Pets are fun, lovable, destructive creatures. So, if you are struggling to share your home with a mischevious cat or dog who has a tendency to scratch, chew and dig, there are several ways you can effectively protect the items in your home.
To make life simpler here are the ways to protect your furniture from Pets,
1. Gates Galore
Sometimes our pets can be like little tornados on four furry legs. One surefire way to prevent your pet from ruining furniture or knocking things over is to confine him to a certain area of the home with a pet gate. Pet gates are portable, you can place them in a doorway, hallway, at the top/bottom of the stairway or wherever you need to keep Fido’s movement limited. A gate also gives him the freedom to romp and get the exercise he needs, and he won’t be confined to a small space like he would in a crate.
2. Redirect the Scratching
Even the most dedicated cat-lover can get annoyed by felines putting their claws where they don’t belong. To redirect this natural instinct, place a favorite cat scratcher near any furniture you don’t want your cat to treat like a scratching surface (you might need more than one). Be sure to praise your cat or give her a cat treat when she uses the scratcher. Toys such as a chew toy or scratching post help pets to relax and play with them instead of your couch.
There are many types and designs, and it’s important to find the perfect one for your pet. Before purchasing anything, we recommend you to analyze your pet to identify if it loves to bite or scratch. Then you’ll be able to buy a pet toy accordingly.
3. Keep Your Pet’s Nails Manicured
Another easy way to protect your sofa is just keeping the claws of your pets short and polished. This easy tip is also great for your pet’s health. Nails that are too long can chip and break, creating painful situations for your cat or dog.
They can also make standing and moving painful or awkward for your pet and in extreme situations, the nails can continue to grow until they curl around and become embedded in the paws of your pet’s feet. A very interesting product to avoid pets from scratching your sofa. It’s called Soft Paws and they’re tiny ribber nail caps that go on your cat’s claws with a sticky nail-polish-like glue.
These Soft Paws caps are small enough to allow your pet nails to retract normally, so they don’t feel any pain or discomfort. They also fall off naturally and you just need to reattach them as you go.
4.Wipe it Up
For a lot of dogs, there’s nothing better than a romp in the back yard especially when it’s muddy! To cut down on the dirt and mud they track inside the house, keep an old towel near the door and quickly wipe their feet before they come in. Most dogs will quickly learn the routine and stop for the obligatory foot rub.
5. Grooming
Grooming your pet is an important part of her regular care, but it also affects your furniture and home’s environment. Brushing your pet daily with a grooming mitt is an easy way to remove excess hair, and it cuts down on the amount of hair that ends up on furniture, counters, clothes, etc.
Even though your pet may be a bit fussy about it, well-groomed nails not only lessen the risk of injury to you and your pet, it also protects your furniture from scratches and punctures.
6. Buy a Good and Comfy Pet Bed or a Pet Couch Cover
A great way to keep your pet from damaging the sofa is buying them a Pet Bed and teaching them to use it instead of the couch. Pet beds are also a great way to control fur dispersal, because it’ll be mainly all in the same place.
If your pets don’t like the bed you bought, you can try a Pet Couch Cover. Your pet will be able to use your sofa, without leaving hair or dirt on it. Check these out
7. Crates
Speaking of crates, it’s another way to restrict your dog’s access to certain areas of the house. A crate can also be used as a training tool to prevent your dog, especially puppies, from chewing on the furniture.
8. Double Sided Tapes
This is probably not the most aesthetic solution but it works really well. You just need to spread double-sided tape on places of your couch where your pets love to scratch, like the sofa legs, the armrest, etc.
The sticky feeling of the double sided tape will keep your pet away from the sofa. When buying the double-sided tape, remember to choose one which doesn’t leave a sticky residue on your furniture.
9. Sofa Protectors
If you enjoy cuddling on the sofa with your fur babies but don’t like the hair and dander that come with it, a sofa protector is a great line of defense. Sofa protectors are typically reversable and machine washable, making them convenient to pop in the laundry at a moment’s notice.
10. Set an Entrance at Your Home so Pets can Play Outside
Many times pets just need a little bit of outdoors time to play, bite things and do all that kind of things that animals have to do. Installing a little pet entrance in your garden’s door is a great way to assure your pet will be entertained when you aren’t at home.
If you don’t have a terrace or a garden in your home, you’ll need to give your pet plenty of exercise during the day.
11. Pet-Friendly Fabrics
If you can’t bear to restrict your pets from jumping on your sofa and chairs, your next best option is to choose pet-friendly fabrics such as leather, faux leather, microfiber, micro-suede, etc.
Leather doesn’t collect hair and it’s easy to clean. The major drawback to leather is it’s susceptible to toenail puncture, which brings us back to the manicure. Be sure to keep your pet’s nails neatly trimmed to avoid poking holes in the material.
Microfiber fabric is tightly woven, which makes it more resistant to liquids seeping in, and it holds up well to resist pulls and tears. Also, woven fabrics that have dimensionality or visual texture, like herringbone or chenille, help hide stains, especially with multi-colored patterns.
12. Spray Your Furniture with Air Freshener
I love this tip because it’s so easy and cost effective! Not only do you keep your sofa smelling good and fresh but pets normally don’t like citrus scents.
As such they’ll need to look for other places to lounge on, allowing you to isolate spaces for better fur control.
