Your pet is more than just an animal, it’s part of the family. From man’s best friend to your favorite four-legged feline, pets bring so many things into your family’s life. They make a snuggly companion for watching movies, and they always seem to add comfort when someone is feeling under the weather. Pets also provide a great opportunity to teach kids responsibility, from taking them on a walk to helping with feeding and clean-up.

However, along with all the wonderful things that dogs and cats bring into your life, they also bring some unpleasant things, like dirt they track into the house from outside, animal hair and dander they leave everywhere, and scratches they leave on your flooring and furniture. Of course, even well-trained dogs can have the occasional accident, and cats can track bits of litter around your floors.

For families with pets, it’s important to choose pet-friendly flooring so you can enjoy your furry companion without worrying about significant wear on your carpet or hard flooring. If it’s time to replace your flooring, you may be wondering what is the best flooring for dogs or the best flooring for pets in general. There are several options for scratch-resistant flooring, and flooring that will allow you to easily clean up after pet messes as well. Read on for a pet-friendly flooring guide, including hard flooring options and the best carpet for pets. (Spoiler alert: you can have plush carpeting, even if you have pets!)

What are the qualities of pet-friendly flooring?

In order to be a good option for homes with pets, flooring needs to offer several different qualities. First, it should be scratch-resistant. Even your well-behaved and well-groomed larger dogs can leave scratches on some types of hard flooring, and they can snag and wear out carpeting as well. Additionally, the flooring must be resistant to dirt and moisture because, let’s face it, pet accidents come along with the territory. Further, your flooring should be easy to clean up, including dirt, moisture and pet fur and more.

Last but not least, you should choose a type of flooring that is safe for your pet. Cats in particular need a flooring that allows traction to move around your home freely. Plus, you want a floor that is comfortable and warm on your pet’s paws. (Bonus, these floorings will be comfortable on your feet as well.)

To recap, pet owners should look for floors that are:

• Scratch-resistant
• Moisture- and stain-resistant
• Easy to clean
• Safe and comfortable for your pet

Wood Flooring

Traditional hardwood floors aren’t typically thought of as a pet-friendly option. The obvious reason is that they are susceptible to scratches from untrimmed pet paws. Additionally, wood floors aren’t moisture resistant, so they can be damaged from pet messes, even when you are fast with clean up. In fact, pet accidents or other messes can irreversibly damage and warp hardwood. However, just because you brought home an adorable new puppy doesn’t mean that you can’t invest in wood flooring. Just be smart about your picks!

If you are set on hardwood floors, you should choose a harder species such as oak, maple or hickory over a softer wood floor like pine and fir. You can reference the Janka Hardness Scale for wood types to see how hard specific wood types that you like are, and get an idea about how well they would resist scratching. No matter what type of wood flooring you decide on, there are a couple of tips that you can follow. You can also choose a prefinished urethane coated hardwood with Aluminum Oxide or Ceramic Bead for extra scratch and moisture resistance. Finally, if you do choose hard wood flooring, it is important to clean any messes up immediately to help reduce staining and wear.

Engineered hardwood flooring is a good alternative to hardwood flooring for pet owners. Again, you should go with picks that score high on the Janka scale, and you should choose planks with a thick veneer. Finally, you may want to consider a hardwood, real or engineered, that features a rustic look. These floors with scratches and wear are on-trend, and they will still look beautiful even if your pet adds a few scratches of their own to the design. It is important to note that all hardwood floors can be scratched, but many will still maintain a natural beauty even with a few bruises.

Sustainable Hard Flooring Options

There are also a couple of sustainable flooring options that offer inherent durability that make them good options for pet lovers.

• Bamboo is one of the best wood flooring options for families with pets. This beautiful and sustainable wood flooring is more stain-resistant and scratch-resistant than many traditional wood floors.
• Cork: Cork is another sustainable flooring option that is growing in popularity due to its unique style and durable qualities. It is scratch resistant, which makes it a good pick for obvious reasons. It also has antimicrobial properties that lead to less bacteria and mold growth from pet spills, and can reduce the build-up of allergens as well. It also absorbs sound, which makes it a good option for noisy paws.

Tile

If you love the classic look of tile and stone, you don’t have to shy away from the real thing. Tile can be a good flooring option for pet owners because it is durable and resists scratching from those sharp pet claws. It is also stain and water resistant, and it’s easy to clean. Check, check and check! In fact, tile is such a durable and easy-to-maintain option, that it makes a good flooring option for dog and cat owners, and even those with accident-prone puppies.

However, if there is one negative about choosing tile flooring for homes with pets, it is that tile and stone can be a cold and hard surface for little pet paws—as well as your own feet. You’ll want to have a cozy pet bed for them to rest on and maybe soften your floors up with some rugs that both you and your pet will appreciate.

