We’re big pet fans here at Floors Etc. – BIG! So we know your pet isn’t just some animal, (s)he’s part of your family and like your family, (s)he should be comfortable in your home too. Since dogs and cats spend most of their time wandering the floors of your home, it’s important to keep their comfort in mind when choosing flooring. And we also believe that most any floor, with the proper care and maintenance, can be pet friendly.
However, pets can also cause damage to certain types of floors, so it’s also very important to keep several things in mind in order to keep your floors looking great. When it comes to scratches, nails are certainly a concern and the damage may depend on the size, weight and nail length of your fur baby. Especially with cats, traction is very important, choosing a floor with good traction will allow your pet to move around your home freely and safely.
No matter what kind of floor you choose, if you have a furry baby, be sure to check our floor care tips for pet owners!
Learn More About Pet-Friendly Flooring Options
Luxury Vinyl Tile / Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVT / LVP) | Resilient Flooring
Why We Love It for Fur Babies
Durable, easy to clean, water-resistant, and budget-friendly, LVT/LVP flooring is a fantastic choice for pet owners. This type of vinyl flooring provides great traction, helping your pets move around safely, and it resists scratches and scuffs. It’s also low-allergen and quieter underfoot than hardwood, making it comfortable for both you and your pets. Available in a wide range of styles — from classic to modern — LVT/LVP can be installed in almost any room of your home.
Laminate Flooring
Why We Love It for Fur Babies
High-traffic areas of your home are usually the same places your pet loves to be, and they need floors that are durable, that can be easily cleaned and resist water. Laminate flooring is a great looking and hard-wearing option for pet-owners of discriminating tastes.
Hardwoods
Why We Love Them for Fur Babies
- Prefinished hardwood flooring is not only beautiful, it is much more durable than jobsite finished hardwood floors and will stand up to your active fur babies.
- If you do opt for a custom finish and want to be as pet-friendly as possible, Floors Etc. recommends to choose an option that is coated with urethane to make your gorgeous hardwood floors more damage and stain resistant.
- For pet-friendly wood, remember the harder the wood, the more likely it is to resist scratches and damage. The more durable woods can be more expensive than the softer options, but if you have fur babies (like we do), we believe you will find them to be well worth the upfront expense.
Some of the most popular harder options include:
Oak, Cherry, Maple, Hickory, Walnut, and Mahogany
FACT: Certain types of wood (e.g.: soft woods like Pine) can take an irreversible beating from your furry-friends as they are more prone to dents and scratches – especially if you have a large dog
Carpet
Why We Love It for Fur Babies
It’s easy to assume that carpet and pets just don’t mix very well considering how difficult it used to be to keep carpet clean (even without a pet!) – but the truth is, they enjoy and love carpet just as much as we do. New innovations have found ways to make carpeting more durable and stain resistant than ever before while providing soft, warm comfort for your pet and your feet. These come in a wide variety of options that are great for your pet without sacrificing style.
​Mohawk SmartStrand Forever Clean
All Pet Protection and Warranty: All pets. All accidents. All the Time.
- 0% moisture absorption to reduce pet odors in the carpet fiber
- Nanolocâ„¢ spill and soil shield for quick and easy cleanup
- 3X easier to clean dirt, hair, and pet dander
- Lifetime, built-in stain protection
Shaw R2X Stain and Soil Resistance
Shaw’s patented and proven treatment system that shields your carpet well below the surface—because the entire fiber is protected, from base to tip, against stains. R2X repels stains, giving you more time to respond to an accident, making it easier to clean, and keeping the stain from returning.