under construction
Do yourself a favor, and your pet… plan space for them… Otherwise, they WILL take YOUR’s.
This is good, we like company….but still… here goes..
CATS…
My experience.
I have 2 cats, that fill our house with love.
BUT, 2 cats means 3 cat pans.
Each has a halo of cat litter sprinkled around … kinda dusty. And they are ALWAYS there…
I don’t see cat pans in Architectural Digest…though surely even Martha has cat pans all over…
So, as I planned my house…. I found a wonderful space, under my stairs for their pans. I made sure it had great window, and light, and always thought they would live here…but, they choose where to nap…not me.
I can only control where they do their business.
I love getting them off the main path of our lives.
This “room” is about 10 x 4, 40sf… can also be a room to introduce a new cat to our house if that ever happened. You know, the rules of keeping cats separate for a while, and letting them sniff each other under the doors etc…then gradually letting then be together. This cat room is perfect for this.
Add pictures here…
CATS ARE NOT DOGS.
Anyone that has cats, loved cats, knows this.
Cats need a place for cat litter boxes…and the perpetual litter that gets tracked out of the pans….PLURAL… remember… you have 1 pan per cat, plus an extra!
Without planning, these cat pans are all over YOUR living spaces..
Sure your main house will be full of cat toys, towers, scratching posts and beds near a window….but… this is part of the joy.
Then a cat needs water fountains, and on and on…
Sometime, you might introduce a second cat to your house.. this is done in slow stages… with an “introductory room” separator, so they get used to each other’s smells, and fears etc..
Me? I created a 4 x 10 room under a staircase, with nice windows and full head height so the cat litter is separated from the rest of the house.
As you design your house… consider doggy doors, or cat patios, so they have some freedom to get fresh air…in a caged environment…safe from other predators, insects, etc.
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Some dogs like to have a safe crate to live in… Is there a place for this?…not in a pathway, or just “over there”.
Dog also need a place to be cleaned & groomed….
Google “dog showers/baths”, and you can see so many great ideas. Create a place 3 or 4 feet off the floor, so you are eye to eye with your dog, and not groveling on the floor as you bathe your dog.
Your dog will get used to “their space” and feel in control, when this place gets used over time.
Again, the more you plan places for your pets, the less they will occupy your space….win/win.