May is National Pet Month! We totally adore our pets, and we folks at Middletown Plumbing & Drain consider every family member important – that includes your furry friends, too! As a pet owner, your top priority is keeping your pet safe, happy, and healthy. And as a homeowner, you obviously want your plumbing to be in top shape. You’d be surprised, but even the easiest-to-care-for pets need some home maintenance to avoid plumbing mishaps. Let’s dive into how we can keep both your pet and plumbing system safe and sound!
Consider Pet Grooming
Making sure your pets are nicely groomed is key to keeping your home clean and free from pests like ticks and fleas. But grooming your furry friends can be a bit tricky, especially when it comes to your plumbing. Here are a few tips to make sure your plumbing doesn’t suffer.
Baths: Washing your pet at home is great for keeping them smelling fresh and their coat shiny. However, doing it yourself might lead to some plumbing adventures, thanks to all the fur and possible clogs in the tub.
- Putting in a hand-held showerhead can really smooth out the whole pet bathing process. If you don’t already have one, it’s definitely worth thinking about getting one installed.
- Pop a drain screen over your tub or shower drain to catch all that washed-off fur and keep those drains clear.
Fur Brushing: Regularly brushing your pet is key to cutting down on shedding and keeping hair from building up all over your place, especially in your plumbing system.
- Choosing the right brush for your pet’s hair type makes grooming a breeze.
- For the best results and to keep hair from getting all over your house, try to do your grooming outside if you can.
- If you’ve got a long-haired pet, it’s a good idea to brush them every couple of weeks. It helps keep their coat healthy and can also save your plumbing from a headache during bath time.
Consider Pet Food & Pet Waste Disposal
Pet Food: Trying to wash dry pet food (kibble) down your kitchen sink using the garbage disposal is a big no-no. Dry pet food swells up when it gets wet, which can really mess with your plumbing and lead to some serious clogs. On top of that, when the wet food dries out, it gets hard and makes the blockage even worse. The best move is to just toss any unused pet food in the trash bin to dodge these issues.
Cat Litter: Handling pet waste comes with the territory of having a pet, but how you get rid of it can negatively impact your home’s plumbing as well. Many people actually think that flushing cat litter down the toilet is okay. However, this could not be further from the truth. Most kitty litter doesn’t dissolve in water, which means you could end up with a severe clog.
Even though some kitty litter brands claim to be “flushable,” it’s really best to just skip flushing cat litter to keep your plumbing happy. Sure, “flushable cat litter” is supposed to break down, but it does super slowly. This means it can easily start clogging up your pipes over time, with those undissolved lumps of litter just accumulating within your pipes. The risk of messing up your plumbing and facing expensive fixes just isn’t worth the convenience, in our opinion. We reckon it’s just not worth the hassle.
Consider Pet Safety Tips
Digging: Watch out for pets that love to dig. We get it—dogs will be dogs, and we totally love that about them! But it’s still wise to keep an eye on your adventurous furball. They could end up digging near your home’s foundation or close to buried pipes. We’re all about keeping your plumbing safe, but this advice is double duty because it also keeps your pet safe.
Toilet Water: Have you ever caught your pet drinking out of the toilet? Although we all know this is rather gross, it’s also not great for their health. Toilet cleaning products like toilet tabs, stamps, rim hangers, and chemical cleaners work to keep your toilet fresh but can be really bad for your pet’s health if they were to ingest any of those harsh chemicals. To keep your furry friend safe, try to keep the toilet lid down when you’re not using it, and maybe think about getting a child-proof lock if your pet’s extra determined.
You can keep both your pets and plumbing system happy with proper planning and preventative care. If you’re looking for more tips on keeping your home and plumbing in top shape, feel free to check out our collection of blog posts!
If you run into any issues or have any questions, we’re here to help you out! Middletown Plumbing & Drain is always open, 24/7, all year round. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today at (937) 298-9979 or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!