Tips for Living with a Pet
Here are a few tips to make your life with your pet(s) even better:
- Most importantly, spend some time every day with your pet. Animals need love, so shower them with it!
- Pet them! Did you know that petting an animal can actually reduce your heart rate. (We’re not doctors, but that sounds pretty good to us!)
- Allow your dog to exercise. This is very important. Take them to a local park, take them to the beach, walk them around the block, and allow them to play with other dogs.
- Give your dog bones and chew toys.
- Give your cat toys to play with.
- If you have a cat, invest in a few cat trees or scratching posts.
- Treat your cat to fresh catnip and kitty grass. It will deter them from snacking on your house plants.
- Clean up after your dog. If your dog does its business on the street or at the park, do your neighborhood proud and clean it up.
- Consider a pet sitter or dog walker if you are going to be out of the house for a long period of time.
- Keep them clean.
- Keep your home clean. With pets, your typically going to have to deal with shedding and fur all over the place. Do yourself and your pet a favor by vacuuming on a very regular basis.
Tips for Pet-Friendly Home Hunting
For pet owners looking for a new place to live, Joyce Lebedew of Joyce Lebedew Real Estate (the sponsor of this website) advises to allow sufficient time to find an apartment and put together all available pet documentation beforehand. “These include veterinary records, behavior certification if needed and any other information you can provide to demonstrate responsible pet guardianship. For example, it can be extremely helpful to obtain references and letters of recommendation from past landlords. Consider also that while pet fees are prohibited in Massachusetts, it can be advantageous to offer the full, legally allowed security deposit to assure against damage.” Adds Joyce, “Of course the best way to win over a prospective landlord is to introduce yourself and your pet in person.”
For more useful tips for both landlords and renters, visit the website for The Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC), MassAnimalCoalition.org. This resource provides model guidelines and agreements, checklists and other valuable tools.
Finding a New Pet
If you are looking for a pet, please consider rescuing a dog or cat. There are so many animals in need, every one we save makes a big difference.
To adopt a dog or cat, contact South Boston’s Alliance for Animals.
Finding a Pet-Friendly Home in South Boston
If you are looking for an apartment, condo or house in South Boston, save yourself the frustration and focus your search exclusively on pet-friendly options. To that end, the listings of Joyce Lebedew Real Estate (the sponsor of this site) are 100% pet-friendly! Click here to learn more about JLRE’s pet-friendly real estate services, and find your next pet-friendly home.
