How to Create a Safer Home for Pets

Pets are usually curious creatures that are unable to judge the potential dangers of living within our homes. Their mischief can often land them into trouble that can injure them or even be fatal for them in some circumstances.

In many HOAs or condominiums, pets play a big role in the community.  In Associations it is particularly important to not let your pet out of your control. Since Associations inherently have other people living nearby your pet could be in danger if roaming into a neighbor’s property. Not only might the neighbor not welcome your pet but the neighbor may not have taken safety precautions.

If you are concerned about the safety of your pets or if you are thinking about adopting a pet.  Consider the list of items given below that you need to safety proof to ensure that your home is safe for your feline or canine friends.

Random Small Objects
In general, no matter what you leave lying around the floor of your home, if its small enough to be swallowed by your pet, it most definitely will end up inside its stomach. Items such as cigarette butts, rubber bands, sewing needles, balloons, ribbons, strings, etc; are all susceptible to being swallowed by your furry friend, so keep your floors clean from these items as they can be life threatening to your pet if swallowed.

Electric Sockets and Appliances
Just as you protect your children from electric shocks and keep them away from sharp objects; similarly, you need to prevent your pets from accessing all such potentially dangerous zones. Cover up your trash bins and keep your kitchen appliances and electrical cords out of reach of inquisitive pets.

Plastic Bags
A hazard that also litters our oceans, plastics bags, can choke your pets and cause death or suffocation. Make sure you do not leave any lying around your home.

Hot Items
Whether it’s an electric kettle, or heated cook top or an iron, it can burn your pet and cause serious injury if you are not careful. Keep heated appliances away from your pets.  If you have a fireplace in your home, install a grill in front of it so that your pets do not end up getting burnt.

Chemicals
All chemicals and cleaning agents should be kept locked away in cabinets until use and even while using them, be careful that your pet does not ingest any of it as it can cause instant death for many small pets. These chemicals also include cosmetics or lotions that might be placed within your room.

Medical Supplies
Medical supplies should be kept under lock and key, especially if you have small children and pets within your home. An excessive dosage of any medicine that might get ingested by your pet can cause severe health issues and even death.

Plants
Most pet owners are oblivious to the fact that some plants are actually poisonous for their pets. Azaleas, lilies, daffodils, oleander, and milkweed are just some of the deadly plants that people commonly have in their homes without being aware of the dangers these plants can pose for the health of their pets.

Human Food
Although it’s best to avoid feeding your food to your pets.  Even if you wish to do so, limit the quantity of consumption because an excessive amount of snacks and human food can have adverse effects on the health of your pets and make them ill.

Chocolate
As tasty as this treat is for you and your family, it can actually be deadly for your pet.  Avoid giving them access to chocolate and remember that the darker the chocolate, the higher the health risks involved.

Grapes and Raisins
Did you know that grapes and raisins contain toxins that can cause kidney failures in your pets? Avoid feeding them these fruits at all costs to keep them safe and healthy within your home.

Seasonal Changes
Provide proper warm beds for your pets during the winter months and a cool shady spot with plenty of water in the summer months. Your pets can die of cold or become dehydrated just like humans, so care for them just like you care for your children.  As you may know, most City Ordinances and Homeowners Associations do not allow for pets to be outside unattended on a regular basis.

If you make sure that your pets do not have access to the above given items, your home will become a safer abode for them. However, if you notice any medical issues with your pets, contact a vet immediately and always keep an eye out to avoid unfortunate incidents for your pets due to an unsafe residence.

Easy Tips for Home Organization

Everyone hates living in a messy household, where you are unable to find your belongings and need to constantly battle through a clutter in order to retrieve them. An organized and cleaner home seems like a goal that is hard to achieve but it can be made simple and easy by following just a few strategic tips. Keep reading to discover a few of these below:

Removing Unnecessary Belongings

The best way of organizing your stuff is to remove all the items that you do not use and will never use again. There are various ways to figure out what to keep and what to discard from your horde of personal belongings:

• Sort through your stuff. Tackle one room at a time and find the items that you are unlikely to use again. Keep the ones that are useful and discard the others.

• Think critically. We often collect items that we do not need. Analyze each keepsake carefully and decide whether it is worth the space it will accumulate within your home.

• Donate rather than throwing away your belongings. Do not throw away items from your discarded pile. Most of the stuff that you might not use can easily be donated and used by other people.

Tackling Items according to Rooms and Functions

Make sure that you are organizing one room at a time and considering the functions of each item before making a decision regarding it. Here’s how:

• Consider each item based on its function. Usability of an item makes it a worthwhile belonging. If you do not have any further use for an item, discard or donate it to de-clutter your home.

• Classify every belonging according to its room and location. If you have a jumbled mess in your drawers or in one corner of the room, sort through it and categorize your items according to the rooms and locations where each of them are used most.

Storing Effectively

Using alternative storing solutions can really help you in sorting out your clutter and get a well organized home. Some of the most common and effective ways of storing your items include:

• Fix a specific location for everything you own. Designating a spot for each item will help you when you are trying to keep things back in their place. Keep things of everyday use in easy to reach locations and store away rarely used items in the back of cupboards or storage areas.

• Use your storage space efficiently. The more efficiently you store your stuff, the more space you will have left over for new purchases. Make optimum use of your storage boxes, drawers and closets by putting dividers and shelves in them and stacking things on top of one another.

• Organize larger inventory together. If you have a lot of clothes or documents, assemble them together. File away all your documents and place them in a single drawer. Sort your clothes based on dirty/clean, seasons, colors or the frequency with which you wear them.

 

As a general rule, stop purchasing items that do not hold any utilitarian value for you. Furthermore, before making a purchase, envision your home and decide if you have the place to store your newest belonging and for every item you buy, donate an older possession. These are a few habits that can be adopted along with home organization to keep your home maintained and clutter-free for a longer duration.