Home improvements are generally challenging for homeowners, and it’s worse if you have pets. Keeping up with your furbaby, talking to contractors, moving valuables, and picking paint colors all at the same time can be overwhelming. As stressful as this time may be for you, it’s also a hard time for pets.
Most pets experience a heightened level of fear, anxiety, and stress during home improvements, primarily because of the noise and the overall disruption to their daily routines. This affects their emotional and physical health. On that note, here are four tips to take care of your pet during home improvements.
1. Consider boarding or change location.
Depending on how active you have to be with the home remodeling, boarding or changing locations could be your best option to care for your pet. Some animals can’t cope during home improvements, irrespective of what measures you put in place. Therefore, getting them completely out of the house will eliminate the risk of distress. Besides, having animals around when undertaking building work might not be a good idea. It’ll be easier for you and the construction workers to get work done when pathways are clear.
For this reason, it might be best to board your dog or leave it with a neighbor or relative. Alternatively, if you live in urban areas, you might have more boarding options. Let’s say you live in downtown Chicago. A quick online search for “furnished apartments in Chicago” might deliver reliable short-term rental options. You’ll likely find Chicago apartments with premium amenities that are a walking distance from fun places like the Chicago cultural center, the Chicago River, and the Lincoln park zoo. Staying in bedroom apartments like this will help calm your pet’s anxieties and protect its overall well-being.
2. Create a safe space.
Another way to care for your pet during a renovation is to create a safe space. This eliminates the risk of having your pet pull a Houdini escape stunt on you by escaping out of the gate. For some dogs, this could be a crate or a kennel. The bottom line is to ensure that your fur baby has a comfortable and locked space of its own during the construction period.
Also, try to pay attention to your pet’s needs to avoid aggravating them further. For instance, not all dogs are kennel trained, and some do like to be caged. In that case, you’ll need to consider an open but secured space to set up its safe space. This could be beside its favorite couch or by the patio door.
Also, for some reason, many dogs love Vinyl windows. So if you don’t have any in your home, once again, a quick online search will help. Let’s say you’re in the Houston area, a search for “Vinyl windows in Houston” will likely deliver viable results.
A Vinyl replacement window is energy efficient and will help keep your pet warm during winter and cool during summer. Not to mention, if your Vinyl window is a well-designed dual-pane glass, your pet will be less disturbed by the construction noise. These windows are ideal for every room in your home, whether it’s your kitchen or ceiling windows.
3. Take your pet outdoors regularly.
Nothing beats taking your pet for a run or walk in the park to expel all that excess energy out of their system. This is particularly important if you have a dog. Most dogs will jump at any opportunity they get to spend time outside the confines of the home. However, you’ll need to be careful as this excitement can be too much and will have them disappearing on you.
A dog harness or leash is on way to solve this problem. However, they need to be the perfect fit for your dog. Harnesses work by giving you control over your dog’s movement, and without a secure fit, you risk making your pup comfortable. Besides, tight harnesses risk damage to your dog’s chest and shoulder and also affect your dog’s comfort, gait, and movement.
A snug fit should be when you can fit two fingers between the neck and the harness. If you’re looking for the best dog harness, sites like joyrideharness.com will help. Joyride Harness has every type of harness you can imagine. This includes those that come with a seatbelt combo for car rides and those with a reflective strip for night walks. Even better, they all have adjustable points, so whether you have a small dog or a large dog, you’re sure to find a harness that fits.
4. Maintain a routine.
Pets like dogs are creatures of habit, and they feel safe and comfortable when things in their world are predictable. Unfortunately, home improvement projects tend to threaten their sanity by creating chaos and stress. However, to keep things under control and soothe your pet’s anxiety, you should try sticking to their regular routine.
Admittedly, it’s easy to lose track of time with so much going on at your home. To avoid skipping parts of their routine, ensure that you set an alarm clock or any form of alert to remind you. Your dog will be happier and in a better state of mind during home improvements when you stick to its predictable schedule.
