The Best Pet-Friendly Rugs To Withstand Shedding, Accidents -- And Toddlers

Messy pets and rugs can be a tricky combo, but these pet-friendly rugs can guard against stains of all sorts — including kid-related messes! (Pets or no, kids’ rugs are a smart buy, too, considering the food constantly dropped from their high chairs and booster seats, for one…) This issue hits close to home for me, as we live with three cats who regularly cough up hairballs and occasionally lose their lunch in various places around our house. (Thanks, guys!) We have hardwoods and tile in every room of our house except one, and turns out, there are tons of pet-friendly rugs out there, if you know where to look. These rugs can definitely make your house cleaning a little easier while reducing your stress level when one of your pets has an accident (or was it an “accident”?) on the floor.

Related: Yes, Portable Washing Machines Are A Thing, And They’re Freaking Adorable

While some pet-friendly rugs are stain-resistant and easy to spot clean, many are — wait for it — machine washable! Depending on the size of the rug (most of the rugs below have many options), you may need to bring yours to a dry cleaner or laundromat if your machine isn’t large enough, but that’s definitely a better option than having to toss a beautiful rug that your dog or cat has ruined. Or, you know, even a decent one.

Best Pet-Friendly Rugs

This beautiful floral medallion rug will stay beautiful, thanks to the fact that it’s washing-machine friendly. This carpet has an extra-absorbant top layer, so between those two features, you don’t have to worry much about spills or accidents. Made of faux wool, it’ll add the perfect amount of padding to any room.

One Reviewer Wrote: “I wash and dry them in the dryer and the pattern stays sharp and bright. Perfect for my house because I have a 15-year-old dog with bladder control issues, requiring me to frequently wash the area rugs. Excellent product at a low price point!” — Robert

The geometric pattern on this rug is modern but subtle — and if you’re looking for something brighter, you’re in luck: The other colorways include deep blue/ivory, light blue/ivory, yellow/ivory, and two interesting multicolored options. The rug is easy to clean, stain-resistant, and doesn’t shed. (We already deal with enough shedding from our pets, amirite?) You can spruce it up as needed by spot-cleaning with a carpet cleaning product and even using a carpet shampooer.

One Reviewer Wrote: “We love the rug. We have it in our living room. It's not a fluffy carpet, but that is exactly what we were looking for. We have dogs so the thicker the rug the worse it is to clean with dog hair.” — Cindymoon

This rug, which is a bestseller at Amazon, has such a bright, happy, and fun color combo — and it’s stain-resistant and easy to clean. It’s also reversible, and it’s free from flame-retardants, latex, and harmful chemicals. Since it’s designed to be indoor/outdoor, it’s UV-resistant and can even be hosed off (a pretty handy feature when you’re dealing with kids and/or pets!). In addition to indoor use, it could be a great choice for a screened-in porch, balcony, or patio. Bonus: It’s made entirely from recycled plastic.

One Reviewer Wrote: “Perfect for under my outdoor dining table. It gives a pop of color desperately needed. Table is brown and sits on a gray concrete. Ugh! Best thing [is] it's recycled plastic and also resistant to fading and weather.” — Virginia V.

If you like bold and colorful decor, this floral rug could be the perfect match. There are plenty of sizes to choose from, as well as rectangular, square, and round options. Fun fact: This brand has been around for more than 100 years! The stain-resistant rug is virtually non-shedding and is easy to clean with regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning with a mild detergent or carpet cleaner.

One Reviewer Wrote: “This rug is amazing and beautiful and looks just like the photos. We love it and our kitties love laying on it too! We've had it for over a month and it's a good quality rug.” — Josh Kadletz

Best Washable Pet Rugs

This Moroccan-inspired rug is a bestseller at Amazon and is available in several sizes. It’s machine washable, made from stain-resistant recycled materials, and has a non-slip backing. In case you’re not a huge fan of this design, two other geometric prints are available, and — at least judging by the images online — they aren’t the sort of super busy designs that make your eyes hurt. (You don’t want your pets getting dizzy and blaming you.)

One Reviewer Wrote: “I really like how this rug looks in my space. I have a few from this brand. They hold up well and wash well. I choose them because I have several pets. They are perfect.” — Ruth

This rug has a fun geometric design that gives it a fun, offbeat vibe. (FYI, the product description points out that what may look like white online is not a true white, but more of a cream.) This hand-woven cotton rug is machine washable (although washing it in a mesh bag is recommended) and can be spot-cleaned.

One Reviewer Wrote: “Super cute! Likely thin enough to wash in the washer.” — Didi Kovacs

When I asked friends for their recs for pet-friendly rugs, several of them raved about Ruggable, whose ads — if you have pets — have probably been stalking you on social media. This Persian rug–inspired style is a nice deep red and subtly incorporates small animal figures within the design. Best of all, it’s non-slip, stain-resistant, water-resistant, and machine-washable. (The washable rug cover easily separates from the rug pad for cleaning.) An internal water-resistant barrier stops spills from seeping through. If you want something more fun, Ruggable now has washable Star Wars and Disney collections. (Sorry, you’re out of luck if your dog is a Trekkie.)

One Reviewer Wrote: “I was very skeptical that Ruggables would work out, but I am thrilled with my purchase. I bought two 2.5 by 7 runners for my kitchen. We adopted a puppy, and she pees on everything so we needed something washable but durable enough to stand up to a lot of foot traffic. These look great and are easy to throw in the washing machine. They also don’t show dirt very easily. The separate rug pad that’s included adheres very well to the rug itself and doesn’t slide around our tile floor at all.” — NRG3103

The floral/paisley design on this durable, machine-washable rug would look great in a room decorated with lots of warm colors. It’s stain- and fade-resistant and available in several sizes in both area rugs and runners. Even if it did get a stain, an intricate design like this would be great for camouflaging it.

One Reviewer Wrote: “Great colors and heavy weight and thickness of rug. Should well wear with heavy traffic in the family room with pets.” — Janice Burrows

Even if you aren’t a fan of plaid when it comes to clothes, this hand-woven, buffalo-check rug might be just the thing to — to quote The Dude — really tie the room together. You might not have thought of this classic pattern before in the context of rugs, but it looks really stylish in the rooms pictured online. In general, having white surfaces in your home when you have pets and/or kids can be tempting fate, but hey, this rug is machine-washable! It’s safe for outdoor use, too.

One Reviewer Wrote: “I bought this to match my living room decor, but held my breath about it being white.. as we have 3 decent sized dogs that shed a bit. It has been a few weeks, and I must say that it cleans very easily and the hair comes right off with my Shark vacuum! You can see the hair on the white checks, so I know when to vacuum! I honestly like that better than a darker rug, as I can see when it is actually clean and hairless!” — Deb07