If you’re thinking of switching to an artificial lawn, but are concerned about your furry friends, worry no more.
Modern artificial grass is soft and has great drainage properties. You will find that most pets are more than happy with it. Natural turf tends to suffer with bare, brown patches from dog urine, but artificial grass stays green and has many other benefits besides.
To keep your lawn looking and smelling it’s best, we recommend hosing urine off regularly and picking up any poo regularly as you would on a natural turf lawn. Rabbits’ and guinea pigs’ poo can usually be brushed away with an ordinary broom.
Benefits for Pets
If your garden has a lot of hard surfaces such as patios or concrete, you may find that older pets in particular have difficulty gripping. Adding the soft artificial grass to their environment will enable them to grip more efficiently while being soft on their paws.
If you’re concerned about your pets’ safety from predators, it’s worth knowing that foxes don’t tend to dig artificial grass, so not only will your lawn be smart and green, but your small animals could well be safer.
Your Pet’s Personality
Many pets like to eat or chew grass, however, your pets won’t necessarily think of the artificial grass in the same way as natural turf, so you will probably find that they don’t chew it.
Similarly, you may have a pet that likes to dig. In many cases artificial lawns can help with this, particularly with cats and rabbits who are less likely to dig the artificial grass than natural turf leaving your garden looking greener and neater.
Obviously, if your pet is a determined destroyer, you will probably find that they won’t lose this trait with the introduction of artificial grass. While artificial grass will withstand a good deal of wear, it is unlikely to stay in the best shape if your pet is hell-bent on digging it up again.
Tidy Lawn, Tidy House
One big benefit for you is that the artificial turf can act more like a doormat than a lawn. If your pet goes out in the rain, their paws might get wet, but there is considerably less mud being tracked into your home. When properly laid it also drains freely and can be dry after a quick rain shower or after being hosed down in a shorter period of time.
Particular Artificial Lawn Recommendations for Pets
With all of these situations, you may want to order some large sample sections to lay down and see how your pet takes to it before you commit to a whole lawn.
Generally speaking, we’d recommend shorter types of artificial turf for pets to minimise chewing temptations and choosing turf with a polyurethane backing which allows liquid to pass through more readily. However, we like to take yours (or your pets’) particular requirements into consideration, so don’t hesitate to contact us to tell us about your pet to see what your range of options might be.