Having a dog or cat in your life is very satisfying. It teaches kids to be more responsible. Animals provide love and loyalty, sometimes better than other human beings. However, it’s also easy to understand why a lot of property owners are hesitant to allow an animal into a building.
After all, no one enjoys living next to a cat or dog that has a penchant for howling and barking all day. And while the noise can be intolerable, this doesn’t even take into account the potential smell and damage to property (as a result of scratching and gnawing).
While there is already a considerable increase in pet-friendly establishments, there are certainly ways to help your landlord be more accepting of your furry friend. Here they are:
Make Sure Your Animal is Healthy ⚕️
One of the first things that you need to do is to ensure that your animal is in good health. Most places have common areas where your animal is exposed to other residents. The problem is, an unhealthy animal can transmit diseases to other animals and other humans. So, it’s important to make sure that yours is always healthy and vaccinated. We’re going to talk more about vaccines in a bit.
Practice Proper Cleaning and Grooming
We’ve mentioned previously that nobody wants to live next door to a smelly animal, and more so if this animal has bugs living in its fur. That’s why the next thing you need to make sure is that your animal is always properly bathed and groomed. Extra points if your dog is house-trained. Litter training for cats is an absolute must. And of course, always clean up after them. Don’t wait for your place to stink before you replace that box with fresh litter.
Focus on Their Nutrition 
Did you know that one of the reasons your animal may smell is because they’re not eating properly? This can also be a sign that your animal may be sick. Aside from that, pets also tend to be more destructive and noisy when they’re hungry. And it’s our responsibility to see to it that your animals always have access to food and clean drinking water, especially if you’re not at home the whole day.
Update Their Vaccines and Health Check-Ups
Don’t wait until you see obvious symptoms developing. Schedule monthly vet visits to make sure that they’re staying healthy. Don’t forget to stay up-to-date on vaccinations, either. 1. This keeps they healthy and safe, and 2. Accidents happen. And it’s important to make sure our animals are vaccinated in case they do.
Prevent Your Animal from Getting Stressed 
Speaking of accidents, they happen more when your animal is exposed to a lot of stress. Moving to a new place is already enough to cause anxiety for your pet. Take it easy on them and introduce to new things slowly. They’re going through a lot with the move!
Give Them a Good Amount of Outdoor Time Each Day
If you want to relieve your animal’s anxiety, one effective way is to give them some fresh air. Take ‘em out. Exercise with them. Bond with them. If you’re lucky, you might be able to cool down all that excess energy and leave ‘em to snooze while you’re out. If this doesn’t work, you can get toys to play with and maybe leave the TV on to give a sense of companionship.
Get Your Dog Certified 
Convincing your future landlord that your pet is going to be an angel by simply saying it, won’t always work. If that’s the case, a good option is to get them certified. The American Kennel Association offers a Canine Good Citizen certificate after your dog has undergone basic training.
Tips for Cat Owners
We understand that most of the tips we have shared with you apply for dogs. That’s why here are some tips for cat owners as well:
Consider spaying or neutering your cat.
This will significantly improve your cat’s behavior.
Install a lot of scratch posts to prevent your cat from damaging the property.
Give your cat a lot of toys to play with to prevent boredom.
Finally, keep your litter box clean.
We’ve mentioned this above, but since this is important, allow us to reiterate.
By keeping the tips we have shared with you in mind, we’re sure that you and your landlord will have a pleasant living experience, even with your fuzzy friend in tow. Good luck!
Megan Jones is an author who works at b-air.com. She mostly writes about camping, animal care, healthy living, and related topics.
