If you’re looking to invest in a home lift – or perhaps you already own one – then you probably already know how much easier they make getting from point A to B. What you may not consider, however, is that they can make the lives of your fur babies easier, too.
What are the benefits of a pet-friendly lift?
There are two main benefits of having a home lift that is pet-friendly. On the one hand, a pet-friendly lift can make your life easier by allowing you to remain side-by-side with your furry best friend, regardless of your mobility level. Not only will this bring you great comfort and convenience, but it can be advantageous to those whose pets are also used as a guide or support.
On the other hand, much like us, as animals get older or experience an injury it can make climbing stairs both troublesome and tiresome. For smaller animals, stairs can also be very steep and take a huge amount of effort to climb. This can cause them stress and anxiety, or perhaps even make certain floors inaccessible entirely. Much like we don’t like to be without our loved ones, our pets can feel uneasy when they are left alone or can’t get to us.
Even a healthy pet probably doesn’t want to run up and down three flights of stairs each time they want to enter a new floor or leave the house. If you have more than two floors in your home, have a pet that’s small, has an injury, is getting older or one you’d like to get old with, you might want to look for a pet-friendly lift for your home. Chances are, that you’ll benefit from investing in it just as much as they will.
Are all home lifts pet-friendly?
While most home lifts these days are designed to be both child and pet friendly, not all lifts are created equally. Be sure to check with the lift company first before going ahead and making a purchase if this is a priority for you.
What makes a home lift pet-friendly?
It’s important that when we say “pet-friendly,” we are mostly referring to common household pets like dogs and cats. Mostly, what makes a home lift friendly or not depends largely on how much care you take with your pet when entering and exiting it. By concentrating and not allowing yourself to get distracted, you can make taking a lift a safer experience for both you and your pet.
You’ll want to make sure you aren’t on your phone and that you are keeping a watchful eye on what your pet is doing, as well as how they are feeling around the lift. You should wait until your pet is calm and the entrance to the lift is clear. If you’re worried about them trying to exit the lift unexpectedly, you might want to train them or have them on a short leash at the time of using the lift. Most modern home lifts come with safety features like emergency buttons and a sensor which keeps the doors from shutting when someone or something is obstructing them. To avoid you and your pet being separated, keep the door open with your body and allow them to enter the lift first.
What do I do if my pet is scared or anxious around a lift?
Using a lift instead of the stairs can take some getting used to, for both you and your pets. However, there are some cases where no matter how hard you try, your pet will not want to use a lift. Making a pet use a lift when they are scared or anxious can make the experience unpredictable and therefore, potentially dangerous. If you sense that they are uneasy around lifts, it might be best to avoid them and find an alternative solution.
