A growing number of people are keeping house pets. This used to be a pleasure reserved only for the wealthy, while everyone else would only keep an animal if there was use from it, but not anymore. And with this growing number of pets that are living with us in our homes, we have to ask the question – do you know how to maintain the house or flat with such a companion around?
There are a few key areas that you should particularly pay attention to, and also a few cleaning techniques that should be employed if you want your home to remain clean, tidy, and generally well-ordered while a pet is living with you.
Pets, Not Pests
Having a healthy relationship with your pet is the first thing that needs to be fulfilled. If you have an aversion towards it, or it is acting hostile towards you – maintaining a home for it is not your biggest concern. If you’ve inherited or been otherwise given a pet that you don’t want to keep – better find a new owner instead of struggling with it.
But if you’re adaptable and generally compassionate, you will most likely learn to love your new companion, and working on maintaining the home will be no more difficult than doing the same for yourself.
Know Your Breed
The majority of animals we keep as pets today are classified and known by their breed. Knowing their typical characteristics is definitely a big plus in planning how to organize your life, how often you will have to feed them, entertain them, clean after them, etc. For example, golden retrievers are a dog breed that sheds a lot, so preparing for their shedding during spring and fall is essential. Unless there is no other way of stopping them, they should be kept out of rooms with furniture so they don’t leave their fur everywhere.
The same thing goes for cats also, though they tend to clean themselves much more thoroughly than dogs.
Flooring Options
Cleaning the floor should be done regularly regardless if you have a pet or not, but it becomes a much more frequent occupation when you have one. So choosing your type of flooring and how you clean it is very important.
It’s known that carpets can be extremely dirty and can hold up to several times their weight in dirt. And with animals present that dirt only builds up faster. Urin, fur, dirt from outside, etc, all make having a carpet a bad decision, making it restricted only to closed rooms. Flat and smooth floors are best, as they are much more sanitary and more forgiving when it comes to playing with your pets too.
Brushing and Washing
Keeping your pet’s hygiene at a high level makes taking care of your home all that easier. As the most common type of dirt we find behind pets is their fur – keeping the loose hairs off of them regularly is a must. This is done by brushing, though washing them with water and shampoo is also advisable.
Unbrushed pets not only look dirty but can bring into the house unwanted pests, such as ticks and ants. The biggest problem here is teaching them to not make a fuss about it, as many don’t fancy standing still and being brushed or washed. This takes time and energy but is a much-needed trick.
Working With Older Pets
Same as humans, animals that we keep as pets age and become weaker and disoriented because of slower reactions and weaker senses. But it is not only a problem that they are less willing to play with us, the major problem comes from them not being able to control their bowel movements anymore.
Many older dogs suffer from urinary incontinence, which is losing control of their bladder. And though they might not even be aware of it, this creates very unpleasant scenes for the owners and can ruin a perfectly good flooring in no time. The solution is teaching them to wear diapers or to place soaking pads where they are most likely to do that.
To Catch A Predator
Snakes, lizards, turtles.. all of them predators to an extent, though this will manifest itself by having them catch bugs around the place, instead of something else. Cats and dogs, on the other hand, will sometimes sharpen their claws and teeth on furniture, when there is nothing else available.
To counter this – take them for walks often and give them a bone or branch to play with, as an alternative to furniture.
As adorable as they may seem while they are young, all pets bring with them some chores that mean taking care of the home a bit more, now that they are around. Keeping them in the yard helps, but even then the place should be kept clean and tidy, as they deserve a pleasant environment no matter what.