| Pet friendly, or pet safe, furniture is a bit | | | | |
| of a misnomer just like the term 'child | | | | If you provide cats with a scratching pole to |
| proof' you can't get furniture which is | | | | exercise their claws on, then you may find |
| immune to damage, but you can make sure that | | | | that they will leave your furniture alone. |
| things are as safe and durable as possible. | | | | If you don't have a scratching pole |
| If you want to allow your pet access to the | | | | available, then some corrugated cardboard may |
| house, but want to make sure that there is as | | | | do in the short term. If your cat has a long |
| little possibility for damage as possible, | | | | tail, then keep ornaments back from the edge |
| then consider pet friendly furniture and | | | | of any ledges to avoid them getting |
| decorations. | | | | tail-swept off and breaking. |
| | | | |
| If you have pets in the house, then wall to | | | | Pet Friendly Upholstery |
| wall carpeting may not be a great idea, | | | | |
| unless your pet happens to be a gold fish or | | | | The primary and most essential need of most |
| a small bird. For popular four-legged pets | | | | pet friendly furniture is to ensure that it |
| such as dogs and cats, a hard floor with | | | | can be easily cleaned to remove hair and |
| tiles or special flooring is most pet | | | | stains. Consider having two sets of washable |
| resistant and attractive too. For additional | | | | linen or denim slips to cover the upholstery |
| color to the floor, try adding small rugs, | | | | of your sofas. It makes sense to do so, |
| though if you have expensive Persian rugs, | | | | since you will always have one on hand to |
| it might be better and safer to display on | | | | use, while the other is being washed. |
| the walls. One clever and practical idea is | | | | Nowadays, it is possible to buy stain |
| a floor cover to place pet friendly | | | | resistant odor repellent fabric. This will |
| furniture. For this purpose try vinyl-coated | | | | withstand normal stains and smells. You can |
| wallpaper and three coats of polyurethane. | | | | also choose dark or patterned fabric since |
| That should last a couple of years. | | | | this will not show stains easily. |
| | | | |
| Semi-gloss paint is a sensible choice if you | | | | Instead of using fabric, try ultra-suede. It |
| have dogs and cats since it is easy to clean, | | | | is quite resistant to dog hairs, and is easy |
| which can be useful if your pet decides to | | | | to wash and dry. It also tends not to pick |
| rub itself against the wall. If you prefer | | | | up odors, and, since it does not smell like |
| wallpaper, get the washable, vinyl-backed | | | | leather, dogs are less likely to chew it. You |
| kind. Avoid vertical blinds, ornate tassels, | | | | can get ultra-suede slip covers to fit a lot |
| pull cords on lights, or anything else that | | | | of common furniture sizes, and it looks very |
| could tangle the pet and put them at risk of | | | | attractive, so you are not sacrificing |
| strangulation. | | | | anything for the pet-friendly features. |