How Can I Make My Sunroom More Pet Friendly?
Humans aren’t the only ones who appreciate a sunroom’s expansive views and bright, cheery living space. Our pets can be equally enthralled, spending hours at the windows as they keep tabs on the neighborhood’s wildlife, or maybe curling up for an afternoon snooze in the warm sunshine. If your sunroom is shared by a four-legged family member, there are a few things you can do to make it as pet friendly as possible.
First, if you have a cat, do yourself a favor and make sure your sunroom windows do not have interior screens. Your feline friend will see them as either scratching posts, climbing aids, or most likely both. If you absolutely have to have them, you can try covering your screens with double-sided tape. It will block ventilation, but your cat will hate touching it and hopefully learn to avoid contact with the screens.
Most sunrooms do not have wall-to-wall carpeting, which is good. Carpets can be easily stained and they absorb odors. When it comes to flooring, ceramic tile is an excellent choice for a pet-friendly sunroom because it cleans easily, resists stains, and is nail proof. If you have area rugs in your sunroom, make sure they’re durable and inexpensive enough to throw away when the time comes to pitch them. And it will!
Another smart choice is to decorate your sunroom with furniture upholstered in fabrics that can hold their own against fur, claw, tooth, and nail. Leather is easy to clean and repels fur, but it can be ripped. Microfiber is exceptionally tear resistant and can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Other good fabric choices are canvas, denim, and pleather.
What’s a sunroom without at least a few plants providing a touch of botanical beauty? A bright bloom or sprawling fern can add the perfect accent to a shelf, wall, or corner. But some common house plants such as aloes, caladiums, and dieffenbachia can be dangerous to pets if consumed. Pet-safe flora include Boston ferns, spider plants, orchids, and peperomia.
At Pacific Patio, we have years of experience building sunrooms people and pets adore. If you live in the San Diego, CA, area and are thinking about adding an exciting new addition to your home, contact us today and schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our representatives, who will be happy to review all of the sunroom models we specialize in.
