There are several carpet fibers on the market that will essentially oxidize any organic liquid that comes in contact with the carpet. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, there is padding that is designed with pets in mind that prevents liquid from reaching the decking.

Most laminate flooring is considerably more scratch resistant than hardwood flooring, but it still scratches and wears when exposed to pet nails.

If your original vinyl floor was installed using a full spread adhesive method, then you can apply an embossing leveler to the original vinyl to smooth it out and then install the new vinyl.