Building or Remodeling with Your Family Pets in Mind

Kitten and Puppy SleepingAmericans love their pets. According to a recent report by NBC news, Americans will spend more than $60 billion — yes, billion — on their pets in 2016. Clearly, people are taking the term “furbaby” to heart and treating pets more like members of the family.

In keeping with this theme, more and more people are adding custom features to their homes to make life for Fido and Kitty (and other types of pets as well) more comfortable. Consider some of these options that can make life for the pet owners a little easier too.

A dog shower: Built in the laundry area or garage, it typically includes a handheld sprayer for easy washing and a lead clip to keep Fido in place. The last one we did has limestone tile walls — pretty fancy!

A cat box cabinet: This gives Kitty privacy, but also keeps the cat box out of site, often in a laundry or mudroom. As a bonus, add a super-quiet exhaust fan to help with odor control.

Pet food dish drawer: This is a drawer that pulls out to reveal the pet food dishes. It can help bigger dogs not having to stoop over to eat, and is also a mechanism for controlling when food is and is not available to them if they are not free feeders.

A cat porch: It can be a large porch area or a smaller space that cats can access via a cat door so they can be outside, but safe from predators. It works well for small dogs too, especially in eagle territory.

Really, the possibilities are endless, and limited only to what you desire for your pampered pooch or coddled cat. If you’re planning some new space, consider your options with the family pets in mind.