Pets in apartments: how to keep everyone happy

By Charlotte Stiles

For many of us, having a pet is the key to feeling happy and comfortable in our homes, and they wouldn’t be the same without them! So, whether you’ve downsized to an apartment, or you’re considering having an apartment pet for the first time, we’ve created an article to guide you.

In this article, we’ll explain how to choose a suitable pet for apartment life, how to prepare your apartment for your new arrival, and give some more general tips regarding living with pets in apartments.

Choosing your pet

We’ve listed some things to consider when choosing your apartment pet below:

Preparing your apartment

Now we’ve looked at what to consider in terms of choosing your pet, let’s see what you can consider when preparing your apartment:

General tips

In this section, we’ll explain some extra tips which help you, your pet, and your neighbors comfortable.

If you have a dog, then it’s good to consider whether there is an easily accessible area for them to ‘relieve themselves’ nearby, no matter the weather! This means you might want to check out if there are any ‘dog parks’ in your area.

Similarly, since living in an apartment means your pet won’t have constant access to a garden, you’ll probably want to walk them more frequently and maybe for a bit longer than usual.

This coupled with living in an apartment near others means you might want to consider dog walking or pet-sitting services. It’s always preferable to have a good relationship with your neighbors, but sometimes having a dog who barks or cat who meows whilst you’re away can make this a little difficult.

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If you must leave your pet alone in the apartment, you might also want to consider getting a radio which may also help them feel calm during the day and help them to feel less anxious.

If you’re thinking of getting or moving a cat to an apartment, it’s also good to consider that you might want to empty their litterbox more frequently as bad smells accumulate faster in a smaller area. The same applies to pet hair, so you may find it important to clean more often or to establish a grooming routine.

A well-trained pet is easier to manage whether you live in an apartment or not. If possible, it’s good to train your pet to live comfortably in an apartment and to remain consistent with the behavior you expect from them.

This usually means ‘house-training’ them, so that they don’t defecate or urinate inside your flat. It can also mean, crate training or training them not to bark or meow, so that they don’t disturb neighbors whilst you’re away.

It's also a good idea to check whether any apartment-related insurance policies you have cover damages or accidents associated with your pet.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article about how you can live in an apartment with your pet and comfortably meet all their needs.