4 tactics to fully pet-proof your home (and save lots of money!)
Who doesn’t love dog or cat cuddles on the sofa? It would be mean to put your pet on the floor, yet the consequence of allowing a furry friend on the sofa can be drastic. They’re animals, after all, meaning they have claws and fur. They’ll do things without realising they’re doing them, which usually results in your sofa being a mess.
There are scratch marks across the material, stains from their paws, hair trapped everywhere and an unmistakable “pet” smell that always lingers. Cheap sofas still cost a few hundred pounds and the good ones are over a thousand. You can’t afford to continuously buy new ones every couple of years – it would be ridiculous! A good sofa repair service will help fix the issues and make your pet-damaged sofa look new again. Once this is done, you need to take steps to pet-proof your sofa so it doesn’t end up in a right old state.
Place a protective cover over the sofa
We’ll be honest, this is often the only thing you need to do to pet-proof your sofa. Lay a protective blanket or covering over the sofa as a barrier between it and your pet. When they sit on the sofa with you, their claws and fur are on the blanket instead of the sofa material.
There’s also no danger of a pet coming in with muddy paws and staining the sofa. They’ll stain the blanket instead, which can be removed and washed regularly anyway! Adding a protective cover like this also adds comfort to your home by making the sofa feel cosier, so that’s a nice touch too.
Groom your pet regularly
Get into the habit of grooming your pets so their claws are nicely trimmed and there’s less chance of them accidentally scratching your sofa. Grooming will also cut down the amount of pet fur you find all over your sofa and living room, so everything looks a lot cleaner as well.
Admittedly, cutting a cat’s claws is easier said than done – but there’s a useful guide on how to do that here.
Vacuum your sofa every week
Regular vacuum cleaning will keep your sofa fresh and prevent the build-up of that nasty “pet” smell in the fabric. Even with a protective cover, the smell can sink into your sofa and leave it smelling funny. You don’t want this to happen as it can be pretty grim when you have guests around.
Vacuum once a week, taking extra care to use a tool that gets rid of pet hair while you’re at it.
Provide your pet with a scratch post/pad
This final tip is mainly here for cat owners. Cats LOVE scratching the sofa and leaving it in tatters. One easy way to prevent this is by giving your cat its own scratch post/pad. They should use it instead of the sofa. If they don’t, you’ll have to train them to use a scratch post/pad instead. It might take time, but your sofa will thank you.
Pet-proofing your sofa ensures your furry friend can still be a valued member of the family and enjoy evening snuggles without damaging your furniture. You’ll save loads of money without condemning your pet to the floor.
