We love our furry friends, but oftentimes, they make guests uncomfortable and even depreciate the value of your home. Here are some great ways to keep your pets happy and your guests complimenting!
- Creative Kennel Storage
Nothing can be more of an eyesore than a bulky metal crate in the middle of your kitchen or living room. Luckily, there are a lot of alternatives. Build a wood crate and have it double as a TV stand or coffee table. Take advantage of some open floor storage in your laundry room and build a crate under a laundry counter or storage organizer. Add a doggy door to your stair spandrel panel. Or even exchange plastic baby gates for sliding vintage doors, if you prefer your dog be kept in a room rather than a cage.
- Get Rid of Pet Odors
Pet odors are notorious for repelling guests. You may have grown accustom to the pet smell, and your guests may not say anything to your face, but if people become hesitant to come over, and even close friends would rather you come to their place, it might be time to have your carpets cleaned.
There are several lines of defense with it comes to pet odors. Bathe your pets regularly and often. They may hate it, and you may hardly notice a difference, but believe me, do it anyway. Have your carpets, rugs, and pet bed, regularly cleaned. Mix baking soda and a few drops of essential oil (make sure it’s pet safe), and sprinkle it on your carpet overnight, then vacuum. There are also pet odor-eliminating candles and floor cleaners. Clean out the litter box more often and add coffee grounds to it. Any fabric that regularly comes into contact with your pet will need to be cleaned once every couple of weeks.
- Remove Pet Hair
This usually goes hand-in-hand with removing pet odors, but vacuum your floors and furniture regularly. Keep lent brushes and fur combs on hand. You can even buy gloves that minimize shedding hair all over your home.
- Creative Toys, Beds, and Hang Outs
Some of the cutest and most functional animal belongings, have been made in a garage. With a few Youtube tutorials, supplies from your backyard, thrift shop, and favorite home improvement store, your pet’s hangout spot can be a style statement rather than a gaudy pet store purchase. Make a cat tree from limbs in your own backyard or the free section of Craigslist. Recover a dirty, chewed up microfiber bed, with a cozy, oversized knit sweater. Recycle a pallet and make a stylish farmhouse doggy bed. Instead of buying neon rope tug-of-war toys, elect for a homemade rope out of thrift store finds that match your décor, and keep in a wire or wicker basket.
- Mud Room Bathing Station
As someone who moved from Texas to Kansas in my teenage years, despite being surrounded by pets and kids, I didn’t know what mudrooms were until my early adult life. I know they are intended to be a place to remove muddy and snow covered coats and shoes, but now believe that even in snowless states, they should be required. And on top of that, they should include a doggy bath to combat the dog that feels obligated to roll in the grass because once upon a time something fishy was left there. If you can afford a line of defense between your outdoor playmate and your indoor cuddle buddy, it’s worth the investment.
6. Creative Toys, Beds, and Hang Outs
Let’s face it – It’s next to impossible for that aqua blue travel kennel to match your cranberry red chiffon blanket. And your Victorian sofa doesn’t look so great with chew toys and doggy bones on it. It’s not easy to make your pet toys or beds match your décor, but who says your décor can’t match your pets? Frame a picture of your dog above his bed. Find a throw pillow that matches your pet toys. Maybe have an entry table complete with a doggy treat jar, a basket of toys, and aluminum bucket of dog food. Sometimes having a pet is less about hiding any signs of them, but embracing everything about your home including the mess of love that animals are.