Accessories to Buy to Keep Pets from Breaking Your Stuff

We can’t deny that many pet parents like us say we don’t have nice things. With our dogs continuously chewing up on furniture and cats scratching on things, what would you expect? However, you can prevent this, and that’s by finding accessories to buy to keep pets from breaking your stuff.

Yes, pet parents can have nice things inside their home. You need to know how to keep things safe and what items prevent further damages. This will also allow your pets to continue getting the enrichment they need and deserve.

We’ve compiled some of the best accessories to buy to keep pets from breaking your stuff. But before we get into that, let’s look into why pets break things in the first place.

Why Do Pets Break Our Things?

Don’t think that our pets break things because they’re bored. Nor are out to destroy everything we have. That isn’t the case.

Our pets often end up breaking things to satisfy certain needs. For cats, scratching is primarily their marking behavior wherein they deposit a certain scent on things. The scent comes from glands on their paws. The scent is used to mark their territory, which is a common thing in pets.

Other than that, scratching in cats also helps remove the translucent covering on their claws.

As for dogs, they love chewing bones, sticks, shoes, the legs of your furniture, and anything available. These guys chew for fun, for stimulation, and to relieve anxiety.

Chewing is generally a normal behavior for dogs. But they sometimes direct this behavior on items that shouldn’t get chewed on.

Accessories for Cats

Giving your felines a variety of entertaining toys is a great way to divert their attention from breaking your things. Find toys that mimic the movement and looks of their natural prey or one that moves a lot.

Honestly, choosing toys for any pet is a trial and error activity. You may want to experiment and test various toys to see which ones your cats like best.

Some kitties can play by themselves with toy mice, while others prefer toy birds that fly when you flick them.

With that, here are the toys and accessories to keep your cats from breaking things at home.

Scratching Post

One of the accessories to buy to keep pets from breaking your stuff is the scratching post. These come in all shapes and sizes, as well as textures.

A good choice for scratching posts would be carpet-covered types, ideal for kitties who attack your carpets.

If your feline keeps eyeing your couch, go for the post-covered sisal or a scratching piece made of rope-like materials.

When selecting a scratching post for your kitties, make sure that it matches their preferred scratching items. Cats who attack drapes and the like will prefer a post that’s tall enough for them to reach and stretch. These are the types that you can usually mount on doors or walls.

For cats who prefer horizontal motions of scratching on carpets and the like, they’ll likely prefer flat cardboard boxes instead. Or they could even go for logs placed on its side.

Cat Claw Caps

Other accessories to buy to keep pets from breaking your stuff are the claw covers for cats. They’re perfectly safe to use and won’t cause any damage or pain on their claw beds.

They’re little plastic nail caps that are glued to your cat’s claws. These may not stop your cats from scratching, but it will lessen the marks they make when they do.

Interactive Games and Toys for Cats

Your cats also need mental stimulation to get rid of boredom. With that, you can utilize interactive cat games and toys to solve their boredom issues.

Of course, don’t forget to include some physical toys into their play sessions to keep their bodies active.

Accessories for Dogs

Dogs usually behave destructively to relieve their anxiety. It’s a way for them to release excess energy. Like with cats, you can find accessories to buy to keep pets from breaking your stuff. These will be specifically for your precious dogs.

Chew Toys

If your dog plans to chew on inappropriate things, interrupt them, and divert their attention to the chew toys.

Durable chew toys can help keep your dog’s attention and prevent them from getting bored. These can keep them busy for hours too. Additionally, these types of toys promote dental health since chewing cleans both their gums and teeth.

Not only that, but chewing will help dogs smoothen out their teeth while also scraping away tartar that’s present.

But before getting him/her doggy chew toys, make sure that they’re made from safe materials. Also, pay attention to the toys they chew for lengthy periods and continue to give them those. It’s smart to introduce new toys to them or alternate the chew toys you give them every couple of days.

Doing so will prevent him/her from getting bored with the same toys.

Rope Toys

Other accessories to buy to keep pets from breaking your stuff are rope toys. These toys, as well as the tug toys, can redirect your dog’s attention from biting and nipping on things.

Some pups get nippy when they want to chew on things. With these rope toys, your dogs can have the proper outlet for biting and chewing.

When you play tug-of-war with your dogs using these rope toys, you can strengthen the bond between you two. Occasionally, let them win the game to boost their confidence, especially for the more reserved and shy dogs.

Puzzle Toys

Puzzle toys are fun, and your dogs will love them too. These will help keep your dogs busy, focusing their attention on the toy instead of chewing on stuff. Not only that, but the puzzle toys will stimulate their natural curiosity, hence, will stave off their boredom.

Though fun, not all dogs appreciate playing tug or chewing bones. With that, experts said that food puzzles filled with their favorites are the best.

Final Words

When it comes to accessories to buy to keep pets from breaking your stuff, all of these are excellent and effective. But remember, not all of them work for your pets, so it’s best to find which works adequately for them.

Destructive behavior in your pets occurs for many reasons ranging from lack of exercise, territorial aggression to separation anxiety. They’re not aiming to ruin everything you have, so be patient with your furry babies.

Aside from using these accessories to help keep them from ruining your things, you need to do your part too. Guide your fur babies’ instinctual behavior to constructive outlets, and reinforce good manners too. This will prevent them from reverting to being troublesome.