Similar to how parents baby-proof their homes, you can also do the same for your beloved pets.
While it's fun to have your million-dollar couch on display, your pets can instantly shred them to pieces with their sharp claws. You can also bring in some indoor plants to make your living room greener, but what if your pets are allergic or worse, fatal to them?
Ultimately, there will be adjustments along the way that will make you sacrifice some of your home design preferences. However, the price you get to pay in the end will be priceless.
5 Tips on How to Make a Pet-Friendly Living Room
Mostly, the trend for young adults at the moment is to live with 9 cats or 2 dogs, according to Forbes. Looking ahead, future homeowners will likely look for a home with pet-friendly living rooms. With that, if you're planning to sell your house, you can increase its current value for buyers with pets.
However, if you're an owner yourself and are starting to realize that you don't have a pet-friendly living room, here are 5 expert tips on how to make your space safer and enjoyable for your furry family members.
At the end of the day, no one wants to have a battered sofa or a curtain with too many runs. The Living House recommends opting for pet-friendly fabrics that are not just easy to wash, but can also resist stains and scratches. For cat owners, there are now detachable cat scratch pads that you can stick on your couch.
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2. Skip Wall to Wall Carpets
Unfortunately, you can't prevent your furry pets from shedding. Unless, you have hairless cats, pigs, turtles, fish, and snakes as pets, their furs will now be part of your home. In that case, HGTV wants you to ditch carpets since hairs will stick around and can even be harmful to you or your infant's health. As an alternative, there are rugs made in pet-friendly fabrics that will not take furs with them regardless on how many times your pet lay on them.
Everyone wants to show off their hard-earned certificates beyond reach, or their vintage home decor from Spain. However, your pets won't understand the same sentiment and will not hesitate to knock them off while on 3 AM Zoomies. According to The Living House, it's time to invest in glass-covered shelves that will keep your valuable items away. With this, you can still put them on display for guests to see and protect from your pet's spur of energy.
Some guests may not appreciate being in the same room where your pets eat, help themselves, and sleep. At the same time, pets probably want to have their own space too. Better Homes and Gardens shared that homeowners now consider adding a dedicated space for a pet-friendly living room where everyone can be comfortable. If you have a small home, it's also recommended to put them in a section far from your living room and dining area.
One of the reasons why your pets can be destructive is because they're not "enriched" enough. Don't be afraid to buy them as many toys as you can, as long as they have their own storage shelves, per The Living House. Toys keep your pets entertained so they won't have to play with your valuable home items to get your attention, while a storage space will keep their toys organized and your house tidy.
