How To Find a Pet Friendly Rug

How To Find a Pet Friendly Rug

We love our pets, and we love our homes, our floors in particular.

Hard wood and tile floors can be hard to handle on their own, but add a rowdy furry friend to the mix and it’s going to require tons of maintenance.

Buying a pet proof rug (dog proof rugs and cat proof rugs) is something that you need if you have a pet. Forget the cost of having to put pet resistant carpet all over your house, not only does this cost an absolute fortune, there is no need, especially when you can get stain resistant area rugs and pet friendly area rugs that are best rugs for pet owners.

If you’re an animal lover like me, you are probably looking for a rug that not only makes your house look like a million dollars but you want a rug that is practical when you have pets. You want it to be pet friendly; rugs that camouflage shedding dog and cat hairs and don’t allow your family pet to bite or scratch, ultimately ruining the fibers of the rug.

Note: If you are specifically looking for animal rugs, unfortunately, they don’t exist. What exist are everyday rugs that are pet friendly and can be used as dog rugs and a cat rug or just as pet rugs in general. The reason for this article is exactly this, to present to the best area rugs for pets that you can use in your household without making your house look like it has been overrun by your pet.

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But First! Rug Cleaning Products 100% Safe for Pets

(Re-phrase that – the ONLY Non-Toxic, Organic and Non-Harsh rug and carpet cleaning products)

This is the only brand of rug and carpet cleaning products I use and recommend (especially if you have kids/pets around your home).

This is where you can purchase the products: Official Website

If I was negligent and didn’t care, I could refer you to your local store to buy any old commercially available rug cleaner, because some do actually work. But, I’ve been in rug cleaning for way to many years and I know what rug cleaning products are made from and they aren’t very healthy for you to use nor are they healthy for your children and pets to be sitting on the rugs/carpets that have had harsh chemicals on them.

I have a family with pets. I ONLY recommend products that I have personally used and that are 100% safe to use around your family (including babies) and pets.

These products are organic, non-toxic, non-harsh, easy to use, work a breeze and are made from organic materials and are used by health conscious rug cleaning professionals (like I am).

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Tip #1: Consider an Indoor/Outdoor Rug

They aren’t just for outdoors, they are perfect for indoors as well, especially if you have a pet!

Ever considered an indoor-outdoor rug? Not just suitable for outdoors but fashionable enough to use inside your home as well. If you haven’t thought of this already, think again because you should, especially if you have pets as its one of the best rugs for dogs and cats that you can buy.

Gone are the days of outdoor rugs looking like patio or door mats, outdoor rugs are actually quite funky and cool and can complement pretty much any living room. Not only are they voted as the #1 best rugs for pets, many people opt to use them as a living room rug in warmer months also – so it’s not just for animal loves either.

Indoor & Outdoor Rugs are double duty, hence why they are great as pet proof area rugs. These are definitely are top choice for many people, not only if you have a pet, they are a great in-expensive and simple solution.

They are soft for your bare feet and it’s also really easy to clean. This will be especially useful for dog owners. They go outside and play and bring the outside… inside. Areas of heavy traffic won’t be a major problem anymore.

The ease of cleaning an indoor/ outdoor rug means you won’t have to dread rug maintenance. Hours of scrubbing with chemicals and a scrub brush are a thing of the past, and with pets, that saves an awful lot of time. Pets are messy. It’s just a part of life.

Tip #2: Small Patterns are Key

Patterned Rugs are a good type of rug to have when you have pets. I love patterned rugs to decorate any home, but they are a popular choice for pet lovers also. Not only are patterned rugs nicely fashionable in any home as an area rug but are they functional with pets? Yes and No – If you have a pet, a patterned rug is great.

It’s so tempting to find a rug with big patterns with large areas of exposed solid colors in white and neutral tones, but when it comes to being able to disguise stains from our pets such as the odd dog urination, the best way to find a pet stain resistant rug is to go one with smaller patterns.

If you have a pet and want a pet proof rug, look at buying rugs with smaller patterns and mostly consist of darker colors. Rugs with smaller patterns disguise stains easier than flat large exposed colors that will reveal a stain more easily; the bigger the pattern, the bigger the stain.

Obviously, it won’t be the actual size of the stain that matters. If it’s on an area of solid color, it’s going to be more visible than that tiny little discoloration on that little striped area. Tight patterns, that are small and don’t have many big open areas will be your best bet for stain disguise. It’s also a good idea to choose darker colors for your rug. Light colors tend to show everything, not exactly being dog or cat friendly.

