Tips for Making Your Home Pet Friendly and Pet Safe

by Carolyn Kay 04/27/2025

Pets can fill your home with joy and provide you with unconditional love and companionship. However, they can also end up getting into trouble or being mischievous at times, which is why it's important to make your home as safe as possible. You can turn your home into a more pet-friendly place with the following tips.

Keep Hazardous Items Out of Reach

Cleaning products, medications and other items can be dangerous for pets to ingest. Go through your home, and make sure these items are stored in a place your pets can't reach. You can even put childproof latches on cabinet doors to prevent curious dogs or cats from being able to open them.

Cover or Hide Cords and Wires

Some pets might play with or chew cords and wires they find lying around your home, which can lead to electric shocks and burns. Place cords and wires out of sight and out of reach to prevent this from happening.

Secure Your Trash Cans

Pets shouldn't be able to knock over or get into your trash cans. Doing so can cause a mess, but it also makes it easy for your pets to eat something that could harm them. Make sure your kitchen trash can has a secure lid, or store your can in a closed cabinet.

Store All Food

Don't leave food out on counters or on the table when you have pets. Some pets can jump onto these surfaces to reach food, while others are tall enough to easily grab food items left out. Store all food in your pantry, fridge or cabinets, so your pets can't get any. This helps prevent your pets from consuming foods that could make them sick, such as chocolate and grapes, which can harm dogs.

Choose Houseplants Carefully

Some houseplants are toxic to dogs, cats or both, so choose these wisely. Research any houseplants you want to bring home first to make sure they're safe for your pets. When you do have houseplants around, put them in places your pets can't easily reach. Keep in mind you can decorate with silk

About the Author

Carolyn Kay

As a Real Estate professional, I specialize in helping my clients buy, rent or sell properties in Westchester County. I am passionate, dedicated and committed to my clients and my first priority is to provide them with first class service and guidance throughout the entire process. It has been said that I go above and beyond for my clients to get the deal closed! I have experience working with clients who have financed their purchases with either a conventional, VA or FHA loan and have a good understanding of how they work; no sale is too big or too small for me to take on. My family and I relocated to England for 2 ½ years, this was a wonderful experience but at the same time, it was overwhelming. I have first hand knowledge of the challenges as well as the positives in discovering a new community. I was born and raised in Scarsdale and once married, my husband and I decided to raise our two daughters here. Both of our daughters successfully graduated from the Scarsdale schools and are both married, living and working in Manhattan. After living in the same house for 30 years my husband and I took the leap, sold our home and bought and renovated a condo townhouse in another town. Once again we are discovering a new community and fully understand the highs and lows of selling a home we loved and buying and making a new home. I feel that my personal real estate experiences have made me more in tune with my client’s needs and therefore better able to help them navigate through the complex process. Please call me so that I can put my knowledge and experience to work for you.