What is the Best Carpet for Pets?

Pets are important members of a household – though they’re certainly not low maintenance. Having an animal companion can be fulfilling, but also impact your living environment, including your carpets. Here are some tips for choosing the best carpets for your pets.

Why do pets impact your carpet choices?

No matter how well-trained your pets are, they have several traits that make carpet shopping difficult.

Claws

Cats and dogs all have claws which can catch in carpets and damage them. Cats also like to scratch surfaces.

Mud

Pets that go outside can tread muck through the house. Particularly if you have dogs, you might find that after a long walk they run muddy footprints everywhere with no regard for your carpet.

Pests

Another hazard of pet ownership is pests. Ticks, fleas and other pests can travel inside on your pet, burrowing into the carpet.

Dander

Pets constantly lose hair and skin cells, which is even more noticeable if your pet has long hair. It can get stuck absolutely everywhere, especially the carpet. This can also make people with allergies ill.

Accidents

When you get a new pet, there's often an awkward phase where they have to learn that the carpet isn't a toilet. Even once they learn where the litter tray or garden is, pets are liable to have accidents or vomit on carpets.

Carpets to avoid with pets

• Avoid deep pile and loop pile carpets, as pet claws can easily get stuck. They can also snag the loops and damage the carpet.
• Wool carpets stain easily, like many other natural materials.
• Light colours are not forgiving when it comes to dirt, so white carpets aren't recommended for pet owners.

The best carpets for pets

Cut pile carpets have no loops for claws to catch in. Low-pile carpets like saxony and twist carpets are the best option for pet owners.

In terms of materials, synthetic materials like polypropylene are resistant to dirt. They are also easier to clean, as you are less limited in the cleaning materials you can use.

Choosing dark colours is best to hide stains. However, some people like to choose colours similar to their pet’s fur to conceal it. Or you can choose contrasting colours to make it easier to clean fur up. This is all down to personal preference and how regularly you get a chance to clean them.

Carpet care tips for pet owners

It's important to vacuum regularly when you have pets, to keep the amount of fur under control. Make sure that you pay attention to edges and corners, in case any pests have been carried through and laid eggs.

While most stains are best tackled early, muddy pawprints are actually better left to dry. Wet mud is very difficult to clean, but dry mud can be brushed and vacuumed away.

You can hire a professional carpet cleaner to deep clean your carpet and combat any lingering odours.

How do I find the right carpet cleaner?

It's not always easy to remove stains left by pets. The National Carpet Cleaning Association (NCCA) makes it simpler with a directory of UK carpet cleaners who can help clean pet-related dirt. All of our carpet cleaners are insured and accredited, so you don’t have to waste valuable time searching for the right contractors.

Search our carpet cleaner directory to get started.