How to Protect Your Outdoor Furniture from Pets

Outdoor furniture and pets can coexist in peace, here are a few simple steps to protect your outdoor furniture from your canine and feline friends.

Pet Training

Your first line of defense will always be proper pet training and discipline. With a disciplined pet, everything else will just be fail-safe measures. If you are unable to train or discipline your pet, you might want to consider investing to learn or get a 3rd party trainer. It will be worth it because a disciplined pet will save both your outdoor and indoor furniture.

Pet Resistant Cushions

If you have pets, you have to consider purchasing heavy-duty tear and water resistant cushions for your outdoor seats. These cushions are durable and resistant to tearing and pets nails. The ideal cover for your cushions would be hard plastics or vinyls. Make sure that your cushions are well protected in the event your pets are running lose outdoors. This could include scotch guarding or putting a protective coating on items such as patio cushions to protect against pet odors. Another important tool to consider is pet hair remover, for removing pet hair from your patio cushions.

Cats Specific Protection

Vinyl covers provide a cheap and quick way to keep your cat from ruining your outdoor furniture. They work really well for cat owners, because cats normally do not like the feeling of vinyl on their skin. Instead of sleeping and playing with your furniture, the cat will avoid them. Another quick solution is to rub scented oils onto the cushions. Herbs such as lemon, citronella and garlic are repugnant to cats and will keep them away from the cushions if you do not want to put the oils directly onto the cushions you can instead place them in saucers. Leave the saucers on top of the cushions. Obviously you will have to replace them as necessary to keep the scent fresh. Other scents that work well for keeping cats away from furniture include orange peels and coffee grounds. Placing them on the cushions in a small dish will keep the curious kitty from exploring. White vinegar is also a scent that repels cats. Take care when applying because obviously you do not want your furniture to retain the smell of vinegar. You want to deter cats, not your friends! Use items like bubble wrap on the chairs and anchor it. Cats will tend to be startled by the noise it makes and will less likely to jump on the chairs. Since you are trying to stop your cat from comfortably sitting on your cushions, you have to give them an alternative, buy your cat its own outdoor cushion. Sprinkle it with catnip so they will be attracted to their own outdoor areas and more likely to leave yours alone. If you are trying to stop stray cats from making a mess out of your furniture, there are electronic pet deterrent devices that will keep cats away from furniture by emitting a noise or spraying water.

Dog Specific Protection

Many of the strategies listed for cats also work for dogs. Garlic oil works well to keep them away from your outdoor items. Commercial sprays purchased at pet store like bitter apple can keep dogs away from the cushions. This is an odorless, colorless spray and has a terrible taste. Your dog will not be likely to chew on cushions after tasting this product one time. White vinegar sprayed onto the items will also keep dogs from treating your furniture as his or her personal fire hydrant. Light concentrations of homemade sprays in a spray bottle like cinnamon, lemon and eucalyptus can also keep your dog away from the cushions. Aside from scents, putting on a tear resistant cover is also a good idea, protecting your outdoor furniture from both your dog and the harsh elements. Providing the animal with its own personal seating will make it less likely he will go after yours. Show him his furniture and allow him to bite it, lay on it play with it and let him feel like it is his own. Hopefully your dog friend will be so smitten he will leave yours entirely alone.

Regular Cleaning

Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness. By regularly grooming your pet, you lessen the chance of them bringing dirt or bacteria onto your patio furniture. Another benefit of grooming is that your pet smells good, which ensures that if in case they decide to relax on your patio, they do not leave a nasty smell behind. Aside from cleaning your pets, you also have to clean the covers and your furniture at regular intervals. This will prolong the lifespan of your items and give you a healthier environment. Speaking of environment, you also have to make sure that your yard is clean, this includes quickly removing pet droppings, so they don’t accidentally carry it over to your precious outdoor cushions.

Quality of the furniture

Each brand of patio furniture has different material standards. Just like the clothes we wear or the food we buy, you often get what you pay for. Many of the luxury patio brands make products that are made to take abuse from pets by using the correct materials, but many are made from poor materials that won’t hold up to the filth and abuse from our pets. Cotton cushions, standard foam filled cushions, and thinly reinforced structures are just a few of the things you should look for when you are considering which product or brand to buy.

Conclusion

We all love our pets, but we do know that they can cause some destruction if left unchecked. Finding the right ways to protect your patio furniture from pets is essential. Since there are enough pet deterrent materials and scents, following the steps here should be relatively easy to do. You can go for commercial products, or your own ingenuity to protect your areas and things from pets. Use covers and buy products that are pet resistant. Take advantage of these tips to keep your outdoor items protected from your cute but hapless pet. Remember a prepared pet owner is a happy pet owner.