How to Pet Proof Your House and Garden

Pets are great fun but they can also get up to mischief. This is at best annoying and at worst destructive or dangerous, to themselves or others. By pet proofing your home you’ll be protecting them, and yourself, from a variety of common mishaps and misadventures.

Parents with small children very quickly learn to identify potential risks around their home and take steps to deal with them.

In the same way, as a pet owner, you should minimize the hazards your pet could encounter.

Pet-Proofing Your House

Large drops from which they could fall, such as windows or balconies, should be screened. Small objects should not be left lying around as these could lead to choking if swallowed. Pets should never be left unsupervised near electric heaters or open fires.

Hooks could be dangerous if your dog’s collar or lead were to catch on one. Toilet lids should be kept closed, preventing small pets from falling in. Other small openings, such as washing machine doors, should be kept shut, preventing curious cats and dogs from climbing inside.

Ornaments and other precious decorative items should be placed well out of the reach of pets. They’re particularly at risk from cats who love to climb or dogs who’ll chew on anything they can get their jaws around.

You might be surprised at the range of potentially dangerous toxins in your home. Drugs are an obvious risk, so medicines should not be left accessible to pets. Cleaning and DIY products can be equally unpleasant and their strong odours often attract attention from pets. They enjoy the taste of antifreeze and windscreen washing fluids, so make sure these products are kept well out of their way.

Some household plants are poisonous to cats and dogs. Amaryllis, cyclamen and peace lilies are just three examples, so keep plants in places where your pets can’t reach them.

Puppies love to tug and chew on almost anything. If they find an electrical cable they could pull an appliance over or give themselves a very nasty electric shock.

Pet proofing your garden

Most cats and dogs love to be outside. Make sure your garden is safe for them by removing potential hazards, such as garden implements or machinery. Ponds should be covered or fenced off and sharp items removed or covered, such as metal screws protruding from wood or brickwork or pieces of chicken wire or other fencing with sharp protrusions.

A number of plants and pesticides are dangerous for cats and dogs, so take care what you use and what you plant. Even something as innocuous as cocoa bean mulch can be harmful; it’s a chocolate product which is not good for dogs to eat. Your compost pile can be attractive to pets so make sure they can’t get to it.

You should make sure your garden fence is strong enough to keep your pet in. Plug holes and take precautions against dogs burrowing their way out. Gates should have strong latches, be kept closed, and bear signs that warn visitors of dogs within and that they should keep the gate closed.

It’s a wonderful privilege to own a pet but you need to remember that you’re responsible for their safety and security.

This article was provided by Pest Control London experts, Bypest.com. London pest control professionals Bypest.com offer a comprehensive service for all kinds of pest-control problems throughout London and around the M25, serving both residential and commercial customers.