Top Tips for Choosing and Handling Apartment Pets
When visiting your family or friends there is one thing sure to get plenty of attention. No, not an eclectic music collection, a fancy car, or even a giant plasma TV; it’s the household pet. Their constant interaction makes the little critter feel like part of the family and vice versa. However, when deciding to get a pet for your apartment, realize that it does take a lot of time and money and should not be a decision taken lightly. So, if you’re looking for apartment pets, first decide which would be best for your situation.
Obviously, you should be living in a pet friendly apartment community. Dogs are more active and need to be taken outside often, whereas cats can be trained to stay indoors. Both are very social animals and need attention and interaction in order to be healthy. Also, remember to be practical. The best apartment pets are often the ones that are smaller. Cats typically follow the same pattern across the board, but dogs vary greatly. It would be ideal to get a low energy dog that doesn’t constantly bark at everything.
It is also a good idea to set aside an hour a day to devote to your pooch or feline for some play time, grooming and just hanging out. This task doesn’t have to be all at once or all by yourself, but it should at least be for a few long stretches. These activities will keep your little fella happy and also help you de-stress and make you more active.
Aside from the time needed, you will also have to keep a stocked apartment to be ready for any and all situations.
Advice for Keeping the Best Apartment Pets
- Be sure to have water and food available at all times – no table scraps unless you want constant begging and crying!
- Have chew toys, play areas and scratching posts designated as early as possible. That is unless you want Fido sharpening his teeth or Fluffy filing her razor claws on your brand new sofa.
- Invest early in a high-powered vacuum cleaner. Unless you get a hairless creature, there will be a plethora of fur flying around everywhere.
- To cut down on vacuum time, be sure to brush your pet as often as possible to clear up fur and dander (also limits the ever pleasant hairballs!).
- Keep your cat’s litter box clean to avoid surprises in your shoes, couch or bed. And if you have a dog and know you can’t run home from work for a quick walk, invest in an indoor grass patch. It’s not perfect but it is a better holdover option.
These little tips can go a long way, but if you don’t put in the time to housebreak your animal, none of it will matter. It has to be a process that is finished all the way or you’ll end up with more headaches than you thought possible.
Having an apartment pet takes a lot of work, but the dividends surely pay off as nearly every pet owner will tell you they wouldn’t give up their best friend for anything!