Pet safety guide for your stairlift

For animal lovers the safety and the wellbeing of pets is one of the biggest concerns when adding anything into the home. A stairlift is a mechanical addition which will no doubt intrigue and attract some pets, with cats and dogs always looking for new things to see and do around the home.

What you don’t want however is for your pet to be injured in any way if you need to use something like a stairlift. That’s why we’ve put together a few top tips for safety when using a stairlift in a home with pets, helping you to keep your pets safe from harm.

Stair lift sensors

There are some stairlifts which come with sensors and some which can have sensors added, these sensors will automatically take into account any obstruction in the stair lift’s passage and pause the lift where it is, this prevents crushing or running over any pet which might be sat in the way. These sensors can be on both the footrest which extends from the seat or the seat itself along the rail.

With this safety feature the journey only starts again when the obstruction is moved so you can have peace of mind when it comes to your cat or dog getting stuck under the chair. Our pets like to stay close by to us but it’s clearly dangerous for them to follow you up the stairs on the lift.

Swivel chair

There is risk for both your safety and that of your pet when you reach the top of your stairs as you try to exit. Some pets may like to get under your feet and if you’re not as steady on your feet as you once were then it can be a recipe for disaster.

By fitting a swivel chair for your stair lift you can give yourself much safer access directly to the top of the stairs, you will be facing the landing with you back turned on the stairs preventing you from falling or tripping over your pets on the steps.

General safety tips

There are certain ways in which you can keep your pets safe whilst using your stairlift which don’t involve the lift itself. The best way to ensure the safety of your pets is to keep them at a distance when operating the stair lift, this can be difficult but with cats the best way to distract them is with a laser pen. You can aim the pen at the wall or floor and keep them occupied whilst you safely make your way upstairs. For dogs the same may work but some dogs are far more obedient and with proper training will stay on command, allowing you to reach the top of the stairs and then call them up once you’re safely on the landing.

Here at Stechford Mobility we have a fantastic variety of Stairlifts for your home from the leading manufacturers. Simply contact us today to find out how your home can benefit from the installation of a quality stair lift.