Pet Safety: How to Protect Your Four-Legged Friend During Your Construction Project
When you decide to take on a residential remodel, one of the most challenging elements is getting your family ready for the stress, noise and disorientation that comes from the construction process. Since over 65% of American households contain a house pet like a dog or cat, it’s important not to forget these members of your family when preparing for the work.
Dogs and cats have special triggers when it comes to stress and their senses are far more heightened than ours. This means things like loud sounds and strangers, two staples of the construction experience, are extra bothersome to them and hold the potential to cause an escape or a stress related health issue. While dogs and cats hold stress differently, there are several tells for each animal to be able to know when things are getting too stressful for them. Dogs are prone to nervous pacing and panting, whining and barking, and less obvious signs like pinning their ears back or yawning excessively. Cats tend to use the bathroom in unusual places, change their meowing patterns, use voices that indicate stress and unhappiness, and show changes in sleeping or eating patterns. With these being mentioned, it’s important to note that nobody knows your furry friend better than you, so just because your pet shows a sign from this list doesn’t mean you should worry, and if your pet has an unusual symptom that doesn’t show up on this list it doesn’t mean your pet isn’t stressed. If your pet is showing excessive stress during your remodel, see if you are able to relocate them to a more quiet area during work hours.
If your pet is able to be crated safely during this process in order to make sure they don’t harm themselves or the work area, crating them until you get home may be the best way to protect them. However, it isn’t healthy or productive to have an extremely over-stressed pet barking in a crate all day, so if your dog or cat is very anti-crate and can’t be confined to a small room, consider boarding your animal temporarily at a safe, ethical boarding facility. Nobody likes dropping off their best friend but if it means the difference between your animal staying safe or getting hurt it may be best for them. If your pet will need to be boarded, this is a good line to figure into your construction budget.
In the unfortunate event your pet gets out during the construction process, please make sure to ask the crew before you begin traversing through construction equipment to find them. Chances are they will be more equipped to climb around the site and they probably know the best place to look as well, but they won’t want to risk you getting hurt. Also, even though your pet running away is extremely stressful on you too, make sure you call them back to you appropriately to avoid the risk of them running away again. For dogs, getting down on the ground and playfully calling them to you will provide a distraction they want to come investigate, and allow you to grab them again. For our more aloof friend the cat, put out a litter box and some food and put them back inside when they come to investigate.
The scary potential of our pets running away during home construction or any other time provides a reminder to make sure your pet is chipped! More than half of animals who have been chipped are able to return home to their families.
Construction materials such as paint, stains, and other chemicals can be harmful to pets when they’re drying or curing. This is why it’s important to be knowledgeable of the chemicals that won’t be safe for your pet so they can be kept away from the parts of the site that could harm them. Dust barriers are important for many reasons, pet safety included, and you are welcome to inquire with your contractor about the possibility of low volatility materials and tools with dust extractors to minimize potentially harmful inhalants for you and your pets.
Finally, know the importance of communicating the needs of your pets to your contractor. It’s their job to take care of and protect your home and everyone in it when you’re not around, and this includes your pets. You may be surprised that your contractor is a pet person themselves, a lot of us are! Check out some photos of the amazing pets we’ve met on the job below!
