Critter Alley

Critter Alley

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Pet-ter Homes and Gardens


















I'm not one to make quick decisions. Especially when it comes to home decorating.  Give me a magazine and I can swiftly identify what I like. Put me in charge of picking paint colors or curtains and I become a babbling idiot, making pitiful requests for advice from any stranger in the vicinity.

My carpet needs to be replaced. But what replaces carpet when you have pets? Not such a simple answer. Some people say hardwood. Some swear by linoleum. Others tout ceramic tile. One person even admitted to using acid washed concrete for flooring. She's had it five years now and despite her two king-sized labradors, she proudly says her floors still look brand new.

I'm not planning to do a concrete floor, but any way you look at it, being a pet owner influences what we put in our house. If I'm sure Bogey will knock over that gorgeous vase, I don't buy it no matter how cool it is. What's the point? I'd only feel frustrated while I sweep up all the tiny pieces.

Now it's floor decision time. I'm currently leaning toward hardwood. Sort of a medium toned hickory with a variety of color shades (the better to disguise dog nail scratches).  Or maybe a nice white oak. Cherry wood? Then there's the beautiful Brazilian Teak...

Though it's interesting and pretty, one thing has definitely been crossed off the list. Cork. I really liked it until I read the disclaimer.

"Not recommended for households with pets."

13 comments:

Two French Bulldogs said...

good luck with all those decisions
Benny & Lily

Mariodacat said...

Good luck. M hates major decisions like that.

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

I vote fur hardwood beclaws it is sooo fun to slide on. hehehe

Donna Volkenannt said...

Our hardwood floors work well with our Lab, Harley.
Donna V.
P.S. My word verification is gardogga.

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

do you already have hardwood under your carpet? If so, that would be the way to go. They would just have to sand/stain what you currently have.

Last Spring we completely replaced all of our carpet in the hallway, living room and dining room. We have Pergo (because we didn't have hardwood under our carpet). Pergo is extremely "pet friendly" more so than hardwood. If liquid gets on it, it bubbles on top and doesn't seep in like it would on hardwood.

I had a blast picking out my color for Pergo, I knew instantly what I wanted.

We also painted nearly the entire inside of the condo. I just relied on my gut. Never even brought swatches home to test. That's too involved for me. I go with what I like and it never steers me wrong!

Tammy said...

I think everything has its pluses and minuses. Hardwood was hard on our dog when he got old, because he slipped a lot. But sure is pretty. Good luck with your decision!

Lynn said...

I'm horrible at decisions, so good luck with that one!

The Word Place said...

This house had Pergo when I moved in, and if Lady sneezes (or drools), it spots! Also, it was apparently a do-it-yourself job and is coming up, so I'm planning to carpet in the spring. I'll have to do a heck of a lot of vacuuming, but I do that anyway. Sigh. Also, when Lady moves beds in the middle of the night, the click-click-click of her nails is unnerving...and I'll move on to comment on your next post on nails! LOL

Christina said...

It just makes me smile to see everyone thinking about their furry/hairy kids like this!

Julia Williams said...

Hardwood floors are certainly a good choice for households with pets. I have carpet and wish I didn't -- one of my cats occasionally decides it's his own personal wall-to-wall scratching pad.

Lassiter Chase and Benjamin said...

Oh my goodness such a hard decision! I tend to like carpets - eventhough they are harder to clean when Cat's pee on them. (Note, I said "cat" and didn't say "dog" because I am a dog, and we dogs are all angels and don't pee on the rug!)

Ryker said...

We have Amtico and LOVE IT!!! Check it out on the web. http://www.amtico.com
We have the Oriental slate and the limestone. It is commercial grade vinyl squares that can be cut and inlayed in patterns and has a 20 year commercial warranty. Ours is seven years old and looks like new with a house full of cat and dogs.

Pup Fan said...

So true... all of those decisions are pet-related when you have animals in the house. :)