Pet Friendly Apartments

Pet Friendly Apartments

So, you have a pet that you love very much, and you need to find an apartment! Well, what makes a pet friendly apartment? Depending on what kind of animal you have, you will most likely have to customize your apartment so your animal can live a safe, healthy, and happy life along side you and possibly your roommate(s).

General Guidelines

There are certain things that all animals need to live a healthy life! Some of these are very obvious, as they are similar to basic human needs.

Exercise: Most apartments are not pet friendly in terms of size, because animals need exercise. Make sure you give your pet plenty of outdoor exercise if they need it.

Clean air: Make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your apartment, and test them regularly. Any sort of poisonous leak will often effect a pet before a human, as they are smaller and have less means to deal with harmful substances. While a dog can bark, he can't tell you what a carbon monoxide or smoke detector can tell you, so make sure your apartment is equipped with this technology.

Clean up: if you own a pet, it is important to clean up after them and yourself to ensure their health and the cleanliness of your apartment. This means collecting all waste products and cleaning the surfaces (with natural pet safe products) which animal waste has come in contact with. Cleaning up after yourself is important as well, as many animals (particularly dogs) will often eat any food products or random objects left within reach. Something like chocolate, prescription pills, or even grapes can poison and even kill a dog!

Pet environment: Many animals such as snakes, hamsters, turtles, fish, etc. have very specialized living environments which must be maintained in order to keep them as well as your roommates happy. Proper maintenance and cleaning of these cages/tanks will prevent mold and bacterial infestations which could result in overpowering smells and unhealthy air conditions in your apartment. Furthermore, if conditions like this develop, you run the risk of doing permanent damage to your apartment, and you will surely be held liable for the damages.