More homeowners than ever before have also become pet owners! Dog owners make up 88.9 percent of pet health insurance in-force gross written premium in the year 2018. That gross income was over 1.4 billion. Most owners fear their pets will get hurt when playing outdoors but have never looked at the great indoors. Sure, their fur gets on your furniture and stern words hurt after tearing into your favorite throw pillow. But what about your kitchen? With sharp and loose objects strewn about on countertops, are not the most pristine playpen for your furry friend. Below we will describe some different ways to make the heart of your home your pet’s best friend. Here’s how to design a pet-friendly kitchen:
Flooring:
The flooring you choose can be one of the most important decisions you make in your entire home. With a pet in the house, this decision must be even more narrowed down to accommodate all legged friends. Some checkmarks you consider want when looking at flooring are: is it resistant to scratches? How resistant is it to damage? Is it paw traction-friendly? Is it waterproof? Zero added formaldehyde flooring is something dog owners should look into, as dogs spend most of their lives on the ground and not on furniture, unlike cats.
(Pro Tip: We recommend pet-loving homeowners look into grabbing some LVP/LVT flooring products for their kitchens. Learn more about this wonderful flooring option here: https://mccanncustomremodeling.com/lvt-lvp-flooring/ )
While the floor is their domain, countertops aren’t automatically inaccessible to anything that has paws and likes the smell of fresh cooking. With cats, try to incentivize them with a better option than countertops, like a climbing tree or kitchen chairs. Reward them when they jump where allowed, and make sure your windows are closed while they are present. However, that doesn’t mean you should lock them in or out of the kitchen. You can also install doggy doors or flaps on the bottom of your doors to allow unhindered access or exit to your pet-friendly kitchen.
Rugs:
Some pet owners enjoy greeting their fuzzy friend with a rug once they enter the kitchen area. However, not all rugs are created equally. Chances are, if you own a pet, you understand how frustrating shedding hair is. Some rugs materials can be absolute hair magnets. Try to stay away from silk, velvet, or chintz rug fabrics. Instead, opt for materials like sisal or seagrass, which are both sustainable, disposable, and cheap.
Playpens:
If you’re a pet owner who loves to have your companions with you in the kitchen but out of the way, a great idea is to make a small playpen. These are great comfort spaces, and a great controlled environment for them to watch you work from a distance. Depending on space, there are endless forms of entertainment. You can go from a simple chew toy and bed to even making them a miniature slide! If you’re pressed for space but still like to keep your pet cozy in the kitchen, you can build a bed space within a drawer or under a table
When you’re in the kitchen cooking, most of the time it’s for you and your human friends/family. That should not mean that the kitchen should be limited to only human food. Keep a spare cupboard to store different wellbeing materials to feed two creatures at one location. This can be filled with food, leashes, treats, spare bowls, etc. You may consider putting the bowls inside a door located near your water faucets for easy refilling.
Maintenance:
Pet owners should not be surprised to find the occasional pet hair, salt dots, or dirty paw prints upon their shiny kitchen floor. While it may seem like only an eyesore, stains may become dangerous bacteria, not only to your pets. Try to regularly wipe down your and countertops and vacuum/sweep your floors. Try to avoid harsh chemicals when doing so.
While cleaning your pet-friendly kitchen, make sure you keep all toxic and harmful chemicals out of reach and inaccessible to pets. Medicines, cleaning supplies, washing powders, repellants, should be kept away from edges and countertops in general. When they’re not in use, they should be stored away in higher shelves or behind childproof doors. The same goes for non-toxic materials. Even if the food itself isn’t toxic to your pet, the wrapper could prove to be a hazard.
Childproof doors/locks are effective when storing other materials you don’t want your pet to get it’s paws on. Keep knives and cutlery as well as other loose items stored behind some of these. These will help prevent accidents caused by paws or tails as well as the intentional nosy nose.
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