At Housesit Match we often hear from both our housesitters and our pet owners about maintaining a household with pets. In this article we offer some of those curated top tips to help you manage your home.

Of course it all depends on the average number of pets per household, however, there are some essential hints for how to keep a home clean and with live-in domestic animals and how to find live in pet sitters when you’re away for peace of mind.

Tips for Maintaining a Household with Pets

One of the biggest challenges pet parents face is keeping their homes clean and free of odors. Pet ownership surveys show that more households have pets living in homes today than ever before in recorded history! Pet ownership statistics by year certainly since the explosion of pet adoption during and after the Covid lockdowns prove this.

1. Decorate a household with pets with robust soft furnishings

If you have a household with pets then choose furniture and upholstery very carefully. When you’re looking for furnishing, cleaning or decorating ideas, look for items that are easy to maintain and won’t pose a hazard for your furry buds.

Always focus on things that can be easily cleaned by tossing into the washer or simply wiping down when you shop. Check out these practical tips to help you pet-proof your home.

Get Hair-Proof Upholstery for the Furniture

Training your fur babies to stay off the furniture is hard, and when you’re cuddled in with a good book or watching TV, you need the little guy snuggled next to you. But, this indulgence will result in dog hairs everywhere. A good option is to choose upholstery that is unlikely to attract hairs.

Go with leather, short-pile cotton velour, and other tightly-woven fibers that repel hairs.

If you can find colors that closely match your four-legged pal’s fur, that’s even better. A quick vacuum or brush down with sticky tape will instantly make the furniture look as good as new.

2. Dealing with Accidents and Urine Stains

Accidents and urine stains are a normal part of a household with pets. The best thing to do is to deal with the stains as soon as they occur. Mop up the liquid until almost dry. Next, spray with an enzyme product or a solution of baking soda and vinegar mixed with dishwashing liquid.

You can also invest in washable throw rugs or slipcovers to protect the fabrics. This option is also a great idea if your pet is allergic to leather. You’ll avoid their skin coming into contact with the upholstery. Getting a faux leather dog collar and leash set will also prevent reactions like red skin, rash, hair loss, and lesions.

3. Prevent Scratch Marks

Households with pets often have a problem with scratch and claw marks on the furniture, doors, and windowsills. An excitable pet trying to get attention or chase after something interesting outdoors will result in unsightly damage to the wood. If you ask yourself how many people own cats and dogs, you know the chance of scratches on furniture is high.

Despite your best efforts to train them to stay off table tops, you can’t always be in the room to enforce the rules. Get around the problem with specialized shields to cover the areas where scratching is most likely to occur.

As for table tops, treat them with a layer of deep pour resin. Epoxy resin can create a hard, durable cover resistant to damage from claws. An added plus is stain-proofing and protection from spills.

4. Eliminate Breakable China and Glass

Your furry babies will launch into the air when playing to catch a ball or tossed toy–that’s an accepted fact. And, cats love to climb anything with the tiniest room for a paw-hold. A household with pets should be free of fragile decorative items like china, crystal, and even, glass-framed pictures on the walls.

Not only can these perishable items get knocked down and break, but the shattered glass is a particular hazard for delicate paws.  Instead, go with wall-mounted paintings encased in tough, unbreakable plastic, or say, a custom home painting made on museum-grade paper.

5. Bathe and Groom Your Furry Pal Regularly

AQs a household with pets you know that when you can you bathe and groom your furry pal regularly. Grooming ensures that the brush picks up loose hairs in place of shedding all over your home. And, washing away the mud and dirt will prevent it from settling on your furniture.

However, avoid shampooing too often, but a quick rinsing or mopping down with plain water after a walk will do the trick. 

House sitters can help

They can help maintain a household with pets, minimising pet stress and anxiety while you are away

Most vets will agree that keeping pets in their own environment and sustaining their routines will minimise their stress when the key people in their lives disappear for periods of time.

“Cats and dogs are creatures of habit – and if anything changes in their day-to-day routine, they can become quite stressed,”

says Vet Matthew Bayliss BVSc MRCVS.

As pet owners we know what is important to our pets, and we can judge the best situation for our fur families but it is surprising how many animals suffer some form of separation anxiety.  Of course finding the right pet or house-sitters is important, so it is good to plan ahead to give yourself plenty of chance to find a great sitter who suits your needs.

A household with pets can save money by finding free trusted house sitters

Holidays often prove more expensive than one expects. One growing trend that could help you save money is housesitting. Tapping into this global trend could save money in several ways. Learn more about how housesitters can help keep pets safe at home and save money:

• A household with pets spends more money – Globally pet owners spend $100 Billion spend on their pet families per year. If you have pets and regularly pay large sums of money to kennels, catteries or paid sitters then you would benefit. With multiple pets your pet care costs can easily multiply into huge sums each year.
• Dog sitters who are professional and live in cost money per day – If you regularly need dogsitters to come to your home and you pay them by the day or by the task, that gets expensive.
• Cat sitting costs money for pet minding at home – Equally if you have several cats and like to have live in catsitters the same truth applies. The costs rack up with each day that you are away.
• Live in housesitters and petsitters save you money – Now you can save money by securing experienced housesitters to stay when them when you go away. Travel with peace of mind knowing an experienced house or pet-sitter is at home caring for your pets for free! Yes honestly, they don’t charge.

By joining a managed housesitting network for a nominal sum you can save money. Find suitable house-sitters to care for your pets, property and garden for free in exchange for rent free accommodation.

Trusted pet sitters

Find a good source of trusted pet sitters to help you when you are away from home on holiday or a work trip. Housesitters can really help you manage your household with pes.

A final word on maintaining a household with pets

We know the percentage of pet owners in the world has gone up. Keeping a household with pets is easily done with the proper planning, substitutions, and a little effort. You’ll have a cozy, beautiful home that is a perfect environment for your fur baby family. 

Why Housesit Match?

Housesit Match is an online network that can help you meet checked pet lovers who will housesit and petsit for you in your absence helping you to manage your property and pets. At Housesit Match we offer a supported professional service where you can find online help if you need it. Check out our TrustPilot reviews.

To Register as a Home owner – Follow this link

To Register as a Housesitter – Follow this link

Further reading about housesitting and housesitters

At Housesit Match.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about trusted house sitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters and house sitting in London useful.

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities

Improve quality of life at home – Improve air quality

Keep home clean and fresh when you have pets

Every pet owner needs a robot vacuum cleaner

4 Pet care tips for when you are away

Preparing a home for a house or pet sitter

The Affordable Alternative to Dog Kennels

What is House Sitting?