Read8 min read
Pet-proofing the home room by room for a puppy or kitten
Every room hides different hazards for a curious animal. Here is a practical, room-by-room path to make the home safe before the accident, not after it.
DogCat
Animiyo blog
Home and environment
The home environment is the factor you can change at the lowest cost with the highest effect. Here you will find how to make a home safe, how to enrich it so the animal has choices, and which weather conditions call for specific precautions.
28 articles
- Read7 min read
A pet-safe Christmas tree and decorations for dogs and cats: what really matters
Holiday decorations are an irresistible novelty for dogs and cats. Telling the myths from the real dangers lets you set up the home without avoidable accidents.
DogCat - Read7 min read
Pets in a shared building: what the law says on rules, noise and common areas
Living in a shared building with a pet is a right, but with clear duties. Here is what the rules cannot ban, how to handle noise and common areas, and how to keep relations good.
DogCat - Read7 min read
Reducing dog and cat allergens at home: what actually works
Living with an allergic person without giving up the pet is possible by working on the environment. Here is what really reduces the allergen load at home and what is merely a myth.
DogCat - Read8 min read
Electrical cables and sockets: making the home safe for dogs, cats and rabbits
Biting a live cable is an underrated household hazard, with consequences from mouth burns to pulmonary oedema. Practical prevention and the first minutes.
DogCatRabbit - Read8 min read
Heat sources at home: fireplaces, stoves and candles without risk to dogs and cats
Fireplaces, stoves, radiators and candles make a home cosy and, for an animal, hazardous. Here are the real risks, the guards that work and the signs not to ignore.
DogCat - Read8 min read
Cleaning products and disinfectants: risks for pets at home
The risk of cleaning products is not only direct ingestion but also residues on floors and bowls. Here is how to clean the home without exposing your pet.
DogCat - Read8 min read
A safe freshwater aquarium: the parameters that matter and its upkeep
Most fish die from bad water, not disease. Here are the parameters that matter, how to start the tank with the nitrogen cycle and the weekly maintenance that keeps it stable.
Fish - Read7 min read
Home pest control and safety for dogs and cats: how to do it without risk
Fighting insects and rodents at home is normal, but many products are toxic to dogs and cats. Here is how to treat safely and recognise the signs of exposure.
DogCat - Read8 min read
Damp and mould at home: why they matter for dogs, cats and birds and how to act
A too damp home breeds mould and mites and burdens animals' breathing and skin. Here are the levels to hold and how to remediate without exposing dog, cat or bird.
DogCatBirds - Read8 min read
Cold and winter indoors: which thresholds matter and who suffers most
Cold does not weigh the same on every animal. Here is how to adapt the home for those who suffer most, manage winter outings and when action matters.
DogCat - Read7 min read
Pet safe houseplants for dogs and cats: which to choose and how to place them
Not every houseplant is a hazard: some are considered non toxic to dogs and cats. Here is which to choose, how to place them and why safe does not mean edible.
DogCat - Read7 min read
Chronic household noise: how the sound of home affects dogs and cats
You do not need fireworks to stress a pet: the constant hum of home weighs on them daily. Here is how they hear it and how to lighten the sound load.
DogCat - Read7 min read
Catio and enclosed balcony: how to build a safe outdoor space for your cat
A catio or enclosed balcony gives a cat sun, air and stimulation while removing the risks of free roaming. Here is how to design it, with which materials and rules.
Cat - Read8 min read
Creating a safe resting zone at home for dogs and cats
An animal that rests well has a place to retreat to and knows no one will disturb it. Building that retreat matters more than the bed model you choose.
DogCat - Read10 min read
Slippery floors and grip at home: protecting the joints
Where the paw slips, the body compensates with strain on hips and back. Here is why smooth floors are a problem, who is most exposed, and how to restore grip at home without ripping anything out.
DogCat - Read9 min read
Litter boxes: how many, where to put them and how to manage them
The right litter box is not a matter of scented litter but of number, placement, size and cleaning. Here is how to set them up thinking like a cat.
Cat - Read8 min read
Lighting and circadian rhythms at home for dogs and cats
Light is not just for seeing: it governs our animals' sleep and activity. Here is how home lighting can help or hinder their rest.
DogCat - Read9 min read
Preventing falls and escapes at home: windows, balconies and doors
A cat lacks the sense of the void we credit it with, and a frightened dog opens doors we thought safe. Here is how to secure the routes for falls and escapes.
CatDogAll species - Read10 min read
Fireworks and thunderstorms: preparing the home and the animal in time
Preparing for fireworks starts weeks ahead, not at seven in the evening. Here is what you can change in the environment and what takes time and method.
DogCat - Read8 min read
The air at home: smoke, diffusers and scents seen by the animal
An animal breathes faster, lives near the floor and cleans itself by licking: the same air you find tolerable can weigh far more on it. Here are the sources that matter and how to reduce them.
DogCatBirds - Read12 min read
Cat-safe balconies and windows: nets, screens and falls from height
Cats do not always land on their feet and fall even from low heights. Here is how to make balconies, windows and terraces safe by closing every opening to the outside at the source.
Cat - Read8 min read
Garage and utility room: the household poisons almost everyone forgets
The kitchen and living room always get pet-proofed. The garage and utility room do not, and that is exactly where the most dangerous substances for cats and dogs pile up.
DogCat - Read8 min read
A safe garden for dogs and cats: what to check
A garden seems the most natural place for an animal, but it brings hazards a home does not have. Most are prevented by the setup, not by constant supervision.
DogCat - Read12 min read
Heat and humidity indoors: which thresholds actually matter
Two homes at twenty eight degrees are not the same home. High humidity collapses heat loss, and the risk threshold drops for every species.
DogCatRabbit - Read10 min read
Vertical enrichment: designing a home in height for your cat
A sixty square metre flat can offer a cat twice the usable space without moving a wall. It takes designing the height, though, rather than filling it with furniture.
Cat - Read12 min read
Moving house: how to prepare an animal for the change
For an animal a house move is not a change of address, it is the deletion of the map it navigates by. The work happens in the preceding weeks.
DogCat - Read10 min read
Houseplants and balcony plants dangerous to dogs and cats
Not all toxic plants are equal: some cause pain that passes, others destroy kidneys or liver within hours. Telling the two apart changes how you react.
DogCat