Ways to design your house around your pet
If you’re about to embark on a home renovation project, you might want to consider how to design your house around your pets. A pet-centric home doesn’t need to be utilitarian and blatantly practical; you can also have fun with the design.
Here are a few thoughts on ways you can design your house around your pampered pooch or feline bestie.
Understand Your Pet’s Needs and Personality
Several factors will heavily influence what pet-centric features are most applicable for a home. For example, if you have a puppy, you’ll want to bear in mind potty training considerations and potential chewing behaviors. Both those potential problems can be overcome by incorporating a smart furniture dog crate with a partition into your interior décor scheme.
Some dogs can become upset and stressed if they can or can’t see outside. Depending on your canine companion’s preference, you’ll need to install a window within your dog’s sightline or perhaps consider having a window seat where your pet can sit and watch what’s happening outside.
Cats typically enjoy climbing, naturally seeking out the highest vantage point. But one challenging climbing complex might be perfect for a youthful, athletic kitty but totally unsuitable for a senior cat. Similarly, low-rise stairs and raised feeding bowls might make life easier for your furry friend in his autumn years if you have a senior dog.
Provide Your Pet with Their Own Space
Dogs and cats love to have a space in your home that they can call theirs. That could be a hidden litter box, a dog sofa, a snug bed incorporated under your kitchen cabinets, or a cozy end table dog crate.
Often, animals enjoy the security, comfort, and den-like feel of a confined space. So, consider including unused understairs areas for your dog’s bed or the space over a shelf for your cat to use as a secret den. Utilizing areas in your home in that way is an excellent space-saving strategy in houses or apartments where space is at a premium. Your pet gets to enjoy their own special place, and you can avoid eyesores while keeping things practical.
Safety and Durability
We recommend that you learn from a professional designer on projects where construction is involved. For example, elevated walkways for cats and specially created outdoor features, such as sandpits, for dogs, must be secure and safe for you and your pets.
So, if you want to create an indoor climbing complex for your cats, you’ll need to factor in the location of any stud walls and the wall type before you install the feature to be sure that the wall can safely take the weight.
For practicality, choose resilient materials that are scratch-resistant and can be wiped clean or washed in the event of a toilet accident. If you allow your pets on your furniture, choose virtually indestructible fabrics like Ultrasuede and Crypton.
Avoid using too many steps and split levels that could present a hazard to puppies and kittens unless you’re prepared to restrict your pets’ movement around your home until they are big enough to cope.
If you include a Juliet balcony in your design, bear in mind that it might be a danger to small dogs and even curious cats that could fall through the bars. Again, restrict access to the area or perhaps use narrow bars or a solid, toughened glass barrier that your pets can’t fit through. The same safety considerations should be given to pools and garden ponds.
Utilize Outside Space
“Catios” are incredibly on-trend right now as pet owners seek to maximize their pet’s enjoyment of what outside space, they have available.
A cat climbing complex and lookout feature can look spectacular, as well as provide exercise and entertainment for your pets. If you don’t want to leave Fido all day indoors while you’re out at work, you could create a secure run incorporating a kennel where your dog can get out of the weather and take a nap. Dog beds can also be factored into patio and decking design with a little imagination and flair.
However, building an outdoor climbing complex or installing a kennel and a run for your dog are both dependent on the ground being perfectly level and prepared correctly. Unless you’re an experienced builder or DIYer, we recommend that you hire a pro to help you with the design and construction.
Keep It Fun!
When considering ways to design your house around your pet, it’s an opportunity to be creative and have fun with your ideas and choices. Sharing your life with animals is always entertaining and can sometimes be challenging, and that will be reflected to some extent in the features that you incorporate in your home design.
You can even use pet-centric features to create the focal point in your room. For example, you might want to have a custom-built coffee table that doubles as a tropical or marine fish tank as the main conversation starter in your living room. Or how about creating a whole wall in your conservatory that’s dedicated to a cat climbing complex or a stylish stackable dog crate system that occupies the vacant space underneath your stairs.
Final Thoughts
You’ll know that your furry friends can take over your life if you're a pet parent! So, why not incorporate a few pet-centric features into the design when remodeling your home?
Consider your pet’s individual personality, age, and health when deciding what features to include in your design. Everything you build must be safe, durable, and practical while still looking stylish. Don’t forget to incorporate your outside space into your house design, and above all, have fun!
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