The Best Carpet for Pets

We’ve often discussed the benefits of the best types of carpet for several situations, whether you need something durable or just want something cheap. There are a lot of reasons people buy a particular kind of carpet, but if you have pets, you can throw most buying guides and advice out the window. That’s because it has as much to do with the animals in your home as the carpet itself.

What types of pets do you have?

If you are looking for the best carpet for pets, there’s a four-legged creature roaming around your home. Traditional pets include cats and dogs, but there are also people with mini-pigs and exotic species like monkeys or capybaras, as well. While most homeowners will just have an eye out for carpet geared towards cats or dogs, it’s important to think about the pet and its habits around your home.

Dogs are prone to getting a little wild and may have a little digging party on your new shag carpeting. As they tend to be outdoors far more than cats, they can also have dirty feet that leave mud and other debris behind. It can be a serious issue with larger dogs, especially if they get a severe case of the zoomies while cutting across your carpet.

Cats are a little calmer… sometimes, but may treat your carpet as a scratching post on occasion. They’ve also been known to pull carpet up with their claws when irritable and left unattended. That means your cat’s temperament is just as important as the fiber and durability of the carpet you’re considering for your home.

Stain Resistance

No matter how well your pet is trained, accidents can and will happen eventually. It could be a new puppy missing the training pad or cat that tracks litter throughout your home, but liquids are generally the biggest issue with homeowners and pets. Drool and water are easy to clean regardless of the fiber style, but urine can cause some damage.

Nylon is the best type of fiber when it comes to combating stains from pets. Wool isn’t an ideal choice, but polyester can handle stains well when adequately treated. There are no shortages of “techniques” used to stain-proof carpet as well, so your options are plentiful whether you prefer polyester, olefin, or nylon. Another trick you can use to fight stains has to do with the style and color of the carpet itself. Flecked carpet like Berber can help to hide dirt that’s been tracked into your home.

Durability

Remember what we said about dogs with the zoomies? Well, if your pooch is prone to those random fits, you’ll want carpet that’s built to last. The heavier the pet, the more damage they can cause. An 80-pound lab that can stop at a dime may eventually cause issues with your pad or cause buckling, but they can also pull up fibers.

Loop carpets aren’t a great idea for pets when durability is a concern in case a nail gets caught and causes a snag. Most other styles will be fine in that regard, but there’s one type of fiber that’s more durable than the rest. The clear winner again is nylon, and this time it’s not as close. It’s the most resilient synthetic, which is why it’s ideal for high-traffic areas in your home.

The Best Carpet for Pets

While there’s no perfect brand for pets, there are several product lines geared toward our four-legged friends. In fact, most of the top brands have a lineup of pet-friendly carpeting in their catalog or at least a few products with treated fibers.  With that in mind, here are a few of our favorites.

SmartStrand is an excellent product if whether you have a dog, cat or a messy marsupial living in your home. It’s available through Mohawk, in three different collections with SmartStrand, SmartStrand Ultra Silk and SmartStrand Silk Reserve. The company’s carpet collections all bring something different to the table, and all come with a lifetime “All Pet” guarantee from the company.

As the name implies, PetProof is another type of carpet built for pets, and this one is a Home Depot exclusive. Their carpet line is made from triexta and is available in a wide variety of colors, styles, and textures. Shaw, Armstrong, and other big brands all have a style of pet-friendly carpet, but nobody tops StainMaster when it comes to selection.

StainMaster makes carpet, but they also make carpet treatments that you’ll find on several of the aforementioned brands. StainMaster PetProtect is their top option, and it’s available in over 100 different colors and styles. It’s built to resist pet hair as easily as odors or stains and has an excellent price point as well.

Conclusion

It’s important to remember that just because a manufacturer tells you their brand of carpet is pet-proof doesn’t mean it actually is. Always keep the type of fiber that’s used in mind and don’t be bowled over by treated carpets if it’s not built to last. If you do have an accident-prone pet, moisture resistant carpet padding should be high on your shopping list as well.

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