Pet-Proofing Your Home From The Floor Up

(NAPSI)-Welcoming a new pet into your home requires preparation. Pet-proofing your home before your new four-footed friend’s arrival is one of the best ways to keep your pet healthy and happy (and to keep your house from going to the dogs). Try these tips:

Have A Plan

Start by determining whether or not you want your pet to have the run of the house. Look for small objects a pet could chew and choke on, or access to garbage containers that your pet could topple. Be sure you and your family agree on what rooms Fluffy or Fido can and cannot go into; this way, there will not be any mixed messages that can confuse your pet.

Keep Your Pets Busy

If pets are left alone in the home all day, another way to keep them occupied is to scatter pet toys throughout the areas in which they frequently play. This way, they can move from one toy to another and keep themselves busy until you get home. This will also keep playful and curious pets out of harm’s way. Even so, consider buying childproof latches for cabinets that house cleaners, especially if pets are left alone.

Furniture

If you do not want your pets on certain pieces of furniture, try using “child-proof” gates or other barriers to keep them out of the rooms where the furniture is kept. If they happen to jump up onto furniture, immediately order them down to train them that what they are doing is wrong. If you have furniture that your pet is allowed on, consider covering it with slip covers or throws to keep pet hair and staining to a minimum.

Floors

Certain types of floors are more resistant to pet wear and tear than other types. For instance, luxury vinyl tends to resist spills, scratches and tracked -in dirt-staples in many homes that have pets. These floors are more resilient and less expensive than other flooring options, such as wood, tile or stone. Nafco by Tarkett offers Perma-Stone Modular in a variety of natural looks and newly sized tiles. The flooring can be assembled in modular units and styles can be mixed and matched to create a number of decorative op-tions.

For more information, visit www.naf-co.com.