Pets are lovable, adorable, and huggable creatures that from time to time wreak havoc on furniture, clothes, and other valuables. Having a dog, a cat, a rabbit, or any other type of pet is a blessing, but it can also be quite frustrating as they don’t understand the respect and love that people have toward their properties and belongings.
Fortunately, there are easy and effective ways to remedy items that have been damaged by pets, and here are five interesting examples:
1. Urinating on Rugs and Furniture
Most accidents happen because owners don’t monitor their pet’s food and water intake. Keeping an eye on their animals helps ward off a mess because they can anticipate their pet’s bodily functions. Furthermore, this teaches dogs, cats, and other animals how to signal to their owners that they need to use the bathroom.
There are different types of commercial cleaners and homemade remedies that people can use to get rid of stinky urine smells and stains. Badly tarnished rugs and furniture, however, will need to be professionally cleaned.
2. Nonstop Fur Shedding
Excess shedding is easily preventable by frequently grooming long-haired pets. Sometimes, something as simple as regular brushing can considerably minimize the amount of fur stuck on furniture, carpets, and other household items. This is because grooming and brushing make animal coats softer and cleaner, and therefore, less likely to shed. Contrary to popular belief, short-haired pets should also be groomed, as they can produce excess fur.
3. Scratched Upholstery
While cats do it more often than dogs and other pets, the truth is that all domesticated animals tend to dig their claws into the upholstery of chairs, couches, and other furnishings. In some cases, the scratching can be so bad that the furniture looks old and torn up.
Minor snags, especially on woven fabrics, can quickly be fixed by pushing loose threads back into place with the help of a needle. Blemished leather upholstery, on the other hand, can be restored by rubbing them with shoe polish.
Pet owners cannot make furniture completely off-limits, but they can reduce the amount of damage by strategically placing scratching posts near their furnishings.
4. Pets Chewing on Wood Furniture
Dogs are notorious for scratching their teeth, especially as puppies, on all types of wooden furniture. The simplest, and perhaps most effective solution, is to put up gates that block off access to rare and valuable items. Stocking up on chewable toys and bones is another way to keep canines occupied and away from furnishings.
Chewed-up furniture legs can be repaired by sanding the rough edges. Deeper marks, however, will require wood filler. Once the blemishes have been corrected, all surfaces must be treated with fine-grit sandpaper to polish off bumps and other imperfections.
5. Mangled Pillows
Most owners allow their dogs and cats to play with cushions while they’re little. The downside of this is that animals continue to see pillows as toys, as they grow up, and end up damaging them.
Hiding all cushions for two weeks, and then forbidding animals from getting near them, is a great way to eliminate this habit. Another option is to get inexpensive pillows that a pet can use to play with while ignoring their more expensive counterparts.
Owning a pet is great but it does come with its ups and downs. But as this article shows, habits can be changed and damage can be fixed.