What are some of your biggest pet peeves? A few of mine include people opening their driver’s side door when parked on the street and there is on-coming traffic (I will take your door off, people!!), people who clip their nails in public (ew!), and cat litter all over the house (so gross and annoying!). I guess that last one is a literal PET peeve and I seriously hate it. 
Since we have two cats now, I feel like there is double the litter and I do everything it takes to really prevent it from tracking around the house. What’s that old saying about children? They should be seen, but not heard? I feel like the saying for pets should be, “Pets should be seen, but not smelled, with no fur on your clothes, or litter in your bed!” Keep reading for my tips for prepping your pet-friendly home for the holidays when expecting guests. 
1. Allergy Medications
First and foremost, warn your guests if you have a pet. That way, if they have severe allergies, then they can decide whether or not they want to visit your home or if they would rather meet for a meal at a restaurant instead or stay at a hotel. But if they do decide to visit despite the pets, try to keep some allergy medications on hand such as Benadryl, Claritin, or Zyrtec in case allergies act up. 
2. Wash Bedding and Towels
If guests are staying overnight, be sure to provide freshly laundered sheets, bedding, and towels and make sure they are kept off-limits to your furry family members so as not to re-contaminate them with fur and dander! I also keep my extra bedding and sheets sealed within bags so they aren’t contaminated just sitting on a shelf. 
3. Vacuum Rugs, Floors, and Furniture
I recently got the BISSELL® Pet Hair Eraser® Vacuum and wow does it suck! Haha! Sorry, I can’t resist a good pun! It TOTALLY sucked up all of the cat hair and litter on our three area rugs and I used the special 2-in-1 Pet Brush attachment on my delicate linen ottoman and on the couch! Plus, it has an extra-large capacity tank with a patented cyclonic pet hair spooling system that separates and captures pet hair for a hands-free empty. And the SmartSeal™ Allergen System helps trap dust, dander and allergens inside the vacuum while the Febreze Filter leaves freshness behind. 
I sent my husband out to empty the tank and he came back inside and said to me, “Wow! All vacuum cleaners should be that easy to empty!”
4. Lint Roller
But even though you’ve vacuumed, be a good host and make sure to leave your guest a lint roller just in case you miss a spot or Fluffy jumps up wanting to be cuddled. Perhaps you could even make a Houseguest Welcome Basket for your guest and leave a lint roller in there.
5. Slippers or Socks
As hard as I work to limit the litter tracking in the house (I even made a Kitty Litter Box Cabinet Hack, a special litter box for Lucy so all the litter would be contained within a piece of furniture!), there is always a tiny pebble here or there. If this bothers you as much as it bothers me, then you might want to gift your guests an inexpensive pair of slippers or socks that they can put on in case they need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and don’t want to step on tiny rocks.
6. Scented Candles or Air Fresheners
Remember how I said pets should be seen, but not smelled? Yeah, I never want someone to walk into my home and think to themselves, “Cats live here.” So I use odor-killing litter, air fresheners, and I leave out scented candles when I know guests are coming over. I want my house to smell like apple cider or freshly baked pie, not cat pee.
What about you? If you have pets, what do you do to maintain a clean home for guests during the holidays? Let me know if I’ve missed something by leaving me a comment!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