Tip #3: Switch from a Fluffy Rug to a Low Pile Rug

A low pile rug such as this one shown, will sustain less damage from whiskers, voted #1 cat rug. Not to mention, higher pile rugs encourage your pets to do some digging. It’s just a weird animal instinct. Lower pile carpet can be soft too, don’t think you have to buy an ugly rough uncomfortable rug when you think low pile. You definitely won’t.

Fluffy plush carpets and rugs such as sheepskin and shag rugs are a cats delight. Cats are infamous for digging their claws into plush carpets (which can tend to be expensive) so to save your bank balance and your cat gripping it’s claws into your plush rug, the best rug if you have a cat is a low pile rug.

Dogs could also have an issue with getting their nails stuck in the loops of the higher pile carpets and rugs. Not to mention, higher pile rugs will encourage your pets to do some digging. It’s just a weird instinct. Lower pile carpet can be soft too, don’t think you have to buy an ugly rough uncomfortable rug. You definitely won’t.

Tip #4: Try Seagrass Rugs as Pet Proof Rug

Seagrass rugs are a stylish, practical and modern area rug. They are in fashion, they are stylish and they are a low cost option to make your home look really modern, neat and sleek. Another great plus with seagrass rugs is that they are good rugs for pets.

Not only a seagrass rugs popular they have added benefits. A sea grass rug is rather water resistant and would be an excellent choice of natural fiber area rug if your home includes pets and if you don’t prefer wool. A seagrass rug is also inexpensive and wouldn’t be too bad to replace. Don’t be put off by the name, seagrass rugs are actually quite fashionable and can suit any neutral colored homes.

A sea grass rug would be a better option for cat owners more so than dog owners as cats tend to leave fewer stains since their litter box is already inside, they are less likely to have an accident waiting to go out.

Tip #5: Wool Rugs Are Also A Good Option

Wool is a great fabric for pet households. It’s durable and easy to clean (which is a must when you have a pet around). So you want to look for a rug that has wool fibers so cleaning the rug is easy.

What needs to be considered with wool rugs and the reason I don’t really suggest them is that they are not a cost effective option. If your pet ruins the rug beyond repair, it’s quite a big deal to go out and another quality wool rug.

Tip #6: Nylon Rugs Are A Durable Rug For Pets

If you don’t want to use a wool rug or other natural fibers in your home, another excellent choice when it comes to buying the best materials for rugs with pets would be a 100% nylon rug. These nylon rugs are easy to clean with a vacuum and can even be steam cleaned.

They are a little more expensive than your typical wool rug, but if you would rather clean your rug yourself, then this is a good great instead of just tossing it and getting a new one. A nylon rug is a pet stain resistant material, making maintenance pretty easy. Nylon rugs are one of the better choices in rugs for households with pets.

Rug Critic’s Advice

Since we’re all on the same page when it comes to the need for a rug for your pets, where do you start looking? There is pet proof rugs which are made of the materials that are stain resistant and durable for your pets. Even better, you can have a stylish rug that will work for you and your pets.

To help guide you in the direction of the best rug for you and your fur babies, we hope our tips and tricks for picking out the best rug to buy for a household with pets has helped you narrow down your option.

Slippery floors can also be hard on the joints of your pets. It’s hard for their paw pads to give good traction on hard surfaced floors, which would lead to lots of slipping and sliding as well as some scratches on the floor from your pet trying to get a grip.

Having a rug on your floor will also be nice and soft for your pets to lay on and carpeted floors tend to hide messes a little better and they also can dull some of the noise from the pitter patter of 4 (or more) happy little feet running about.

But hey, dog and cat lovers, there is hair and let’s face it (lots of it) – they have paws that scratch and dig, which can often ruin that much loved rug that your in-laws bought when you first moved into your house.

When you’re thinking about a rug for your home and your pets, think for yourself and your pet and keep the above in mind – remember, you have to do the cleaning up after them. The choices, tips and ideas I have given above should make the decision a lot easier for you.

Remember – think about stain resistance, fibers, high pile v low pile, care?

Vacuuming will be a big part of your cleaning routine as a pet owner and you need to make sure that any living room rug (or any household rug for that matter) won’t fray from the suction. Don’t forget to take a look at the indoor outdoor rugs! They will seriously surprise you.

Finding a pet friendly rug won’t solve all your pet related issues, but it can certainly make life simpler for you and more comfortable for your furry roommate. Keeping up with regular care in accordance to what the manufacturer specifies will extend the life of your rug. There are also rugs made especially for pets, so if you choose, you can put out the money and get one that is designed specifically for dogs and cats to be stain resistant, scratch proof and easy to clean.