‘Paw’tect your pets as the nights draw in

Our pets are part of the family. They become close companions, always being there for us and they even keep a close watch over our homes whilst we’re out and about.

But, as the nights draw in, it’s time for us to step up the home security for our furry friends. Pet theft continues to be a big problem for pet owners, with expensive dog and cat breeds on the ‘must have’ list for devious criminals in the area. Pair this with the darker nights allowing criminals to operate under the cover of darkness, it’s a pivotal time to prioritise your home security to not only protect your home, but your beloved pets too.

So, the experts at Yale have shared their expert advice to ensure your home security is up to scratch as the winter arrives, to protect your pets and property in the best way possible.

Lock up, stay out

One of the first steps in improved home security, and therefore protecting your pets, is ensuring you have all the correct door and window locks on your property. Alongside opting for the highest security door and window locks, it pays to ensure these are always kept secure.

And as the darker nights and winter weather also spark a general incline in burglary rates, it’s even more important to make sure our window and door locks are up to scratch to prevent your home from being a target.

When we’re home, we can become complacent when it comes to locking doors and windows, as we think our presence at the property will reduce the chance of being targeted by criminals. But this frame of mind leaves you, your family, your home and, of course, your pets vulnerable to a targeted attack.

Particularly if you’re intending on leaving your pets home alone as the winter rolls around, it’s essential to keep all doors and windows securely locked as a minimum level of protection. If a criminal knows you have pets in your home, you may become even more of a target, so it pays to upgrade your locks and always keep these secured.

Don’t advertise your pets

Once your home is secured with high quality window and door locks, it’s also wise to ensure you’re not advertising that you have pets in your household.

‘Beware of the dogs’ signs are used as a form of protection for many homes, but in fact they could make you more of a target. With pet theft at an all-time high, advertising that you have any pets in your home could mean you’re the first on the list to be targeted.

If you plan to leave your pets unattended during the winter months as you go to work or enjoy a day out, it’s important to make sure that they are also hidden from plain sight. Don’t leave them in front rooms where passersby or opportunists could easily spot them. Instead ensure they are kept in a quiet, comfortable space in which they’ll feel safe, with no opportunity for criminals to get their ‘paws’ on them.

To keep an eye on your pets whilst you’re out, you could also consider investing in an indoor camera. Investing in a high quality indoor camera, like those from Yale, will allow you to monitor the goings on in your home via a live stream on your smartphone. Particularly if you need to leave your pet unattended regularly for work or other commitments, it’s wise to invest in a cost-effective camera that allows you to check in on your pets from anywhere at any time.

Light the way

If you have an explorative cat or mischievous puppy to deal with, you’ll be used to them finding unique hiding spaces across your home and garden. But the same can be said for criminals, particularly as the darker nights allow them to hide in in your garden undetected.

One of the easiest ways to combat this is by ensuring that the front of your home and back garden is well-lit. Investing in security lighting from a trusted security brand like Yale will make sure that these areas have heightened visibility, ensuring that no one can be hiding in the shadows.

Security lighting options from top brands in the security market also offer motion detection, which means that if anyone was to creep into your garden, the bright light would both startle them and warn you of their presence. This is also a handy feature for keeping a close eye on your pets when they’re in the garden, allowing you to always keep an eye on their whereabouts.

Eyes on the prized pets

You can even step up the protection of your garden to watch over your pets from anywhere by investing in a security camera.

With the developments in the smart home over the past few years, we’ve seen this type of technology land at our fingertips with convenient smartphone control. This has moved on to smart security cameras, where homeowners can check in on their home remotely at any time with the help of their smartphone.

Perfect for pet owners, a range of high quality smart security cameras come with motion detection alerts that notify you of any movement directly to your smartphone. This means you will be the first to know if any unwanted visitors are surveying your property, or if it’s simply your pet doing some exploring.

A range of high quality security cameras also come pre-fitted with a security light, allowing you to watch over your garden at any time of the day or night. Having the ability to monitor your home and garden in all light conditions is a huge benefit, particularly as this allows you to keep watch as the dark nights creep in.

So, with the cooler months and darker nights making your home and pets vulnerable, it’s worthwhile to upgrade the security of your property in any way you can to protect what matters most to you.

To find out more about how Yale can help keep your home, family and pets safe and secure, please visit your local site.