With pets more popular than ever thanks to COVID, you’re bound to run into unwanted guests or other nuisances brought in from your pets, whether intentional or not. This also applies to you for those who don’t have pets but have friends or family members who bring pets into their home. For this article, we’ll look at common household nuisances your pet could bring into your home and how to deal with them. Our focus will be directed on those who have dogs and cats.
What are Some Nuisances Your Pet Could Bring into Your Home and How can you Deal with Them?
Pests
Unknowingly to you, various pests and other small insects can hitch a ride on your pet’s skin and/or hair. Due to your pets being relatively close to the ground and/or going through bushes and other areas where insects may live, they are easily attracted to your pet.
The most common pests any pet owner should be aware of are fleas, ticks, and mosquitos.
Fleas love to latch onto the hair (or fur) of various animals as they provide a great hosting spot for their eggs and are a good source of blood. Animals like foxes, opossums, deer, and racoons all deal with fleas and have their own ways of combating them. Dogs and cats on the other hand could bring them into your home and potentially cause the fleas to bite you as well. Ensure you are up to date on flea and tick medicine, usually in chewable oral tablets, for your pets. In addition, groom your pets constantly so you can easily spot fleas early to remove them.
Ticks are notably a more extreme version of fleas, hitching a ride onto your pets’ hair and using their blood as a food source. Ticks are also notable for transmitting diseases, with Lyme disease being the most popular, to both your pets and humans. Like fleas, being up to date on tick medicine and consistently grooming your pets goes a long way of preventing them from multiplying. For your own lawn, weed killers are a powerful tool in controlling fleas, ticks, and other small creatures. Ensure your pets are not around when you apply them, however.
Finally, mosquitos are a common nuisance for humans and are bound to follow your pets around. Always keep in mind that mosquitoes can hitch a ride or may sneak their way into homes when you open the door for your pet or when you use a doggy door. A good shake off before entering your home or avoiding open sources of air from doggy doors are ways to deal with mosquitoes.
Dust
Dust consists of various components like dead insects, carpet fiber, soil, pollen, dead skin cells, and small pieces of plastic. While harmless at first glance, dust is well known to cause cardiovascular issues and contain harmful or toxic components that we breathe into our lungs. Your kids or pets may ingest them, whether intentionally or not.
Your pet is likely to introduce various things to increase the amount of dust you see daily. Proper, consistent vacuuming is key in dealing with both dust and pet dander that accumulates throughout your home. A robotic vacuum or handheld vacuums for pets used every few days is the best way to keep dust in check and your home dust-free.
Mud/Water/Snow
If dust is the invisible irritants that your pets can bring indoors, then mud, water, and snow are the larger, much more noticeable nuisances that you can easily spot on your pets. Pets have a variety of personalities, and some may love to play in mud or water while others may completely avoid it. Regardless of their temperament, it is hard for them to avoid these obstacles and not have them stain their hair.
To deal with mud, water, or snow from getting all over your floor, always ensure your pets do not enter your home and prepare your washing station in advance before you leave. If it’s a small pet, you can easily pick them up and bring them over to your station. For larger pets, you may need to wipe them down completely before they step into your home or have the floor padded with towels or other pieces of fabric.
Regardless, preemptively preparing where you’ll clean your pet before they step out of the home makes the cleaning job much easier when you or they return to the home.
Conclusion
Pets are our lovable friends that we introduce into our homes that also may bring other uninvited guests, like pests, dust contaminants, or mud/water/snow. By preemptively knowing how to deal with each of these nuisances, you will be better equipped to enjoy more time with your pet and less time cleaning up.
