Luxury vinyl is taking the world by storm with its gorgeous, visually inspiring wood-look planks. This flooring is stain and wear resistant, so you don't have to worry about cats making a mess! Also, with its water-resistant and even waterproof options, liquid stains are no longer an issue.
Because luxury vinyl is made up of multiple layers and has a thick wear layer, it is waterproof and scratch-resistant. Plus, it comes in so many styles that you can easily find the right design for your home. Another highly durable option that is perfect for your furry friend is tile.
To avoid that, it's easier to select the right flooring that will stand up to all your cat can dish out. What kind of flooring works well to prevent cat claw scratches? Two of the best choices today are luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and luxury vinyl plank (LVP).
A cat that sprays will RUIN any floor you put down. Can urine can permanently damage concrete...so that tells you where this is going. The urine will reach the edges and will soak into the vinyl. Vinyl, like all petroleum products, holds on to chemicals...even in minute amounts.
While cats may love the softness of carpet, you'll be spending a lot of time vacuuming and removing stains and odors. Instead, we recommend laminate or vinyl flooring, both of which are hard wearing, stain resistant, and easy to clean.
Vinyl flooring: the optimum choice for pet-owners
Without a doubt, vinyl flooring is the best option for pets that have accidents. Luxury vinyl floors from Mannington come in a wide range of designs. Its slate and stone patterns look just like the real thing, as does its wood-styled laminates.
Affordable and animal-friendly, vinyl flooring often nabs the number one spot for pet-friendly flooring. Not only is it inexpensive and suitable for anywhere in your house, but vinyl flooring is also resistant to scratches and stains caused by mucky pups and playful felines.
Avoid using ammonia-based cleaning solutions. Don't use bleach as an overall vinyl floor cleaner. Keep away from highly abrasive scrubbers or detergents on vinyl. They can damage the floor, causing cracks or scratches.
Vinyl sheet flooring is also a great option for homes with pets. This resilient flooring comes in a roll, so there are few seams and no grout, but you can still get highly realistic hardwood and natural stone styles.
White vinegar is great for cleaning cat urine as it's highly acidic and neutralizes a cat's alkaline urine. It's also strong smelling and will kill most bacteria left behind.
There's a way to keep your records on display while blocking animals from wreaking havoc over them: plexiglass. Plexi is a fairly simple way to protect your music library while staying on the inexpensive side—all you have to do is attach it to your shelf with velcro.
These floors can resist scratches, scuffs, stains, and even a certain amount of gouging in their durability. However, extreme heat can damage the luxury vinyl plank. Some of the culprits through which heat damage can occur include hot pans, curling irons, dropped cigarettes, and more.
Vinyl plank flooring is an excellent choice for all kinds of durability, including superb scratch resistance.
Cats won't want to scratch furniture with full upholstery and recessed legs. Sean Juneja, co-founder and CEO of Decor Aid, offers this tip: Look for fully upholstered pieces with wood or metal recessed legs. “The best fabrics are ultrasuede and leather, because a cat cannot claw into these,” Juneja said.
Urine can damage your floors in more ways than one, so it's important to get stain-resistant and moisture-resistant flooring. Look for ceramic or porcelain tile, luxury vinyl, or laminate flooring, and solid hardwood with a dense, durable coating to repel liquids —all of these products can do the trick!
If your number one concern is finding a urine-proof floor, you'll likely want to go with: Luxury vinyl planks (LVP) by Firmfit: Luxury vinyl planks by Firmfit offer unmatched water resistance. They're a popular choice for kitchens, bathrooms and basements for that reason.
Vinyl flooring is an excellent option since it's a durable, easy-to-clean flooring type that's comfortable for both pets and humans. It's usually made of four layers: foam or cork backing, waterproof plastic, a design layer printed with an image of wood or stone, and a wear layer to protect the surface.
Vinyl Flooring “Don'ts”
Don't use wax or solvent-based polishes. Don't use ammonia or ammonia-based cleaning solutions. Ammonia can break down the vinyl and cause it to crack. Don't use a steam cleaner on vinyl plank flooring.
Some disadvantages of vinyl flooring include: Cannot be repaired. Can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Shorter lifespan than wood floors.
Not environmentally friendly
Off-gassed VOCs can adversely affect health and an indoor environment, particularly without windows or ventilation, will lead to higher concentrations. If this is a concern for you, we recommend avoiding high-VOC vinyl flooring and choosing a low-VOC floor instead.
Generally speaking, vinyl sheet flooring will last anywhere from 10 to 20 years, while vinyl plank and tile flooring will last 15 to 20 years. The thickness of its wear layer vastly impacts vinyl flooring's lifespan, so pay attention to this detail when purchasing your flooring.
Swiffer wet cloths are designed to be used on most floor surfaces, such as: vinyl.
Use Mats and Rugs to Protect Your Floors
This will help reduce spills and dropped food staining the floor around the bowls. You can also get litter specific mats which pick up the little bits of litter left on cat feet after they leave the litter box.
Texture: Sticky paper, aluminum foil, heavy plastic or a plastic carpet runner (knubby side up) can be placed in areas you want to be off limits. Cats hate walking on these surfaces. Smell: Citronella, perfumes, solid air fresheners, citrus, aloe, eucalyptus oil and oil of wintergreen are all aversive smells to cats.