Having pets is an absolute joy in any home. Obviously there are many different animals you can have at home nowadays, but the most popular ones continue to be either cats or dogs – or even both in some cases. These two species are easily domesticated, fairly simple to care for and bring some much needed life to any household, since they can play with the kids or make you company.

As a cat owner myself, they are solely responsible for letting my phone run out of storage space on account of the endless string of videos and pictures I take of them on a daily basis.

And destroying that one corner of the couch. Obviously.

This is just one example of how, as a pet owner, you have to make some adjustments to your house. One of the most notable ones is the type of pet friendly flooring you use – some options are more scratch resistant, which greatly helps if you have dogs, and some are easier to clean in the event of urine or fecal incidents. 

For example, my cats cause no problems with scratches on the floor, but every now and then they leave a surprise fur ball as a gift somewhere, and it really helps that my flooring type doesn’t absorb moisture or create stains, which makes the whole experience less stressful. 

Let’s take a look at the most common pet proof flooring types and their pros and cons!

“We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life. – William Osler

Bamboo

Bamboo flooring is versatile and resistant as long as you go for the right type of bamboo – that is, the sturdiest ones. It also has the added benefit of having a lower environmental impact, which is great if that’s something you’re looking for. As for your pet’s comfort, it’s warmer than tile and much more comfortable to stand on.

However, like most types of wood flooring, it’s only fairly scratch and stain resistant – but far from the best. Dogs in particular can still scratch it badly if they put their mind to it, which can happen because… well, dogs can be dogs.

Cork

Similar to bamboo, cork flooring is not the best option, but it’s still a good one with some great positives. It’s also warm and comfy for your pet’s paws and resistant enough for most situations, with the added benefit of being resistant to mold, which in general is a great perk for your home overall.

The downside is that, being wood, it can still scratch depending on your pet and it’s not waterproof like some of the other flooring options. For pets that can cause “urine incidents, you would have to be extra careful to clean it quickly before it stains or absorbs the odor.

Laminate

Laminate flooring has a huge advantage when it comes to visual variety. For example, if you like the look of hardwood flooring but want something a bit cheaper, you can instead get laminate flooring that looks like hardwood and essentially get the best of both worlds.

They are not so warm, but make up for it by being water and stain resistant, and also fairly hard to scratch. Their only downside as far as quality of life goes is that they’re somewhat slippery, but you can remedy that by applying a textured pop.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring offers a lot of visual variety, just like laminate flooring. It has the same advantage of serving as a trade-off for more expensive types of flooring like stone and tile, since you can mimic the same look and get similar results.

Besides, vinyl has a similar endurance to laminate flooring, being fairly water and scratch resistant – but not the best at it. It is, however, very easy to clean. Luxury vinyl can be quite durable and still costs less than real tile or stone, so in any case, it’s a decent budget option that’s worth considering.

And as an added benefit, it’s fairly easy and affordable to replace only a few damaged slates, and the same can be said for laminate flooring.

Stone and tile

These options only have two notable downsides compared to the other ones: they’re quite cold and usually more expensive. But apart from that, stone or tile flooring are the best flooring type for pets by far.

First, they offer the highest resistance to scratches, which is already a big advantage on wood flooring or other options. Second, they are waterproof and stain resistant, so not even pet urine becomes a problem, and that leads well into the third advantage – it’s also very easy to clean.

Keep in mind:

We’ve been discussing flooring types considering their specific benefits to owning pets, but if you can afford the project, getting stone or tile flooring is a massive improvement to your home overall – pets or no pets. If the cold floor bothers you, you can also consider heated floors, which makes your home 100% more comfortable even during the winter months, and that goes for you and your pets.

Bonus Tip: As a Pet Owner, Avoid Carpet

Every other option before this one has their pros and cons, and they’re all fine choices. We’re finishing this list with carpet because this is likely the worst option when it comes to pets, so it’s probably the only one you should definitely avoid.

The only major advantage carpet has on all the following options is comfort – carpet is by far the most comfortable to your pet’s paws and won’t be as cold during the winter either, so it’s a cozy spot where they can lay down and still feel warm.

However,

It’s also a magnet for collecting stains, fur, and odor. Scratches may not be a problem, but carpet will always be accumulating fur, maybe housing fleas, and if your pet has a “bathroom emergency on the carpet, it’s a nightmare to clean – especially if you only find it after a whole day at work or after waking up.

If you want to create a comfy spot for your pet, invest on a fluffy rug or a proper pet bed.

Looking to install new flooring in your home? Contact a pet friendly flooring expert and get free quotes!


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