Pet Proof Your New House Before Moving In

You and the kids all ready and excited to move into your new home. And so are your pets. Before disaster happens, take pet precautions to ensure two things:

Your dogs and cats don’t harm themselves.

You don’t get a heart attack when you see your new house all chewed up.

Dogs and cats are like family. You love them but they can get exasperating, too, especially if you have kittens and puppies. Like

Montague in Kitchen (Photo credit: Pictures by Ann)

normal children, the little creatures are full of curiosity and mischief. Make sure you prevent them from getting into accidents or causing the premature destruction of your new abode and everything inside it – the furniture, shoes, sports equipment and other little things you didn’t think your pets will notice.

Here are some tips to safeguard your new home while protecting Max and Bella from getting into trouble that may hurt them.

1. Keep things off the floor and close cabinet doors securely so that they can’t open them. Dogs, especially when they are still puppies, love to chew anything that they can sink their teeth into. Shoes, remote controls, carpets, rugs, toys – nothing is safe from these furry darlings if they are within reach.

Stall anxiety and unnecessary expenses by storing things or putting them in places that are high enough to be unreachable. Spray bitter-tasting but pet-safe products on potential chewables. Keep puppies from getting bored. Give it a toy or take it for a walk.

dishwasher dog (Photo credit: pkingDesign)

2. Check your home for nooks and crannies where small animals can hide and block them. Check for small items in these places that your pet might ingest. Fix these structures before moving in. According to Hayden Homes, homeowners should be able to talk openly with their contractor on issues that are of special concern to them.

3.Keep wires and cords of lamps, TV sets, telephones and the like from dangling and tempting the pets. These also include strings and yarn from your arts and craft hobbies. Your pets will chew them and play with them and render them useless. Worse, these strings could wound around their necks and choke them.

4.Place household chemicals, medications, cleansers and laundry stuff in cabinets with strong latches to prevent accidental ingestion. These compounds are lethal and could kill animals. Swallowing a single Tylenol tablet can kill your beloved four-footed pet.

5.Put poisonous plants in places where your dogs can’t eat them. Dogs are partial to grass and greens

and some of these contain toxic substances that can harm your pets. Plants and flowers that are dangerous if swallowed by your dogs include the dumb cane (diffenbachia,) caladium, philodendron, daffodils, jonquils, narcissus, hyacinth, iris, azaleas, hydrangeas and many more. Toadstools that sprout in the yard are fatal if eaten, so keep these plants away from your dog.

6.Don’t presume that the food we humans enjoy can be eaten by dogs, too. If you eat chocolates as a treat or cure for the blues, remember it does not have the same effect for your dog. Chocolate contains two ingredients that are deadly for dogs: theobromine and caffeine. If you have a box of chocolates lying around and you notice your dog, trembling and vomiting, it may have eaten some of that dark gooey stuff. Call your veterinarian immediately.