Choosing the right floors for your home is an important decision. This is especially true if you have pets in the house. If you are a pet owner, we’ll share some options you have when it comes to the best flooring for pets.

Our pets are beloved members of the family. As such, there are decisions for the home that require more thought and consideration. When it comes to installing new floors, we should pick the best flooring for pets.

What Is the Right Flooring for Pets?

Over time, the quality of your flooring will be affected by having a cat or a dog. Pets tend to affect floors heavily. Whether it’s their nails scratching the floor, stains from bathroom accidents, odors that linger, or shedding, keeping the floors in good condition is vital if you are a pet owner.

Fortunately, many of us are animal lovers. As such, there is a multitude of flooring options for pets available. These flooring options are especially made to withstand any damage or daily wear and tear caused by pets.

Each floor option comes with its own pros and cons. It will be up to you as the home and pet owner to make a careful assessment of what will work best for your home and your pet.

Flooring for Pets: What to Look For

Before we discuss what the ideal flooring options for cats and dogs are, let’s first look at the vital factors you should look for in flooring.

Water-Resistant or Waterproof Floors

No matter how well we have our pets to go to the bathroom properly, sometimes accidents happen. And bathroom accidents are not the only times your cat or dog can wet the floors.

They sometimes spill some food and water out of the bowl. They can also bring mud in on their paws after being outside. And no matter how cute our dogs is, sometimes they drool a lot.

There are some floors that can’t be repaired once they come in contact with wetness if not cleaned right away. These are not suitable flooring options if you are a pet owner.

When choosing flooring for pets, make sure that it’s either waterproof or at least water-resistant.

Waterproof flooring means that moisture or wetness can’t infiltrate the floors – no matter how much time it takes.

On the other hand, water-resistant floors mean the substrate is protected from water penetration. Waterproof floors are more costly than its the water-resistant counterpart.

Scratch-Resistant Floors

The nails of cats and dogs can easily scratch the floors in our home. If your flooring is not resistant to scratches, then you will have scratch-filled floors in no time.

On top of that, cats and dogs have natural instinct to claw and scratch surfaces. Thus, soft and fragile floors are not ideal if you have pets at home.

Unlike waterproof floors, a scratch-proof flooring does not exist – not yet at least. When looking for scratch-resistant flooring for pets, make sure they are made with a sturdy protective layer to allow for refinishing.

You can also choose floors with design that can effortlessly conceal light scratches. This means that the minor indicators of scratches can blend in with the floor’s natural design rather than make the imperfections stand out.

With those considerations to factor in, here are some best flooring options for pet owners.

• Engineered Hardwood Floors
• Luxury Vinyl Flooring
• Bamboo Flooring
• Stone or Tile Flooring
• Cork Flooring

If you are wondering what types of flooring you have to avoid, here they are:

• Carpet
• Solid Hardwood Flooring
• Laminate Flooring

Maintaining and Cleaning Flooring for Pets

Make sure that you clean the floors up right away if your pet cat or dog has an accident. Also, place a mat under their bowls to catch any spills. It would be best if you also had your floors refinished twice a year.