Pet-Proofing Your Home From The Floor Up (NAPSA)—Welcoming a new pet into your homerequires preparation. Pet-proofing your home before your new four-footed friend’s arrival is one of the best ways to keep your pet healthy and happy (and to keep your house from going to the dogs). Try thesetips: Have A Plan Start by determining whether or not you want your pet to have the run of the house. Look for small objects a pet could chew and choke on, or access to garbage containers that your pet could topple. Be sure you and yourfamily agree on what rooms Fluffy or Fido can and cannot go into; this way, there will not be any mixed messages that can confuse yourpet. Keep Your Pets Busy If pets are left alone in the home all day, another way to keep them occupied is to scatter pet toys throughout the areas in which they frequently play. This way, they can move from one toy to another and keep themselves busy until you get home. This will also keep playful and curious pets out of harm’s way. Even so, consider buying childproof latches for cabinets that house cleaners, especially if pets are left alone. Furniture If you do not want your pets on certain pieces of furniture, try using “childproof” gates or other barriers to keep them out of the rooms wherethe furniture is kept. If they happen to jump up onto furniture, immediately order them down to train them that what they are doing is wrong. If you have furniture that your pet is allowed The Dog’s House—There are a number of ways to pet-proof your home. on, consider covering it with slip covers or throws to keep pet hair and staining to a minimum. Floors Certain types of floors are more resistant to pet wear and tear than other types. For instance, luxury vinyl tends to resist spills, scratches and tracked-in dirt—staples in many homesthat havepets. These floors are moreresilient and less expensive than other flooring options, such as wood,tile or stone. Nafco by Tarkett offers PermaStone Modular in a variety of natural looks and newlysized tiles. The flooring can be assembled in modular units and styles can be mixed and matched to create a numberof decorative options. For more information, visit www.nafco.com.
