It’s obvious we’re crazy about our pets here at SCD, there’s usually a dog (or two or three) in the office. Many of our clients are also devoted to their furry pals. So we take extreme care while home remodeling with pets — and we’ve developed ways to keep them safe and happy during what can be a stressful experience.

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No two ways about it, remodeling is noisy, dirty, and disruptive. There are strangers in and out of your home every day. Taking steps before demolition begins will make the process much easier for your buddies.

Create Safe Spaces

Determine where they’ll be during construction — and set up their toys, crates, bedding and bowls there. Cats are best contained behind a door that won’t need to be opened during the workday. Depending on the dog, you can sequester them behind a baby gate — some want to watch the action, others get more agitated by it. Playing music, turning on the TV, or using white noise might help drown out the unusual noises. One of our client’s dogs listened to NPR all day — the voices calmed her, and she expecially enjoyedFresh Air with Terry Gross.

A doggy daycare can be a godsend during construction — your pooch is away from the construction zone, and comes home tired and happy from playing all day.

New Routines

Pets love routines, but things are going to change! Get your pets used to new routines before the work starts. If you feed them in the kitchen, but your kitchen is undergoing a remodel, move the bowls a week or two before to where you’ll feed them. For cats, if the litter box has to move, do that in advance so kitty knows where to go before everything else changes.

Likewise, if their usual sleeping area is going to be torn apart, move their crates, beds or blankets to the new spot a week or two ahead.

Gates & Fences

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Before letting your dog out to run in the yard, check to make sure all the gates are securely latched — sometimes a gate only looks closed. If you have an electric fence, please test it — electricity gets turned on and off during the day.

Clean Up

We clean up at the end of every day, but we’d appreciate an extra set of eyes — check for nails, staples, debris or anything we missed.

Of course, you know your pets better than anyone, so do what you know is best for them. But even a few small changes will make living through a remodel much easier for your buddies — and for you!

Find more help prepping for your project in our ebook, Get Ready for Your Remodel.

 

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