What is the best flooring for pets?

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Our furry friends are part of the family, so any flooring choices you make must include their needs too. From finding the best flooring for dogs and cats to pet friendly carpet, we take you through everything you need to know when buying pet friendly flooring.

The best flooring for pets: what to consider

Comfort, safety, durability – and it must look good too! When choosing the best type of flooring for you and your four-legged friends, it pays to do your research. Before you buy, there are a few key things to consider:

Will the surface need to be scratch resistant? Some dogs have long sharp nails, and cats often love to scratch.
Is your pet house trained and, even so, are accidents likely to happen? A stain-free finish may be the best choice.
What’s the most comfortable – and safe - option for you and your pet? Shiny surfaces and stone finishes may be slippery, not to mention cold underfoot – for everybody!
Don’t forget to plan for muddy paws, shedding hair and smells. As a rule of thumb, think durable and hard-wearing rather than high maintenance.

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What is the best flooring for dogs?

When it comes to our perfect pooches, there are definitely some considerations to be made when it comes to the best flooring for dogs. It ideally needs to be durable and scratch resistant to keep up with the zoomies, and definitely easy to clean for all the treats that get munched on it and the occasional bathroom mistake.

Vinyl is the ideal pick for dog friendly flooring because of its durability and resistance to scratches, tears, and moisture. It’s also really easy to maintain and keep clean, making it ideal for mucky pups. It’s also a very affordable option and can mimic the look of wood, tiles, stone and even carpet, so you don’t have to compromise on style.

Contemporary options such as cork floors, are eco-friendly, anti-microbial and mould and mildew resistant due to the naturally occurring substance, suberin, that gives cork its waxy barrier.

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What is the best cat friendly flooring?

We tend to think that our feline friends might not care about their surroundings all that much – who cares about an expensive cat bed when there is a fresh pile of laundry to sit on? – but cats have needs too! For example, if you want to go for tiled and stone floors, including poured concrete, it’s worth noting that although these options are scratch and water resistant, they are cold underfoot for both you and your pet, so consider investing in under-floor heating.

Vinyl is not just ideal for dogs, it’s perfect for cats too because of its durability and resistance to wear and tear. Its water-resistant properties mean that the renowned smell of cat urine won’t stick around after accidents, and those sharp claws won’t make a dent in the flooring.

Another great option, available in a range of finishes, is laminate flooring. Laminate is generally scratch and scuff-proof, although it can be damaged by liquids over time. In areas where your pets are being toilet trained or frequently eat and drink, a water-resistant choice would be better. Laminate can also be slippery, but a textured finish will stop little paws sliding around. If your kitty loves to get its claws out, then have a read of our guide on how to stop your cat scratching the carpet, for all the help you need.

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What is the best carpet for pets?

While we can’t control the natural behaviour of our four-legged friends, we can choose carpets that will reduce the problems. They will always scratch, shed fur and have accidents, and although there’s no doubt that pets love curling up on carpets, you should avoid a deep pile or loop pile design as claws can easily get stuck in the loops. Cut pile carpets like saxony and twist carpets are the best carpet for cats and dogs.

Natural wool carpets will show up more stains, so polypropylene carpet is the best for pets and high traffic areas of your home, with built-in resistance to dirt, dust, and spills.

Dark colours or patterns are great for hiding a multitude of sins, so you could even match the colour to your pet and camouflage stray hairs and shedding.

You will need to vacuum regularly to prevent hairs and dirt being ground into fibres, and clean up spills immediately to avoid staining. For best results and a long life, choose a stain resistant design.

With all that in mind, why not explore our range of carpets, vinyl and laminate flooring for some inspiration, or discover the differences between vinyl and lino? If you’re still in two minds about which pet friendly flooring to choose between, drop into your local Tapi store to chat to one of our flooring experts for more advice.

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