The best is tile. Next are products such as Luxury Vinyl Tile or Planks, vinyl, and other types of waterproof flooring. Many hardwood floors come with finishes that protect from accidents, and even carpet now has built-in pet protection giving you the time you need to clean up.
Vinyl is our top choice, but laminate is also an excellent option. If you have a bit more money to spend, you can consider tile, which is more expensive than vinyl or laminate flooring but offers similar dog-friendly characteristics like water and scratch resistance.
As such, your flooring needs to be not only durable but also resistant to moisture, stains and odours. As such, water-proof and water-resistant flooring may be a better choice for homes with pets. The most suitable options are hybrid flooring, vinyl plank flooring, tiles and laminate floors.
To keep your floors looking their best, choose water-resistant or waterproof options. Luxury vinyl, tile, hardwood, laminate, and even carpet often offer unique water-resistance depending on the product, and each have individual features that make them ideal for cat owners!
Most dog owners forgo hardwood flooring because it can be easily damaged by dogs' nails. If you're set on hardwood, consider a hard wood variety or engineered hardwood planks, which tend to hold up better. Laminate, vinyl, tile, and carpet have excellent scratch resistance to hold up to the click-clack of claws.
Scratch-resistant flooring is an ideal option for pet owners. Laminate, tile, and vinyl floors are all great options that can withstand scratching and denting. Laminate floors are a great choice, as they offer the look of hardwood but with added protection against claw marks.
Durability. Laminate and LVT/LVP flooring are both extremely durable, but they have their weaknesses. Laminate is prone to scratches and chipped corners over time, so vinyl is probably a better choice for your home if you have pets. LVT/LVP is scratch-resistant, but it's more vulnerable to denting and tearing.
Vinyl flooring naturally resists scratching from sharp claws, so you can install it with confidence knowing that your cat or dog won't ruin the surface by walking over it repeatedly or scratching at it.
The durability of vinyl floors is a true relief if you have cats that love to get their scratch on.
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.
Healthier flooring options include solid wood, natural linoleum, cork, bamboo, tile and stone. A key feature of all of these is that they are easily cleaned of dust and dirt.
Vinyl Tile Offers Durable Flooring for Pets That Pee
Vinyl is a favorite flooring option for kitchens and bathrooms and also makes great flooring for dogs that pee, as it's very resistant to liquids and easy to clean. Vinyl is also soft underfoot, making it a comfortable surface for dogs to relax or walk on.
The outer layer of vinyl flooring is typically scratch-resistant, which means their claws can't scratch it up and their nails won't leave scratches when they get the zoomies. And, scratch-resistant flooring or not, it's always a good idea to trim your pet's nails so they stay comfortable.
Tile flooring made from har material such as ceramic or porcelain are among the most scratch-resistant flooring you can find. Tile flooring is also one of the most versatile, customizable flooring options with a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors, patterns and styles.
“Tile is the highest-rated flooring among the categories we test,” says Enrique de Paz, who leads flooring testing at Consumer Reports. “It doesn't wear out, scratch, or stain. Its color doesn't fade, it's waterproof, and it is surprisingly slip-resistant, even when wet.
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. Avoid fabrics that snag easily, such as tweeds.
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.
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.
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.
If you are environmentally conscious, bamboo flooring has spiked in popularity because of its sustainability. As long as you stick to a light finish, it will also do a great job of hiding dirt. Cork is another environmentally-conscious choice that does a good job of hiding dust and dirt.
Laminate flooring is good for pet owners, but not so good for pets. It's tough, and resists scratches and splashes, but the hard melanin surface doesn't offer much grip for their paws which can see them sliding about if they get too excited.
Con: LVP May Dent
Luxury vinyl flooring can dent and even scratch or scuff, especially from heavy appliances, furniture, or other weighty objects. Just because it's resistant to something doesn't mean it's impervious to it. However, do know that LVP resists scratches better than real hardwood.
From a distance, both types of flooring even look similar. Neither type of flooring is better than the other across all categories. Vinyl flooring is best in high-moisture areas and it's easy to keep clean. Yet laminate flooring offers a wider variety of style choices and has a higher resale value.
Unlike hardwood, Style Selections rigid core luxury vinyl planks and tiles are stain- and scratch-resistant with a 12-mil wear layer, making them a family-friendly option you'll enjoy for years to come.