The Organized Life With Pets
Literal situation that is happening at the uptown office right now.
We’re animal lovers over here. Seriously. The downtown Done and Done office houses no less than two cats (Zola and Munch), one behemoth of a dog (Amy), and two turtles. The uptown office is home to a cheeky lizard named Jelly who is extremely picky about his bugs. They make us laugh, even when the cats think that the best place to put their butts is right in front of our faces, or Amy takes a swipe at our midday sandwich. They just want to be loved, and the least we can do is give ’em kiss and a scratch around the ears now and again.
That being said, pets in a living space can turn into a hailstorm of terrible. Why is there hair all over my body? Is the best place to keep spare leashes the underwear drawer? WHY IS THE MOST COMFORTABLE PLACE TO SLEEP DIRECTLY ON MY HEAD, CAT-MONSTER?
In regard to pets; we’ve lived, we’ve loved, we’ve cleaned. And eventually, we learned how to co-habitate with animals while also keeping our space neat and tidy.
Let’s tackle the big offender first.
HAIR
Your eyebrow game is tight but you shed like a demon.
1. Breed: The breed of your dog or cat has a lot to do with how often and how much they shed. You have more variation with dogs – Bichon Friese and Labradoodles are among the breeds that are hypoallergenic and shed less, which saves the headache of keeping hair off of your furniture and clothes. Cats are furry freak-shows, so the only breeds that are truly hypoallergenic and shed-free are those skinny naked ones with the big ears. Which are great if you’re into that sort of thing.
2. That being said, most people are adopting these days and you may fall in love with a rescue pup or kitten who sheds like a monster. Whether it’s a cat or a dog, brush that bad girl out twice a week. We like the Furminator because it’s small and works like a charm. This can cut down on fur balls, which your cat would otherwise deliver via vomit directly onto your carpet.
3. Check your air filters every 2-4 weeks. They are likely clogged with hair, and clearing them will help you save in cooling and heating . Free money!
4. Get a dope vacuum cleaner. At the risk of being predictable, we absolutely love Dyson vacuums. It’s loud like a jet engine, but it’s unparalleled in its ability to suck microscopic detritus out of the fibers of your rugs. Use the wand attachment to get at piles of hair so you’re not blowing half of it away with the exhaust. The only catch is that Dysons are expensive, so consider buying it refurbished, because you get a great warrantee and it’s literally half the price.
5. This is a classic Martha Stewart trick: loop a tape roller on a ribbon and hang it on your doorknobs so you’re able to give yourself a quick roll-down before leaving the house.
5. For wood floors: New Age High Priestess and Pontifex Maximus Oprah Winfrey wants us to use an electrostatic mop, which attracts the hair rather than just pushing it around. So we do, and it works. We hail thee fair leader.
NAILS
One solution to cutting down on scratching.
1. Trim your dogs nails to avoid scratches on the floor, and post a sheet of plexiglass on your the bottom third of your bedroom door so when your pet gets needy and wants to cuddle, you’ll hear them scratching to get in without destroying your paint job.
2. As for cats, these buggers are hardwired to trim their claws and mark their territory by shredding up your new couch. Doctors Foster and Smith suggest a combination of scratching posts and anti-scratch spray that will put a cat-repelling smell in the spot they want to claim.
FOOD
“WE HUNGRY”
1. For dogs and cats, find a little nook in your kitchen that might otherwise be unusable, like the weird space next to the fridge or between the cabinet and the wall. Put down a grippy rubber mat under your dog and cat bowls.
2. Fish: You have a small container to house the fishies when you are cleaning out their tank. Use it to store fish food, vitamins, and water purifiers.
3. Exotic pets: if you have a lizard or snake, they likely live in a vivarium with a good heating lamp. If you feed your lizard insects or small mice, doing so in the tank can easily dirty the space and result in the need for more regular cleanings. It can also stress out your little guy, and if some of the bugs escape his or her first bite, they can bite right back. Go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond or some equivalent house supply store and pick up a single unit large, plastic bin or drawer to use as a feeder bin. Line it with paper towels so the dude can get traction with his claws during feeding, then dispose of the lining when it’s dirtied. The best part is, this will be a safe place to store the containers of feeder bugs, if you’re ever paranoid that they’re going to escape and take over your home.
ACCESSORIES
You can’t sit with us.
1. Hang a tote in your call closet with some leashes, treats for walking, snacks, doggie bags, and your headphones. This way you won’t have to muss up your nice workbag with treat crumbs. Grab-and-go when it’s time for a walk.
2. Keep your bathing and grooming supplies in a cute bucket for use and storage. Wipe everything down after your finished with the bath so you don’t have wet hair plastered all over the shampoo bottles! Bleh.
3. Create a filing system for your pets documents, vaccination records, and vet information so it’s on-hand in case of emergency!
DREAM HOUSE
CRIBS: Puppy Edition.
1. If you are handy at the DIY renovations, put together a built-in feeding nook for your dog or cat including hideaway storage for dry food, or a custom vivarium for your reptiles. It’s like the Malibu Barbie Dream House that you never had!
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
“Come to me my jungle friends.”
Companionship? Unconditional love? There are so many great things about having pets, caring for another living soul, giving an animal in need a happy and full live. Gretchen Rubin argues that it is the giving (rather than the receiving) of love that one of the keys to happiness. And despite the potential costs of pet ownership, as well as the work it takes to maintain a clean and sane space for you and your little guy, the love quotient makes it totally worth it.
