As anyone who has shared a house or apartment with a pet can tell you, there’s nothing quite like having a furry friend around to brighten up your days and nights.
But before you bring a furry new friend into your home, it’s important to make sure your bathroom and kitchen are ready for your new housemate, making them safe and secure as can be.
Curious about what you can do to make your plumbing more pet-friendly? Here are three easy pet-proofing ideas sure to help keep your pets safer near your appliances, pipes, and cupboards:
1.) Keep Your Toilet Lids Down
An open toilet can easily look like a refreshing watering hole to your household pets, but they pose a few significant dangers, including a drowning risk for smaller animals. Even worse, dogs love to lap at toilet water – which can easily make them sick, especially if you treat your bowl with chemical cleaners.
Fortunately, it’s easy to keep your pets safe. Just make sure you keep all of your toilet lids and seats down when not in use. And consider switching to all-natural, more pet-friendly cleaning solutions, like vinegar or lemon juice, to cut back on your risk of accidentally poisoning your pooch.
2.) Keep a Close Eye on Your Appliances
Many animals, cats in particular, like to cuddle up in small spaces, including your home’s washer or dryer. Help keep your critters safe by keeping the doors and lids to your washer and dyer closed and secured.
Similarly, many animals will be fascinated by – and maybe even try to find their way inside – your trashcans. Keep your lids secured, and consider switching to a unit with a foot-pedal, the better to keep the contents safe from your pet’s hungry jaws.
3.) Keep Hazardous Materials Safely Secured
There are any number of cleaning solutions that we keep around the house that can pose severe hazards to pets: detergents, medicines, bleaches, and even toothpaste and dental floss can all make Fido feel ill. Make sure you keep your medicine cabinet closed (and organized), and consider adding a child-proof lock or latch on any storage cabinets in your bathroom or kitchen.
And don’t forget that other little things around the bathroom can pose a hazard to your dog: Many puppies, for example, will try to chew up your towels or bathmats. Be sure to keep a close eye on your pup, and keep fabrics out of the way. Better yet, consider installing a small gate to keep your pets out of the bathroom, or, at the very least, make a point to keep the door securely closed.
Looking for any more advice about keeping your bathroom running? Want an estimate for work? Whatever your Red Oakland plumbing or HVAC needs, Combat is here to help! Drop us a line, day or night, to get started!
