Photo by The Loki Corgi
It’s time to celebrate National Love Your Pet Day. February is the so-called “love month” not only for humans but also for pets. What better way to show them your affection than to create (or re-create) the perfect pet sanctuary in your home? Read on as we share with you some fun and fabulous tips on how to make your home feel even more cozier for your furry friends.
Purr-fect Place
Whether you have a cat, dog, or some other pet species, you would surely want them to feel at home at your place. Nowadays, pets are not just pets. They are treated as part of the family. A lot of pet parents make sure that their fur babies are taken care of. Like their human siblings, pets are given all the love and care they need.
One of the most basic ways to shower them affectionately is to ensure that they enjoy their place. Enter the newest trends for pet pampering. In the last few years, the spotlight has shifted to animal-friendly architecture. Words like barkitecture and catification entered into our vocabulary. According to data released by social media platform Pinterest, search interest for luxury dog rooms has increased by 115% in 2021. This trend shows no signs of stopping. In 2022 alone, Americans invested approximately $137 billion, a ten percent rise from the year before.
If you want to give your pet pal a gift on National Love Your Pet Day (or any other day you feel like it), check out our list below. These are just some fun and fantastic ideas that you can incorporate when designing a cozy nook for your fur baby.
1. Spare Space
If you have a spare space in your home, converting it to a pet palace would be a good idea.
Architects and interior designers have now included designing spaces, especially for the animal members of the family. From canine condos to feline flats, the sky is the limit for these pet lovers. There’s a gazillion options on how creative you want to be. It all depends on how much you are willing to shell out.
For big spaces, you can designate a place for whatever you think your pet needs. Aside from doggie beds or cat towers, you can also build a full-size pet station. Custom-built baths and showers plus a glam station will certainly please your pet pal. Some also decorate their luxury pet pads with art. Framed paintings or caricatures of their pets are hung on walls. Adorable animal planters artistically dot the place. Some even commission sculptures in the likeness of their beloved pets.
If you don’t have a spare room but still want to create a cozy space for your furry friend, you can create a customized secondary space. Bespoke secondary spaces are on trend for 2024 so why not make one for your pet? An all-in-one pet station, for example, can house a bed, food station, and grooming counter. You can even consider reworking a cabinet in the laundry room as a kennel with a comfy bed and wire mesh door. That space under the stairs? Work your magic and turn it into a comfy hideout that can house a bed, food bowls, toys, and other pet essentials.
2. Pet Playzone
Photo by Emily Schuman
Another way to show love to your pet is by designating a play zone. If you have a frisky kitty, playful pup, or even a rambunctious rabbit, a special play area will certainly dial up the fun. Since pets need exercise, this spot will help them work out those muscles.
Pet play zones need not be huge (unless you have a giant breed). A corner of your home can be turned into one as long as you keep their safety (and yours) in mind. You can also DIY it by using homemade toys and tunnels. You can also design safe climbing structures by using padded mats or pet gates. Playpens are also good for keeping them occupied and contained, especially when you’re too busy to mind them.
3. Storage Solutions
Sometimes pet parents can’t help but lavish gifts on their fur babies. Before you know it, there’s a gazillion toys, bowls, pots, and other pet accessories lying around. There’s no need to worry as there are ingenious storage solutions you can use.
For one, built-in food bowls can be customized in your kitchen or dining area. You can also have hidden beds built in areas of your house. A wall-mounted cat bed can also be screwed firmly onto a wall. Complement it with handwoven wall baskets and you get pretty visuals.
If customizing cabinets is not an option, you can clear and organize your pet space by using modern baskets. Go for multi-use baskets that can hold pet accessories, clothing, toys, and other essentials. This way, it’s easier for you to move them around as well if needed.
4. Indoor Inn
Photo by Jake the Bengal
(P)update your pet space by bringing the outdoors in. Cats love to sun themselves so you can create a catio where they can get their daily dose of sunshine. Your tabby will also love a window perch so that’s also something you can choose to have.
Another green trend for pets is to create an indoor grass area. This is especially helpful for pets who crave getting in touch with nature. There are artificial and real grass patches for pets so it’s up to you which one to buy. They’re relatively easy to maintain, with some that are also all-natural, eco-friendly, and reusable.
5. Repurrposed Furniture
Photo by Ama Interiors
If you do not want to spend an arm and a leg to redo or create a personalized pet space, fret not.
You can still create a cozy pet area by repurposing used furniture. For example, you can use your old couch as a pet bed. Aside from being eco-friendly, upcycling your furniture can also be a creative way to have charming home decor. An old armoire can be an all-in-one doggie dwelling or cat castle. Its cabinets can be used as storage for pet items, a drawer can be a hidden bed, and its shelves can be redesigned as perches or storage for grooming items.
Old tubs can also be turned into dedicated baths or wash stations. Children’s toy slides that have been outgrown can also be used in your pet’s playpen. There’s a wealth of things that you can repurpose as long as you’ve got the will to do it.
Paw-some Palace
Photo by Rumi the Whirling Puggle
While you don’t need to wait for National Love Your Pet Day to shower your pets with love and care, this event is a simple reminder that you can do things to make your pet’s life more fun. Regardless of how grand or modest your gesture is, your paw pall will surely appreciate the effort.