Pet-Proofing your Home

Everyone knows about baby-proofing their house for the arrival of a new baby, but what about pet-proofing your home for the arrival of a new pet? Making sure your house is puppy/kitten proof is very important for your pet’s safety as well as your house’s care; something I’ve come to find very true with the arrival of our new Black Lab puppy, Diesel. Diesel is now a 4 month old energetic bundle of teeth and puppy kisses, who is quickly learning the rules of the house. But in order to keep him out of trouble and safe, we followed a few of these pet proofing tips.

Kitchens/Bathrooms

• Use childproof latches to keep little paws from prying open cabinets
• Place medications, cleaners, chemicals, and laundry supplies on high shelves
• Keep trash cans covered or inside a latched cabinet
• Check for and block any small spaces, nooks, or holes inside cabinets or behind washer/dryer units
• Keep foods out of reach (even if the food isn’t harmful, the wrapper could be)
• Keep the toilet lid closed to prevent drowning or drinking of harmful cleaning chemicals
Living/family room
• Place dangling wires from lamps, televisions, stereos, and telephones out of reach
• Put away children’s toys and games
• Put away knick-knacks until your puppy/kitten has the coordination not to knock them over
• Check all those places where your vacuum cleaner doesn’t fit, but your puppy or kitten does, for dangerous items, like string
• Move common house plants that may be poisonous out of reach. Make sure all heating/air vents have covers
• Put away all sewing and craft notions, especially thread

Garage

• Move all chemicals to high shelves or behind secure doors
• Clean all antifreeze from the floor and driveway, as one taste can be lethal to animals
• Keep all sharp objects and tools out of reach

Bedrooms

• Keep laundry and shoes behind closed doors (drawstrings and buttons can cause major problems if swallowed)
• Keep any medications, lotions, or cosmetics off accessible surfaces (like the bedside table)
• Move electrical and phone wires out of reach of chewing
• Be careful that you don’t close your kitten in closets or dresser drawers

Backyards

• Check into getting it fenced. If your yard is not already fenced you might want to have it fenced.
• Block off your garden or any other plants that you don’t want destroyed or are poisonous to pets
• Choose where the dog will go to the bathroom. If there is a specific place where you want your dog to do his business, get a pee post. It is a plastic stick that has the smell of other dogs. Your dog will then do his business there. If a pee post is not available, then find some sort of structure to put in your yard. Be sure to rinse the area frequently to avoid damaging the grass.
• If you have a pool, be sure to either have a surrounding fence or always supervise your pet when they’re near the pool. If you plan on letting your dog into the pool, take some time to introduce them to the water to make sure they’re comfortable and able to swim and get out of the pool by themselves.

Always look out for paws, noses, and tails when you shut doors behind you or scoot chairs!