Our pets are a part of the family, but we want to preserve our furniture for as long as we can. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Many express their frustration about furniture damage from scratches and stains, to hair everywhere they turn. Although you may find an adorable scene with your pet cozily curled sleeping among your pillows on your couch or bed, it may just be an accident waiting to happen. The situation may be challenging, but it is manageable to have pets and maintain nice furniture. Many homeowners have done it with flying colors; so can you. Here are a few effective tips to protect your furniture from your pets.

How to Avoid Accidents

When living with pets, practice some precautionary measures to keep your furniture from damages. Regularly groom your pets, especially during fur-shedding season, to keep the fur buildup on your couches manageable if unavoidable.

Invest on a dog couch cover or better yet, their very own pet bed. Some pets may not adapt to using their own bed at the start. With training and patience, they will learn to love it. Same goes with cats. Provide them with their own resting places or playing platforms where they can climb, sleep, run and claw all they want.

Furniture Protection

Some dogs love to jump on your couch. To avoid the horrors seeing muddy paw marks on the furniture, you may use a slip cover or protect your furniture with a throw or a blanket. Find some pet couch covers or sofa covers at pet stores. Upholstery makers can do custom sofa slipcovers or sectional couch covers for your sets. Some pet owners choose leather upholstery or microfiber material for easier maintenance and cleaning.

If you have cats at home, get them a cat scratching post where they can satisfy their urge to claw on something. Pet sofa cover won’t suffice for cats, but these can protect your upholstery from unwanted fur buildup.

Pet-Friendly Furniture

If you have pets at home, opt for pet friendly furniture, especially if you cannot avoid cuddling your furry friend on your couch. Go for suede type microfiber material for upholstery. This allows fur to come off easily; and washing mattress covers is a breeze.

Some homeowners go for steel or plastic furniture. If you are wondering that your interior décor will look cheap, you will be surprised at the number of elegant style options some furniture stores can offer with regards to steel and plastic furniture.

On a general level, having pets at home will definitely require more maintenance. This may put off some homeowners, but the truth is, the emotional rewards of having a pet companion are worth the sacrifice. If you don’t have the luxury of time to maintain your furniture, you can always call on a reliable furniture cleaning service nearby. They know what cleaning solutions and procedures to use. Best of all, if your upholstery will need some repairs, companies such as DrSofa can help you with the most economical and best reupholstery and repair procedures.