For many, having a furry friend to come home to in their new Lubbock apartment is a no-brainer, and no place feels quite like home without an animal to share it with. The loving purr of your cat snuggling up to you or the excitement your dog shows when you come home for the day are the moments that make life worth living. With the worthwhile endless affection of an animal, however, comes a variety of issues that can make this 
love difficult for both the pet and their parent. From potty training to keeping your apartment-provided furniture safe, there are many considerations to be made in preparation for bringing your new best friend home. Rest assured, however, that there are plenty of easy things that you can do to make your new apartment a stress-free living environment for you and your pet.
Tips for Pet-Friendly Apartment Living
Establish A Routine
One of the easiest things that you can do to raise a well-adjusted cat or dog is to establish routines from the get-go. From scheduled feedings to interactive play, routines can be an excellent strategy to prevent your dog or cat from waking you up for food at 5am. Playing with your dog or cat regularly is also a great way to strengthen and cement your bond.
Pet-Proof Your Apartment
Something that you might not think of before adopting a new animal is pet proofing each room of your apartment. A foolproof strategy is to go through each room looking for things that could be potentially interesting and dangerous to your new pet. From your young pets’ point of view, if it is not nailed or bolted down to the walls, floor, or ceiling, it’s a potential toy. A useful tip for this is to get down flat on your stomach to notice the perspective of your tiny new friend and see things you wouldn’t have noticed just from walking by. A surprising number of household items are poisonous to cats and dogs – from cleaning products to certain foods. Make sure to properly secure anything that could be dangerous because any pet owner has learned the hard way that they can find their way into anything unlocked.
Invest In Pet Furniture
If you don’t get your cat their own furniture, rest assured they will use yours to get out energy and unwind. Be sure to have at least one scratching post in your apartment that is always easily accessible.
Check For A Dog Park
Searching for apartments with dog parks is a fantastic strategy for Fido to have the opportunity to run freely in a controlled environment. Socialization is also great for dogs, and the best way to find a playmate is to go to shared dog spaces such as dog parks where you will both make new friends.
Make Your Pet A Space
Create a designated dog or cat space in your apartment with all the items they will need regularly. Starting a new dog or cat in a small area is a perfect way for them to adjust slowly, as introducing them to the entire apartment right away can be overwhelming, especially for kittens or puppies. Working your way through the apartment with small spaces is a great way to encourage them to build confidence in their new territory. Be sure to check with your roommates if you live in a three bedroom or four bedroom apartment!
Get Them Active
An expert method for avoiding the zoomies is to walk your dog several times a day. When you help your dog release their pent-up energy regularly, they will feel less inclined to take it out on your couch. Cats will also need scheduled interactive play time to help release energy and build confidence.
Plan Waste Clean-Up
Establish a strategy for waste cleanup – whether that be a lined box next to your litterboxes that you can take out once a day or the constant availability of doggy waste bags for walks and outdoor eliminations. If you have both a cat and dog, the litter box should be kept in an area that only the cat can access if possible. Dogs often develop a food interest in the litterbox, and cats can easily develop anxiety regarding using the litter box if the dog is nearby. The best way to avoid this issue altogether is to keep it in a separate cat-only area.
Pet-Safe Plants
If you are a self-proclaimed plant parent, make sure to check that the plants you plan on raising are safe for your pet. For pet-safe plants that your pet won’t stop eating, consider purchasing a pet-safe natural anti-chewing spray to spray onto the leaves of plants.
Wrangle The Hair
For easy cleanup of pet hair, have couch covers and lint rollers at the ready. Getting a robotic vacuum cleaner can also be a great idea if it is in the budget, as this will maintain lack of hair on the floor without you lifting a finger.
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