Whether you’re a dog lover, a friend of cats, or your aquarium full of fish is your pride and joy, you have to think about the best flooring.
Yes, having pet-friendly flooring really does matter and we’re going to show you why.
(We don’t want to give it away, but you’ll save money on repair and replacement if you follow these tips!)
Let’s dive into finding the right flooring solution for your pet situation.
Pet-friendly flooring for all the pets you can think of
Dog owners
Your dog is your best friend. But your floor isn’t as impressed with his “charm.”.
To be fair, it does take an awful lot of abuse from your four-legged pal.
Vinyl, laminate, and hardwood are all great choices for a dog-inhabited home. But there are a few factors you should consider.
- How often do you have your dog’s nails trimmed? The longer the nails, the greater likelihood for scrapes.
- How big/heavy is your dog? A dachshund’s nails won’t do as much damage as a Saint Bernard’s, for example.
- Is your pooch house-trained? If not, how quickly are “messes” cleaned up?
Here are some suggestions for the best choices for dog-friendly flooring.
Textured flooring
Floor with a texture does a better job of hiding minor scratches and scrapes. In addition, it also keeps your BFF from slipping and sliding as they run and play throughout your home.
Waterproof flooring
If your dog isn’t potty trained, is a big drooler, or gets a little too rambunctious in mud and rain, a waterproof floor is your best bet.
A word of caution: Even if this is your choice, you should still be careful to clean up accidents or messes as quickly as possible.
Hardwood floors
This option is durable, earth-friendly, and lasts a long time. Plus, it can be repaired if it becomes damaged. (But you may want to call in your favorite hardwood floor cleaning professionals! )
Cat owners
How cute are kitties when they’re kneading with their little paws?
What’s not so adorable is what it can do to your floors.
Those sharp nails can scrape and scratch. And we haven’t even talked about the dreaded… …hairballs.
And then there are the times Fluffy misses the litter box or the litter gets tracked throughout the house.
Not surprisingly, the same types of floors that were mentioned for dogs are also good choices for your feline household.
But one thing that bears repeating is cleaning up messes asap – especially kitty litter that can scratch your floor’s surface.
Owners of aquarium dwellers
The combination of water and flooring isn’t usually a great thing. With that in mind, your flooring needs will differ depending on what type of aquarium you have. A small fishbowl is a lot different than a 180-gallon fish tank.
No matter what kind of animal is living in your aquarium or what kind of flooring you have, one thing holds true (and you’ve heard it before) – clean up spills as soon as they happen.
There are also a few more things to consider.
Think about how much water gets spilled when you routinely change out the water in your tank. You’ll also want to think about the consequences if your aquarium were to break. How would that amount of water affect your floors?
A waterproof or water-resistant flooring option is probably best if there’s a potential for a lot of water to be on your floor.
Reptile or terrarium pet owners
Most likely, your pet that lives in a terrarium won’t be frolicking around your floors. But, if you have an iguana or a monitor, they may want to take a stroll outside of their home every once in a while.
And guess what? Their nails can scratch and scrape just like your cat’s or dog’s. For this reason, you may want to stick with one that was mentioned in those sections.
If your reptile won’t be out exploring, you can go with any flooring you want!
Farm animal owners (Yep, you count, too!)
You’re probably surprised by this one, but there’s a reason it’s on the list. (And it’s not because you have goats roaming around the living room.)
Though your farm animals may not come in the house, dust, dirt, animal hair, debris often do. Plus, you probably have an abundance of muck boots and other gear that come in, too. What won’t be a surprise is that the same rules apply. Clean up any messes quickly and opt for a water-resistant floor if your farming lifestyle demands it.