Yesterday I had the pleasure to read about this dog that cost his owners almost 20 thousand pounds in home renovations. Rollie has such an insatiable appetite for food that he will even “body-bash the stair gate on the greenhouse to get at the tomatoes,” and so a massive amount of home renovations were necessary in order to keep him away from all edibles. Rollie’s owners are certainly an extreme example of people who have had challenges around renovations and pet ownership, but it got me thinking about home improvement issues.
Before you begin thinking about home renovations, you should consider your dog or cat and how they are going to react. Maybe the improvements you are making will directly benefit your beloved pet, but even if they are solely for your own interests (or the interest of your home’s value) you should be thinking about how your small creatures will handle the stress of the renovations. Here are some tips!
Check your credit score – Before you emBARK on the process of a home renovation with pets you should check your credit score – there is no sense getting everything in place to get started only to find out that there is a problem or past unpaid debt on your credit profile. It pays to learn more about your credit score, for your own wellbeing - and the wellbeing of your pets.
See the vet – Before any renovations commence, you should take your pet for a check-up. Many health problems can be masked or hidden and only make themselves known when stress occurs – the sudden onset of loud noises, strange smells and unfamiliar people could trigger an already underlying illness. A vet visit is a good idea both before and perhaps even after extensive renovations.
Remove them from your home – Experts on pet health agree, “if you are having a loud, extensive, and invasive renovation done, the best solution for your pets is to remove them from the home.” This may not be an option for you, or perhaps you feel that the renovation won’t be too invasive – use the other tips below.
Have your pets microchipped – No matter how many precautions you take for the safety and happiness of your pet, there is a chance that your dog or cat will get spooked and escape, fleeing down the street in a panic. In the case that a skittish pet gets loose, a microchip will ensure that they get back to you and do not end up in the pound.
Have familiar objects nearby – Make sure that your pet’s favourite blankets, toys and bed are nearby, and try to sequester them away from the heart of the chaos. If loud, constant drilling is present try playing some soothing music or leaving the television on so that it drowns out some of the unpleasant sounds.
These are only a few suggestions that you can implement if you are having home renovations with your pets present.
Do you have any further tips or comments to add?
* This is a collaborative post.
I’m thinking about this for when I move as the place I’m buying is rather run down and needing some work doing. The biggest job is removing a wall to make a bathroom and I’m hoping to get this done before we actually move in to reduce stress for Stella (and for me!) I will leave her at my Mum’s when I actually move to as she does fret bless her.
Our dogs were ok with renovations, I think the fact that we both were home at all times gave them some comfort, but cats didn’t take it very well 🙁
These are all great tips, I’ll definitely refer to these with my dogs! x
Ami | perksofbeingami
I might suggest looking into the toxicity of the elements used in a home renovation. For example, some paints and floor coverings put off toxic fumes for months after they’re installed. That might make one pause before letting the pets come back when the work is done!
Jean from Welcome to the Menagerie
Great tips. We had our attic converted last year and the dog was less than impressed with all the builders, we kept him in the room they wouldn’t be going through, with the TV on, to keep him a bit calmer.
Great post - our cats get very stressed with change, even power washing the drive upset them! Kaz x
Mostly we have been very lucky and our pets haven’t blinked an eye when DIY was happening but we did have one cat who hated any change of any sort. There would be panic if an armchair moved an inch out of place. A great excuse not to redecorate for several years.
great tips! it’s a challenge for people and pets when our home turns into a building ground. it’s fortunately no problem for Easy as long as his bed is there and bowl is full of treats :o)
We had our cats freaking out when we had one wall removed downstairs, they really hated the noise
I can’t wait to get my own dog! Love reading all these tips. There are so many different things to take into account before you take the leap. Thanks for all the pointers!