3 Ways to Prevent Pets From Ruining Your Stuff

Our pets are lovable, cute, and sometimes just plain annoying. They give us this look where we can’t stay angry at them for more than a few minutes and they know when to give us the sad puppy dog eyes or the innocent big cat eyes. But because our pets are wild at heart, there are some instinctual behaviors they have that can ruin our household items. With some effort, patience, and understanding we can make sure they meet their needs to dig, scratch, chew, and explore and save our furniture.

Here are 3 ways to prevent pets from ruining our stuff

Chewing
Chewing is natural for pets and some stuff is just… chewable. Don’t just let them do it. Taste deterrents like bitter apple can work but after the spray dries, your pet might chew on the items again. Try giving your pet something they will like to chew on and will choose instead of your sneaker or leather bag. Kong toys are great for dogs and cats may like some catnip and a toy to bat around and chew on. Small animals may like an empty toilet paper roll.

Peeing on things
There are many reasons why pets may pee on things they aren’t supposed to pee on. Make sure it’s not a health issue. Pets sometimes mark territory when something or someone new has entered the house. A perceived threat can cause a pet to want to mark. Don’t yell or shove your pet’s face into the mess. That can cause fear of you. Instead, when you clean the pee spot, put the urine soaked paper towel in the designated pee place: spot in the yard, litterbox, etc. Place treats where your pet peed. Pets don’t want to eat where they pee. Use a cleaner that is formulated to break up the composition of pee like Nature’s Miracle and take a deep breath… this won’t last forever.

Scratching
Does your couch have what looks like streamers coming out of the arms? Cats love to scratch for a variety of reasons but often it doesn’t jive with your sense of style. Yelling at your cat won’t work. You can try putting double sided tape on the things your cat wants to scratch. No cat wants to be stuck to a couch and after a few attempts the couch will be seen as a thing to sit on, not scratch. But you must replace the scratching couch with something else your cat will like such as a cardboard scratcher, a post with rope and carpeting on it, or a post that has some natural bark that your cat can dig its claws into. Make sure it’s sturdy and place it in a spot your cat hangs out like by a window or next to the couch.

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