave a mark or stain) because cats hate things that stick to their fur.
Sweep it up!
Even if you manage to keep pets from your upholstered furniture, the hair they shed can still end up there, marring the look and creating a hazard for clothes. Sweep pet hair up quickly with PledgeTM Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair. Simply slide it side to side in short strokes and the rollers will lift and trap unsightly pet hair. Best of all, a single PledgeTM Fabric Sweeper picks up as much pet hair as 145 sticky roller sheets.