Chances are, if you’re reading this article, then you’re the type of person who can’t imagine life without their significant other. Of course, we’re talking about your pet.
Pets are an integral part of the family, but if you’re living in an apartment with limited space, sometimes there can be issues (read: clutter, dog hair, and more dog hair). Thankfully, you don’t have sacrifice tidiness or style for your furry friend. Here, Julia Sakr, the founder of Potty Plant, has shared her top tips on turning your apartment into a pet-friendly haven.r
4 tips for creating a pet-friendly apartment
Keep fragile objects and toxic products out of reach
Try to see your place through your animal’s eyes: A fun obstacle course! Pets, especially puppies, have loads of energy and can/will destroy anything that is important to you. This can be through incessant nibbling or ramming into glassware. Whatever your valuable is, keep it in the cupboard until your pet has grown out of the destruction phase. These objects can also be dangerous for your pet. Chewing through live cables can electrocute so be mindful of what you leave out for your pet to see and play with. Puppies, in particular, are extremely inquisitive and have not yet developed their ‘safety palette’. This means they will eat and drink everything and anything! Hence, cleaning products and poisons need to be locked away.
Toilet train
Let’s face it – pee and poo management is the not-so-fun part of owning a pet. Whether a puppy or an adult, it is safe to say that there will be plenty of accidents to clean up at the beginning. The sure-fire way to minimise having these ‘accidents’ is toilet training from the moment you bring them to their new home.
If you live in an apartment with limited outdoor access, toilet training can be a little trickier. Training pups and dogs to toilet on synthetic surfaces such as fake grass and puppy pads can sometimes be counter productive because essentially you are teaching your dog that it is ok to go on surfaces which feel similar to pee pads such as your carpets. Using Potty Plant, for example, works with nature, allowing dog owners to bring real grass into apartment living.
Protect your furniture
If covering your furniture is an option, do it. If not, always try to distract your pet with enrichment toys. The key is to distract them from bad behaviour (like chewing the leg off your new sofa) and monitor them to catch them in the act.
Take your dog out for regular walks
Having a small living space does not mean your dog will outgrow it if you take him out for regular walks and socialising. Burning energy outside the apartment will make for a calm dog back home, ready for cuddles on the couch.
