Around the Flaherty & Collins offices, we really enjoy getting to know our residents – including the furry ones!

We’re proud to be a management company that welcomes both cats and dogs* into our communities, so that our residents always feel comfortable and happy in their homes. As we’ve seen more and more pets coming home, we’ve had a great time trying out the latest pet amenities and talking to residents about how we can improve our property to help pets feel at home, too.

Along the way, we’ve also discovered that there are some key factors that help our residents keep their pets happy in their apartment homes. Today, we’re sharing a few of those tips with all of you to help kick off pet week!

Check out pet amenities before you move in!
While we love welcoming new residents home as quickly as possible, we want you (and your pets!) to have a great experience at our community. One way to make sure that your pets will be happy is to make sure there’s enough space for your pets in your home, and that your pets meet the community standards (like being up to date on shots and being spayed or neutered). These simple steps will save a lot of time later, when you’re wondering how you and your pup are going to live peacefully in the apartment home you chose… if only you had chosen that two bedroom, instead!

At some of our communities, we offer additional pet amenities like walking trails, a Bark Park, a pet wash station, and pet clean up stations. If these are offered, make sure you stop by and check them out! They may help you decide which apartment home you like best as well; easy access to the pet wash after a muddy walk is always great.
Introduce your pet.
It may sound silly, but keep in mind that you aren’t the only resident in your apartment – and as such, you aren’t the only neighbor, either! While your neighbors may not be dog (or cat) people, it’s nice to introduce your pet to your neighbors. Not only will it help them feel a bit more comfortable with a pet living next door, but it also could come in handy if your pet accidentally got out of the apartment one day and someone else recognized them. Best case, you may make a new friend in your neighbor!

Fit in time to give attention to your pets.
If you have a dog, this likely means finding time to take the dog out to walk, play, and use the restroom. If you have a cat, they may enjoy spending time alone, but they’ll likely want your attention too! Schedule a few minutes in each day where you can spend time with your pet and give them the attention they need to stay happy, even if that’s just a few minutes to give them a treat!

Learn how to remove pet hair.
Even the cleanest of pets will have a little bit of shedding (and in the worst case, LOTS of shedding!). To help maintain cleanliness in your household, it’s great to know how to get pet hair off everything from the couch to the counters. We’ve found this guide from Apartment Therapy to be very helpful; and it covers all the surfaces you can think of, even down to the pets themselves.

This week, we’ll be sharing more tips and tricks on our social media channels, and we’ll be running a cutest pet contest! If you think you’ve got the cutest pet in your community, be sure to stop by our Facebook page to leave a photo. We’ll be sharing our favorites and using them to go along with our tips for Pet Week.

*Of course, not every property is able to accept pets. Please call the property that you are interested in calling home to ask for more information on their pet policy.