A luxury home and pets could be a complex mix, especially since luxury homes are usually filled with furniture, fixtures, appliances, and other items that are expensive and fragile while pets could be quite rambunctious. Your collection of exquisite ceramic figurines accumulated from your travels abroad are mere items of curiosity to your lovely Himalayan feline and she won’t hesitate to knock them off the shelves given a chance.
That said, you can have both pets and nice things in your luxury home – but adjustments must be made on your part. The last thing on your mind is to send your pet away because you’ll be missing out on the loyalty, love, and slobbers that they freely and unconditionally give.
Here are several handy tips on how you can keep your fur baby happy and active indoors while also keeping your luxury home intact.
- CHOOSE FUR-RESISTANT UPHOLSTERY.
Shedding is a constant problem among many people with cats and dogs as members of the family. That’s why it’s best to choose furniture upholstery with a fur-resistant finish. Instead of corduroy and velvet, consider leather, tapestry, or any material that’s smooth to the touch where hair and fur can easily slide off.
- MINIMIZE OR PROTECT YOUR WOODEN FURNITURE.
Dogs and cats need to chew or scratch on things, from toys to your finely crafted antique vanity dresser’s leg to keep their teeth strong and their claws well-sharpened. With that in mind, you may want to replace your wooden furniture pieces with those made of metal. But if the element of wood is essential to complete the overall aesthetics of your home, then go with wooden furniture items that have metal support. Or, you can wrap your wooden furniture’s legs in sisal rope. That way, you can protect your wooden furniture and give your pet an ideal scratching or gnawing post at the same time.
- GO FOR EASY-TO-CLEAN FLOORING.
Pets and wooden flooring have a love-hate relationship of sorts. While Fido and Fifi appreciate the feel of a wooden floor on their sensitive toe pads, this flooring material collects hair and fur like a magnet!
- SET UP A DESIGNATED SPACE FOR REST AND PLAY.
Pets are part of the family, too, so giving them their own room as you would with the human members of the household is a bright idea. Make that space truly their own by putting in items like a small play tent, a fluffy pet bed, and a storage bin with all of your fur baby’s favorite toys in it. Decorate the walls with colorful decals to complete the look.
- PUT SAFETY MEASURES FOR YOUR PET IN PLACE.
Here’s what can be done to ramp up the safety factor for your pets at home:
- Use automatic blinds instead of window dressings, blinds, and curtain cords as pets can get tangled up in them.
- Anchor tall cabinets and bookshelves securely to the wall using discrete furniture straps. This prevents the cabinets from toppling down in case of an earthquake or if your pet jumps on them repeatedly.
- Keep the area as clutter-free as possible to minimize accidents and choking hazards.
- If you have senior pets, don’t keep moving furniture around. Senior pets often have poor eyesight, and switching things around can cause accidents since the space can become unfamiliar to the pet.
- Prevent your pets from getting lost whenever they manage to get out of the house by building a fence around it.
The most pet-friendly option for flooring is tiles due to their durability and ease of cleaning. But if you want to keep that wood aesthetic, then go for laminate or vinyl flooring instead.
FIND PET-FRIENDLY LUXURY HOMES IN WEST PALM BEACH
When you truly love your pet, you’ll do everything within your power to keep them comfortable, happy, healthy, and safe. After all, they’re genuine members of the family. Thus, even when making major decisions like finding a new home, their needs and requirements should also be considered in the lifestyle you choose.
The good news for pet owners is that there are gated communities with luxury homes that cater to your special requirements. In Palm Beach Gardens, there’s The Telchin Group LLC to help you find pet-friendly luxury real estate, particularly in The Club at Ibis. With top Florida Realtor Eric Telchin at the team’s helm, they are equipped with the expertise, knowledge, and passion to provide all clients – both humans and their pets – with a smooth and seamless home-buying experience from start to closing.
Contact the team today at 561.301.0249 or send an email here to schedule a consultation.