Like children, pets can cause havoc in your home at any time.
You know that accidents happen if you have ever had a pet. You’ve probably had a dog with soiled paws, urinated on your carpet, or spilled water when you got home. You can never forget your cat, who is constantly scratching the carpet.
This is a typical day for a pet owner. You’ll need to take extra precautions to protect your carpet and floor.
Start by investing in carpet pads for pets.
We’d like to share our knowledge about carpet pads and pets as people who’ve lived with animals.
You might also like Five practical tips for pet-proofing your home.
Why carpet or rug with pets
Carpets and rugs tend to be viewed as focal points or conversation starters. When you have pets, you need to look beyond a rug’s or carpet’s aesthetics – it also needs to be functional!
Benefits
Keep the space clean — As soon as your pet comes inside after spending time outside, and it brings dirt with them. To avoid this, place a rug or washable carpet at the entrances of your home to ensure that dirt does not get through the doorway.
Carpets can dampen the sound – Pets will be hyperactive and run around, playing with toys or barking at mail carriers, or simply running for the sake of. It can be funny and cute, but it also makes a lot of noise. Rugs and carpets can be used to muffle the noise their nails make on hardwood or tile floors.
Soft, warm floors — Pets will lie down anywhere in the home. You can at least provide them with a soft, warm surface when they are not in bed. It’s especially important if you do not want your pet to spend all their time on your furniture.
Prevent accidents and scratches — Your pet could damage your hardwood flooring. Running with your pet’s fun and cute, but it can cause scratches on your hardwood floors. If you use a carpet or rug, these scratches will not occur. If your pet has an accidental spill, the rug or carpet pad you choose will act as a barrier, keeping the liquid away from your floor and giving you more time to clean up.
Disadvantages
Stains – If your dog is a mud lover or still learning to house train, expect stains in your carpets and rugs no matter how diligently you clean. They can be cleaned, but they are not always easy to remove.
High Maintenance — Your pet will accumulate fur, dirt, and other debris if it steps or lies on your carpet or rug daily. To remove tough stains, you’ll have to vacuum your carpet regularly and hire a professional to clean it.
What is the best carpet for pets
You don’t want your carpet to sit in the liquid. It will start to smell, and the moisture could damage the flooring underneath.
Carpet padding is a great option.
Pet-friendly carpet pads are designed to protect your hardwood floors and not your carpet. You can still maintain the pristine condition of your hardwood floors by using pet-proof padding. The pads are a moisture blocker, giving you enough time to clean any liquid.
Waterproof carpet padding
Waterproof rug pads are the best type of carpet padding to use for pets. They create a barrier preventing liquids from reaching your floor, so you can clean it up like any other hard surface.
What is a pet-proof rug pad
The term “pet-proof” is also used to describe a pad that prevents moisture from leaking through. It is important to stop moisture, especially pet urine, from seeping through the flooring.
The price of this type of carpet pad is higher than normal padding. However, if you own pets, the extra cost can be worth it to have peace of mind that your floors are protected.
These pads are made of various materials, including frothed or viscoelastic padding and even polymer-based blends derived from soybean oil. Pet-proof pads often have an additional layer of waterproof foam on top of the foam padding.
What to look for when selecting a pet-proof rug pad
You should consider several features when choosing the best padding for your pet. These include durability, stain resistance, and waterproofing. Let’s start.
Durability
The pad must be strong enough to protect your carpet and the floor. Density and thickness are important factors that can affect durability.
Density is a term that refers to weight. It’s expressed in pounds per cubic foot. Rug pads can range in thickness from 3 to 10 pounds per cubic foot, so the range is pretty large. The pad will be heavier and more durable if it is dense.
The ideal density to ensure maximum comfort and durability for pets is 6-10 pounds/cubic foot.
You want a thickness of about 3/8″ as this is more comfortable for pets to sit on. This thickness is durable and comfortable for pets.
If the pad is in an area with high traffic, you may want to consider a thinner pad with a higher density. This will help to prevent tripping hazards.
Stain Resistance
You’ll want to ensure that the rug pad you buy for your pet is stain-resistant. How can you tell if it’s stain-resistant?
Check the product description. It’s likely that if it’s waterproof, it will also be stain resistant.
Stains are usually caused by moisture seeping into an object, drying out, and leaving a patch. If pet urine cannot get into the pad, it is stain-resistant.
You’ll also need to have some carpet or rug cleaners on hand.
Waterproofing
Investing in waterproof rug pads is one-way pet owners can pet-proof their homes.
Accidents with pets are bound to happen, but they don’t need to be catastrophic. Your floors will be as safe as possible with a waterproof rug pad.
Rug pads protect your floors from any damage caused by spills, pets, or accidents.