• Allergies: If you have even a slight allergy to animal dander, allowing your pets on the furniture can cause mild to extreme suffering. If you have allergic family or friends who visit, you may cause them discomfort if they sit on the same furniture where your dog loves to curl up for afternoon naps. Cleaning the areas where your animal lays or sits regularly may help eliminate some of the effects of allergies, but it is difficult to maintain dander-free areas when the animal regularly returns to the furniture.

In many cases, the risk of transmission of disease or infection from pet to owner is relatively small. It is important to understand that the risks do exist, however.

Precautionary Measures

If you still wish to have your pet on the furniture at home but are concerned about potential health concerns, there are some steps you can take to minimize your risks for contracting a disease or illness from your animal. First, always be sure to keep your animal up to date on vaccinations. Wash your bedding often and use furniture covers on your living room furniture that can be washed regularly. Take sick animals to the vet quickly and ask the vet if the animal has an illness that can be transmitted to humans. Keep a sick pet off furniture until the illness is resolved. Wash your hands often after petting your animals, and don’t allow them to lick open wounds. Keep a close watch on elderly family members, anyone with a compromised immune system and young children because they are most at risk for illnesses or infections spread by pets.