Laminate

Laminate flooring is another popular option that can offer the style you love, such as tile aesthetics, at a lower price point than real tile or hardwood. Added benefits for pet owners are that it is water resistant, easy to clean, and less prone to scratches than hardwood.

Additionally, premium quality luxury vinyl flooring is scratch and stain resistant, and look for enhancements like Ceramic Bead for extra toughness. When accidents happen, it’s easy to clean them up. Another benefit of luxury vinyl? It’s quiet underfoot, and easy to walk on, which makes it a good option for owners with early-rise pets!

Luxury Vinyl

Loved for its style and performance, luxury vinyl flooring can offer the best of both worlds to families with pets and other active families. Actually, the best of three worlds because it is cost-effective too. Luxury vinyl flooring is available in a couple of forms: luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). LVP and LVT floors are offered in many looks, from the trendiest hardwood to natural tile looks. You’ll find a wide range of traditional to modern styles.

Additionally, luxury vinyl flooring is scratch and stain resistant, and for times when accidents happen, it’s easy to clean them up. Another benefit of luxury vinyl? It’s quiet underfoot, which makes it a good option for owners with early-rise pets!

Carpet

You may think that carpeting is off limits for those with pets—consider the wear and stains that are sure to come. However, carpet can actually provide many benefits for pets and pet owners alike. The added cushion that carpet provides makes an ideal landing for pets and provides the traction these fast animals need. Even if you decide against carpet for the entire house, you may choose carpet for rooms such as bedrooms for the added comfort, warmth and sound benefits.

When choosing carpet for homes with pets, there are a couple of guidelines to follow. First, you may consider a carpet without loops, which are susceptible to snags from pet claws. Second, you’ll want to choose a performance carpet that will resist stains and offers easy maintenance. There are many options from top carpet brands. These are some of the best pet-proof carpet options that you can get:

• Mohawk SmartStrand with Forever Fresh: Mohawk carpet is known for its SmartStrand stain resistant carpet. The carpet is available in a wide range of styles, all of which offer innovative fibers that provide spill protection as well as stain resistant. If it’s durability you want, SmartStrand will deliver. Paired with Forever Fresh, an innovative technology for neutralizing odors, you can count on long-lasting carpet and long-lasting freshness.
• Karastan SmartStrand All Pet Protection and Warranty: Also offering SmartStrand stain resistant carpet, Karastan also offers an All Pet Protection and Warranty, which covers all pets, all accidents, all the time, so you and Fido can enjoy the softness of this premium carpet without the worry.
• Shaw Anso with R2X Stain & Soil Treatment: A nylon carpet from Shaw, Anso is premier line of carpet that is available in a wide selection of styles and colors. It also offers stain resistance and durability that makes it a great choice for pet lovers. The R2X Stain and Soil Repellant is a carpet treatment that protects the fibers from dirt and spills. Unlike many treatments, which only protect the surface of the carpet, R2X is designed for total fiber protection, resulting in superior performance against pet accidents.
• Shaw Bellera with Lifeguard Spill-proof Backing: Shaw’s Bellera line of carpet is designed for high performance against pet accidents. Also featuring Shaw’s R2X Soil and Stain Resistance technology, it helps prevent stains from seeping into the carpet fiber. However, if this happens they still have protection in place. The LifeGuard Spill-proof Backing is designed to prevent spills and accidents from soaking through to the pad and subfloor. This makes clean-up easier and helps prevent odors from building up over time.
• StainMaster Pet-Protect: Offered by leading brands including Masland, Dixie Home and Tuftex, StainMaster Pet Protect carpets feature a unique solution-dyed nylon that was developed specifically to meet the performance demands of pet owners. Due to its popularity, you can find these carpets in a wide range of styles, from main stream to more unique and bold patterns. This helps ensure that pet lovers still have the variety of choices they need to suit their personal style, while still bringing home the performance they need.

Keep Your Floors Looking Their Best

Whether you opt for hardwood, another hard flooring option or a high-performance carpet, pets do create some wear on floors, as well as furniture and other surfaces in your home. However, you can reduce the overall wear by following some easy steps. For instance, it’s important to keep your dog’s nails trimmed so they don’t scratch and snag surfaces as easily. You should also be careful about pet bowls, keeping a mat under their food and water dishes to minimize spills. Finally, you should clean up all messes as quickly as possible to minimize damage to your floors. This includes soaking up any mess and cleaning the floors according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

With the proper care and maintenance, there are many flooring options that are good choices for pet lovers. While we’ve examined these types of flooring specifically through the lens of pet owners, the qualities that make them good choices for those with furry friends also make these durable flooring options good picks for any active families. Those with young children, active teenagers and even adults who love entertaining are sure to find the water and stain resistant flooring options beneficial, and can enjoy these hard flooring and carpet options through years and years of use.