What carpet is best for pets?

Pets can really make a house feel like a home, but they can also make a mess too. So, if you have a cat that likes to scratch or a dog that likes to dig in the garden, you’re going to need flooring that is durable, resilient and can withstand the daily wear and tear of life with pets. 

Vinyl or hardwood flooring might seem like the natural choice if you have furry friends but there are plenty of pet-friendly carpet options to choose from too. There are lots of things to consider when choosing a carpet in a home with pets including colour, carpet pile, cleanability and even the type of pet you have. So, to help you out, we’ve covered the following within this guide:

• The best carpet pile for pets
• Which carpets are easiest to clean
• Carpet colours for pets
• Best for dogs
• Best for cats

The best carpet pile for pets

There are two main types of carpet pile: cut pile and loop pile. Cut pile carpets are produced by shearing the yarn loops so all of the threads have a flat, upright pile. This gives the carpet a soft, luxurious feel and it often requires less pet odour removal over time. Whereas loop pile carpets keep the woven loops which give a durable, textured look.

While loop pile carpets have excellent durability in most homes, this is sometimes a different story if you have dogs and cats. The texture of a loop pile carpet can provide the perfect cat scratching mat. As cats claw at the carpet, they can pull up the loops and loosen the threads which make the carpet look messy. 

So, cut pile carpets can be a better choice for those with four-legged friends as they are easier to maintain and claws are less likely to get stuck and ruin the appearance of the carpet. You should also look for a carpet that is suited to heavy domestic use as this is likely to be more durable and withstand the test of time.

Which carpets are easiest to clean

With pets comes mess. Whether your home is prone to pet accidents, their fur sheds a lot or they’re super adventurous and love to dig, having a stain-resistant carpet that’s easy to clean is essential. Muddy paw prints and urine can cause a bit of a problem and ruin your carpet if you don’t choose the right one to suit your needs or maintain it properly. This means that synthetic carpets are often a good choice in homes with pets because they have stain-resistant properties which make them easy to clean.

The best carpets for pets are made from polypropylene as they are stain-resistant by nature. Not only that but most often, they can be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution so mud and urine are less of a worry. The polypropylene carpet fibre can still have a luxurious feel but it is still easy to maintain and vacuum pet hair with regular cleaning as well as being suited to high traffic areas of the home.

Synthetic carpets made from polyester or nylon fibres are also a good choice, but we find that polypropylene carpets are the best all-rounders for pet owners.

Carpet colours for pets

The carpet colour you choose is often down to personal preference as it should complement the decor of the rest of your home. However, there are some considerations you may want to make when choosing a carpet for your home with pets running around. 

The colour of your pet’s fur

If your pet sheds its fur a lot, you’ll likely need to vacuum a lot. But, if you don’t want the fur to show up as much, you may want to choose a carpet that’s a similar colour to your pet. So, if your pet has darker fur, you may opt for a darker shade of grey or brown or if they are a lighter colour, cream might be better suited.

In contrast, you might want to see the fur clearly so it’s easier to hoover if you know exactly where it is. In that case, you’d be better choosing a darker colour carpet if your pet has light fur, and vice versa.

Masking stains

Whether it is pet urine, mud or the odd ‘number two’, you don’t want accidents to ruin the overall look of your carpet. If you think dirt and stains are inevitable in your home, a lighter shade is probably not for you as stains are more visible. Darker carpet colours can hide stains so you may prefer darker shades like brown or dark grey which can also create contrast against lighter interiors.

Best for dogs

From muddy paw prints to the occasional accidents, easy clean carpets, like those in our Everyday Home collection, are key when living with dogs. Polypropylene carpet is stain-resistant and easy to clean with a bleach solution which makes it ideal for dog owners. You may also want to opt for a darker colour so dirt and mess are less visible.

Best for cats

Cats generally have good levels of personal hygiene and are pretty easy to litter train, so mess isn’t usually the issue with cats. This means that you shouldn’t have too much of a problem with lighter coloured carpets, as long as it’s easy to clean. However, they do like to claw and scratch which can damage loop pile carpets so we’d recommend choosing a cut pile carpet in homes with cats as they are less prone to damage.

The best carpet for pets is polypropylene as it is durable, stain-resistant and easy to clean whilst maintaining a soft, luxurious feel. It’s also best to choose a cut pile construction, rather than loop pile, especially if you have cats, as it is less prone to damage and more likely to retain its appearance over time. Above all, your carpet should be easy to clean so browse our range of clean easy carpets now to find the best option for your home.