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Harrisonburg pet-friendly apartments

5 Tips For Pet-Friendly Apartment Living

Apartment living offers its residents access to many of life’s modern conveniences. With little home maintenance, convenience to stores and shops, and community amenities, it’s no surprise more and more people are choosing apartment living! But one aspect that can be a difficult transition is taking care of pets in an apartment. If you are living with pets in an apartment, here are a few tips to help you both enjoy apartment living as much as possible!

Learn The Neighborhood:

Just because you don’t have your own yard, doesn’t mean there isn’t anywhere for Fido to run free! Harrisonburg’s Smithland Road Dog Park is perfect for some off-leash exercise, as well as dog trails and paths around Harrisonburg for you both to enjoy!

Discover what’s in your neighborhood and make a routine of visiting these parks to help get your four-legged friend plenty of exercise.

Keep A Routine:

Establishing a routine can help your pet adjust to apartment living more smoothly. Try to feed your pets at the same time every day, play around at the same time, and take them outside at the same times each day. This can help your pet learn when it’s playtime when it’s potty time, and when it’s time to settle down. Establishing a routine can help potty breaks go faster and avoid accidents since your pet knows when to expect their next walk.

Provide Entertainment:

Boredom is one of the common causes of destructive pet behaviors, such as chewing on doors or tearing at carpets. Keeping your pet adequately entertained while you are home and away is a great way to avoid boredom, anxiety, and potentially destructive behaviors. Try taking your dog on a walk around the neighborhood before you leave work to help them expel excess energy. Leaving them a chewy bone, Kong toy, or puzzle ball with food inside is a great way to keep them occupied while you’re not home. If you have to crate your dog before leaving home, giving them a favorite toy or bone to have in their crate can help them enjoy the time more. Long stretches of boring crate time may cause anxiety and crate avoidance, which will only make crate time harder for both of you!

If you have a cat, provide them with their own scratching post or cat tree to climb on to avoid clawing on furniture or curtains. Playing with your cat nightly before you go to bed can help reset their ‘hunting clock’ and avoid those 3 AM zoomies!

apartment living with cats

Equip Yourself:

Many tools and gadgets are making pet-friendly apartment living easier than ever. Poop bag holders for Fido’s leash make sure you never forget your bags. Self-cleaning litter boxes help eliminate pet odor and the task of cleaning out the litter box. Washable couch covers make keeping the furniture clean a piece of cake! While you might not need every new gadget at the pet store, finding a few tools that make apartment living with pets a little easier can be a worthwhile investment!

Top Up On Training:

Training can do much more than help your pets behave better. It can also help you learn how to communicate with your pets, teach you to recognize when something is wrong, and better understand your pet’s unique needs. Training is for the pet parent, as much as it is for the pet!

Training can not only reduce unwanted behaviors like barking, jumping, destructive tendencies, aggression towards other animals, and much more but can also help your pet be happier and more confident, once they know you understand their wants and needs.

pet-friendly apartment livingYou can find training classes at many pet stores, private classes, or self-teaching guides and tutorials online. With any new habit, consistency is key! Make training time part of your daily routine to achieve the best results.

If you are sharing an apartment with a pet, remember that it is their home as much as it is yours! Following these tips can help your cohabitation be as perfect as paw-sible!

Looking for pet-friendly apartments in Harrisonburg, Virginia? Look no further than Preston Lake Apartments! Preston Lake provides spacious, pet-friendly apartments in the heart of Harrisonburg.