Rethink how you care for your pet’s needs. Learn new ways to keep their food, toys and other necessities accessible, organized and in tune with your home’s style.
Bone Appetit
Since food and water bowls are on display all the time, incorporate them into the room décor. Use bowls that work with the colors in the room and pair the bowls with a coordinating placemat. For a personal touch, decorate the outside of plain bowls using ceramic paints. These water-soluble paints, available in craft stores, become permanent after “baking” in a household oven.
Chow Time
Buying a large bag of dry food is economical, but it’s cumbersome and often ends up spilling, so store it sealed in
Ziploc® Brand Big Bags. Before storing, add a scoop or measuring cup to ensure that your pet gets the right amount of food every time. The secure seal on the bags will help keep the food fresher longer, saving you money. Proper storage will also help keep out moisture and any unwelcome critters (including your own pets, who might go searching for food).
Wanted: Reward
Dog and cat treats are great for training and reinforcing good behavior. But go overboard and your pets can put on the pounds. Keep track of their snacks by packing your pets’ daily allowance in
Ziploc® Brand Snack Bags. Store snacks in a convenient pet-food cupboard near the door or even in your pet’s own cookie jar. Now when you reward your pet, he’ll reward you by staying healthy.
Play Ball
Dog toys have a way of ending up scattered through the house and yard. An indoor bin (or large
Ziploc® Brand Container with the Smart Snap® Seal) will help you organize scattered toys in one convenient place. Store outside toys like tennis balls in a drawstring mesh bag. Hook this next to your dog’s leash and collar so you can grab it and go.
Gone Fishing
Give cats a play area that will encourage them to exercise. Keep a small basket filled with toys along a wall, out of busy traffic areas. For extra fun, mount a pair of cup brackets (meant to hold a curtain rod) on the wall. Secure a “fishing pole” toy in the brackets, replete with a catnip fish on the line. Your cat will love batting around the dangling toy.
Dog Tired? Need a Cat Nap?
Even with their own bed to sleep in, most pets drop for naps wherever they feel like it. Of course, this means they’re leaving unwanted hair and odors on couches, chairs and even your bed. Keep your upholstered furniture and soft furnishings free of pet hair by using
Pledge™ Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair. The easy-to-use sweeper replaces up to 145 sticky roller sheets. Best of all, it will keep you and your guests from looking like you’re wearing a head-to-toe angora sweater after sitting on the sofa.
Once you remove the pet hair, you can keep your soft surfaces—and the air in your home—smelling clean and fresh by using
Glade® Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator in the Pet Odor Eliminator scent.
A Walk in the Park
Keep leashes, collars, doggy coats and sweaters at your fingertips by placing a row of hooks near the front or back door. Even a less conspicuous place, like inside the closet, will keep everything handy. A convenient supply of plastic bags by the hooks will help you clean up after your pooch.
No Littering!
Cats can often track kitty litter throughout the house. An oversize ridged mat placed beneath the litter box will help trap loose litter. You can also use a piece of artificial grass, corrugated cardboard or foam as less expensive alternatives. Keeping a dustpan and broom specifically designated for the litter area is also helpful.
Filling a litter box can kick up a good bit of dust, so quickly clean your surrounding furniture surfaces, including wood, with
Pledge® Lemon Clean. It removes dust, dirt, smudges and common allergens from dust mites and pet dander found in dust.