Pets are most endearing to have around. They’re not only animals around the house but rather treated like family. That being so, they can sometimes be destructive around the house. They’ll scratch sofas or furniture, dig around, even jump around, leaving items breaking around the house, among other bad habits.
There are ways of dealing with this, such as providing couch covers for cat scratching. Others are highlighted below. But first, understanding why pets have destructive behavior is key.
Causes Of Pets’ Destructive Habits
It may sometimes seem like pets are annoying you willingly, but they’re not. Here are major reasons why your cat, dog, or other pet may be behaving this way.
Separation anxiety could be the reason why your dog is digging around the house or yard. When you leave for work, they have no one to play with. There are many ways to deal with anxiety in pets. You could get another dog for companionship, have a pet sitter, or look deeper into the anxiety by consulting a vet.
Your pet could just be feeling neglected and wants your attention. Try to address this need from time to time.
Boredom is a major contributor to such behaviors. Like human beings, pets will chew on shoes or scratch the sofa, among other habits due to boredom. This could also easily cause anxiety to them.
How To Make Your House Pet-friendly
The love pets give is immeasurable, and we, too, have a duty to care for them. Like children, they can also get hurt while playing around the house. If you’re looking to get a pet or already have one, it’s important that you cater for their safety. Caring for pets differs with the kind of pet you have. Research more on ways to care for different types of animals you adopt as pets.
Here are some measures, among many, on how to make your house pet-ready or pet-friendly.
Before bringing in a pet, countercheck the rooms around the house for likely hazards. One example is the presence of faulty electrical outlets or wiring that your pet could touch out of curiosity. You can also consult experts on pet-proofing your house.
Securing your windows is an effective way to prevent pets from falling from high buildings, especially cats. If you live in a high-story building, get screens fitted in windows. Pets are curious by nature, and falling from windows ought to be anticipated.
Similar to kids, another way to keep pets safe is keeping medications out of reach. They might end up ingesting some, which could damage their health.
Tiles are not scratchable and, unlike carpets, are very easy to clean. Carpets will often retain odors and dirt, which may be a health hazard for your pet and household.
Tips To Prevent Pet Damages
Preventing damages by incorporating effective measures around the house is much better compared to repair costs. To counter these habits and avoid damages around the house, there are a number of helpful tips you can consider.
- Protect Your Furniture
Besides sofas, scratching and chewing really does a number on furniture. You can have plastic furniture coverings to prevent this. Another creative way to go around this is to spray the furniture with something unpleasant to them. Applying bitter apple is effective to prevent chewing. Commanding them to stop, praising them for not doing it, and giving them a chewing ball are other ways to deal with this.
- Have Litter Boxes
Ensure you have litter boxes around the house. This is to prevent them from relieving themselves on the carpet. Place them in easily visible spots for the pet around the house. However, ensure the spot allows a little privacy.
If you have more than one pet, have a separate litter box for each. Empty these litter boxes daily to avoid nasty smells around the house. This also prevents pet infections.
- Get Couch Covers
Couch covers are good to prevent sofa damage by pets. A good cover is claw-proof and easily washable. Consider the size in terms of how much of the sofa you need to be covered.
- Buy Scratching Surfaces
Most pets scratch to sharpen their claws or mark territories. To avoid this, get scratching surfaces like cardboards, scratching pads, sisal ropes, or scratching fabrics. You could also make an item for this purpose yourself.
- Prevent Pet Boredom
As mentioned earlier, a bored pet will result in destructive behavior. Try to do activities with them. Walks are good for dogs, for instance. You can also have them exercising at a scheduled time. Avoid overdoing it, though, so as not to tire them so much. Cuddling is also thought to have psychological benefits to your pet, so you can try this to alleviate their boredom.
- Use Enzymatic Cleaners
Cats and dogs will repeatedly relieve themselves where they did it yesterday. If left untrained, they’ll begin to think it’s okay to do so again. This leaves stains and bacteria around the house. Normal cleaning may not be effective. You can locally source for enzymatic cleaners. They completely remove stains and effectively deal with pet waste.
- Cover Trash Cans
Cover trash cans tightly with lids to avoid spillage when they’re tipped over by pets. You’ll also be preventing floor damage or stains if you do this.
Final Say
Pets are lovely, but damages around the house are inevitable without considering the above measures. Try to understand the behavior behind their actions first. Then, follow the tips to protect your home and your pet, too. But if a pet consistently carries on with a destructive habit, visit a veterinarian for further advice.