Carpets for Dogs and Cats: Tips from the Pros

If, like me, you live in a household with a dog and a cat (or even just one of them), buying a rug presents a unique challenge. I’m always absolutely horrified when I see those home decor shows on TV where they lay out gorgeous white rugs for the homeowners, while a slightly drooling Boxer or St. Bernard is already waiting by the door, ready to lay claim to the precious rug.

Table of Contents

• Which carpet is suitable for pets?
• Carpets That Are Unsuitable for Pets
• Remove pet hair and droppings
• Removing Pet Urine
• Living without carpets?

If you’ve been sharing your home with a four-legged friend for a while, then I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that, if possible, you should avoid colors that are too light or delicate. Most outlet rugs you’ll find feature muted colors or patterns where you won’t notice every little stain right away. Plus, they’re easy to clean and durable. Even though I like things to feel natural and cozy, when it comes to buying a rug, I prefer a flat-woven one made of synthetic fibers. Hair, dirt, and other unsightly stuff are just easier to remove from those. I’ve had a great experience with my sisal rugin the kitchen. We bought this low-maintenance rug out of necessity back then, because our old dog kept slipping on the tile. It’s a simple way to make slippery tile more dog-friendly.

What kind of carpet is best for cats?

• Avoid colors that are too bright or delicate
• Flat-woven synthetic-fiber rugs are easy to clean
• Cozy spots can be lined with small (washable) shag rugs

Which carpet is best for dogs?

• Avoid colors that are too bright or delicate
• Choose muted colors and patterns
• Flat-woven rugs made of synthetic fibers or sisal

We once had a soft, white flokati rug in the living room—it had really long pile and was truly beautiful to look at. Unfortunately, our gray cat loved it, too. She felt right at home on it and had absolutely no desire to sleep in her bed. After just a short time, the rug was gray, covered in hair, and pretty matted. We ended up having it professionally cleaned. We realized that we could have bought a lot of cat food for that money. Now the flokati is in the guest room, where the cats generally aren’t allowed.

If you’ve bought the right carpet for pet owners and don’t wait too long, it’s usually enough to vacuum your carpets regularly. If that doesn’t remove all the hair, reach for a lint roller. If that’s too much of a hassle, try using painter’s tape. The pet hair sticks to it really well, too. Another home remedy is damp rubber gloves. Run them over the “hairy” spots, and most of the hair should stick to the glove. The things we do for our beloved pets!

You can tackle dirt stains and unsightly messes with common household remedies like mineral water, salt, baking soda, laundry detergent, or shaving cream (see “Oh No, a Stain!”). If your dog or cat has forgotten its manners and peed on the carpet, you should act quickly and first completely blot up the moisture with a paper towel. Then fill a bucket with warm water, dish soap, and a little laundry detergent. Rub the mixture into the stain and keep blotting it up with the paper towel. Keep doing this until you’re satisfied that you’ve removed everything. To completely eliminate the urine odor, rinse the area with a mixture of water and vinegar. With a little luck, that should do the trick.

Sometimes you just aren't quick enough—maybe you were on vacation or at work. And when you finally get home, the mess has already dried up, but it's still clearly visible and maybe not too hard to smell. Now you’ll have to put in a little more effort if you want to fix this mishap. First, soak the stain generously with water and dish soap. Don’t be alarmed—it usually starts to smell even stronger at first. Then proceed as described earlier. To avoid unsightly marks, it’s a good idea to clean the entire carpet thoroughly with a home remedy afterward.

Make Your Own Pet Carpet Cleaner

Since many of the carpet cleaners available in stores aren’t particularly good for your pets’ health, you can make your own safe carpet cleaner. Mix equal parts baking soda and cornstarch and sprinkle the mixture onto the carpet. Next, fill a spray bottle with a mixture of vinegar and water in a one-to-three ratio. Spray this mixture onto the powder you’ve spread out, then gently scrub it in with a soft brush. Once everything has dried, you can vacuum the carpet as usual. Afterward, it should look as good as new, without you having to worry about your pets.

If you’ve come to this conclusion, I’d like to apologize for pointing out so many potential problems to you as a pet owner. Of course, neither dogs nor cats have to leave any messes on the carpet. The tips were just meant for a worst-case scenario. Besides, pets are just like us humans—they simply find a floor with soft carpeting more comfortable. This applies to dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and all other animal companions. With a durable flat-woven or a sisal rug , you can hardly go wrong. It feels much better under their paws than smooth tiles or laminate. Such rugs can even withstand being used as a makeshift cat tree for your cat. As you can see, sticking with soft flooring benefits everyone in the household. On top of that, you can try the method our family uses. When we—as dog and cat owners—hear the all-too-familiar choking sounds from our dog or cat, we shout in unison: “Not on the carpet!” Sometimes it helps.