By Mary Carol Garrity

Pets can't resist taking a snooze on your fine furnishings, so protect your pieces with washable fabrics and conveniently placed throws. (SHNS photo by Bryan E. McCay)

I had never considered myself much of a pet person before Dan and Kelly entered my life. In fact, I was quite content with the stone dog that stood watch on my stoop. But when Kelly brought home the first stray cat, I was a goner. Before I knew it, I was a bona fide pet lover with three cats and a dog to prove it.

With the addition of all these furry family members, I had a new decorating challenge on my hands: figuring out how my home décor and our animal menagerie could peacefully coexist. Through the years, I came up with a bag of tricks to make my home more pet-friendly.

But when Kelly left for college, the number of homeless animals taking shelter in our home dropped. As our pets aged, we lost them one by one, until we were left with only Boots. The world's fattest cat, Boots doesn't cause much trouble, so I no longer had to use my pet-proofing tricks.

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