Pesky Pet Problems

Have you got a pesky pet? Does your pet destroy furniture by chewing or using the furniture as a scratch post?

Perhaps your pesky pet problem has more to do with pet stains or hair? No matter how old your pet is, at one time or another, they are bound to present you with a problem.

We’ve got some tips below to help you deal with some of the most common pesky pet problems.

Destructive Chewing

Chewing is normal behaviour for many pets. Especially puppies and dogs. Chewing is one way they explore the world and kills two birds with one stone, so to speak. For young dogs, it relieves some of the pain caused by incoming teeth and for older dogs, it’s nature’s way of exercising the jaws and keeping teeth clean. Dogs can also chew to combat boredom or relieve anxiety or frustration.

Like babies, puppies go through a teething stage when they lose baby teeth and adult teeth painfully arrive. This crazy chewing phase usually ends by six months of age. Some recommend giving puppies ice cubes, special dog toys that can be frozen or frozen wet washcloths to chew, which might help numb teething pain. Although puppies do need to chew on things, you can teach your puppy to restrict chewing to appropriate objects, like their own toys.

Some tips for dealing with destructive chewing include:

• ‘Dog-proof’ the house. Just like you would for a toddler, put valuable objects away until you’re confident that your dog’s chewing behaviour is under control.
• Provide your dog with plenty of their own toys.
• To help your dog learn the difference between things they should and shouldn’t chew, it’s important to avoid confusing them by offering unwanted household items, like old shoes and discarded cushions. It isn’t fair to expect your dog to learn that some shoes are okay to chew and others aren’t.
• Discourage chewing inappropriate items by spraying them with chewing deterrents, available at pet supply stores, if required.
• Do your best to supervise your dog during all waking hours until you feel confident their chewing behavior is under control. If you see them licking or chewing an item they shouldn’t, say ‘No’, remove the item from your dog’s mouth, and insert something that they can chew, with praise.
• Provide your dog with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.
  

Pet Hair Everywhere

They don’t list items on eBay with ‘from a pet free home’ in the description for no reason. Pets leave hair everywhere! If your pet has a favourite place to sit and rest, place an old towel or sheet over their spot and give the sheet a shake or wash as needed. Regular grooming will also keep the hair loss to a minimum.

Vacuum carpets several times a week to keep pet hair at bay, and if you have pets, invest in a high suction vacuum to make keep the carpet hair-free. Use an electrostatic mop for hard floors to collect pet hair; sweeping or vacuuming will blow hair around a hard floor.

To keep your clothes pet hair free, use a tape roller to catch stray hairs. In a pinch you can make one by wrapping sticky tape sticky side out around your fingers to form a loop.

For upholstered furniture, use your vacuum’s upholstery nozzle or a clothes lint brush. You can also buy dry sponges at pet stores for hair removal.

Pet Stains

If your pet pee’s on the carpet or couch, you need to act quickly. Pet pee left on carpet can actually alter the dye colour, permanently. Remove anything solid with a butter knife and blot the stain with a cloth, removing as much moisture as possible. Apply a mixture of ¼ teaspoon clear dishwashing liquid mixed with 1 cup of warm water, blot dry, then repeat till stain is gone.

What pesky problems do your pets present? How do you deal with them?