How to Organize your Pet’s Area and your Home

Entry #402, January 30, 2011

I’m currently a cat owner of one, but at the most have had 3 cats and 1 dog at the same time – oh, and have 3 kids.. do they count as pets? Ok, probably not, so 4 animals at once was a hard feat to keep the house organized and clean. Over the years they have come and gone, and Meow Meow, my beloved feline friend is still with me.

As we round up January’s organization month, I thought I’d focus on the pet area. While for some it is not a huge concern, for others it is… or ehh ehh (clearing throat), should be. Today I found a good blog article from Tara’s Pet Sitting site. They explain how to organize your pet supplies, medicines and your home… oh so important!

Tips for your home:

– Choose a convenient location to store and organize all your pet’s supplies.

– Gather up all your pet’s accessories – bowls, leashes, brushes, medicines, toys – and organize them in the newly designated pet area.

– Throw away:  rusty leashes, old, rusty or broken cages and crates, toys your pet doesn’t play with, or those that are disgusting (you know which ones these are), and all items left from a deceased pet that you no longer need.

– Throw away treats your pet won’t eat.

Cleaning pet areas:

– Wash all bowls and water dispensers.

– Bathe your pet and clean his collar.

– Check your pet’s sleeping area. Wash beds, or throw away and buy new ones.

– Empty all litter boxes, scrub clean, and refill with fresh litter. Evaluate the location of the litter box. It should be in a very low traffic area, and there should be room to store fresh litter, a scoop and a trash can, so cleanup is easy.

– If you have caged pets such as birds or hamsters, clean cages and evaluate their location. Does the pet get enough attention where it is? If it is active at night, does it disturb anyone’s sleep?

Organization Tips:

– Take your pet to your vet for a regular check-up.

– Organize pet health records of checkups, vaccinations, major illnesses, surgeries, medical tests and treatments, licenses, and prescriptions.

– Keep a complete pet description, picture, license number, names of veterinarians, and other pertinent information. Print out a pet health record for traveling, changing vets, or for your pet sitter!

You can stay organized by doing the following:

Monthly:

– Bathe your pet and clean its sleeping area.

– Completely empty your cat’s litter box and refill with fresh litter.

– Clean your fish tank.

– Administer prescribed prescriptions such as heartworm and flea medication.

Semi and/or Annually:

Schedule Vet check-ups.

For more pet posts on Stagetecture, click here.