According to The Humane Society, almost four out of every ten households in the U. S. own at least one dog, and about the same number own cats. HSUS says there are 73 million dogs and 90 million cats living in American homes. Probably because of that, one of our most popular blogs to date is the one about upgrades you can add into your addition or remodel for your furry friends! We thought it’d be fun to revisit that idea and touch on some of the current popular upgrade ideas for your dogs and your cats. Check them out! We’re currently considering remodeling our houses just to include some of these awesome ideas.

Indoor Pet Retreats

These rooms are generally located by an outside back door, with a lockable exterior access door that is designed for your pet to easily go in and out of, usually with a doggy door. Made to make your life easier and your dog’s life more comfortable, these pet retreats sport a large range of amenities like automatic feeders, drinking fountains, doggy showers, comfortable built-in beds, easy-clean floors, and more.

Disguised Litter Boxes

Many options for disguised litter boxes today resemble furniture, which means the litter box blends in with your home flawlessly! They also offer privacy, which a lot of cats prefer. Some cat box designs are situated in the garage, with access provided by a secret cat door that can be hidden inside a cabinet.

Heated Floors

We’ll admit this one is as much for us people as it is for our pets! The good thing is that pets appreciate warm floors as much as humans. It’s an added luxury for pets and pet lovers alike, especially during the winter!

Platform Beds

Platform pet beds are attached to the wall and built up much like a window seat or built-in bench. They’re the ultimate built-ins for pets! It’s a much more aesthetically pleasing design than pet beds that often times can end up scattered randomly around the house, but much less expensive than buying some of those high-end dog beds!

Cat Ramps and Cat Trees

Cat ramps are stairs that diagonally run up a wall to meet a shelf, which runs below and along the perimeter of the ceiling. They provide stimulation and exercise for a cat, and cats generally speaking like being up higher to have a good vantage point for the house. Floor-to-ceiling cat trees are constructed like columns throughout the home and wrapped in carpet or rope. As well as providing stimulation like the ramps, these also can serve as massive scratching posts so kitty leaves your furniture alone!

Wood Floors / High-End Linoleum

Expensive linoleum floors are becoming popular because they offer easy clean up after pet accidents. They wipe clean and are incredibly durable. Wood floors are easier to maintain than carpet, and light to medium finishes minimize scratches.

Dog Washing Station

The fastest growing trend in pet-friendly home renovation is washing stations for dogs. Most look like a shower stall but half the height, but people with smaller breeds often opt for what looks like a sunken tiled tub at counter height. This eliminates the need to hoist your dirty dog into the tub - or a wet one out of it! Washing stations are usually equipped with hot and cold water, a spray nozzle, and a ledge or recessed shelf for shampoo and combs. These are often put in mudrooms for an easy-access amenity.

Feeding Stations

Most pet owners want their dogs and cats to eat in the kitchen along with everyone else, but kitchens are the busiest room in most homes. It’s easy to bump into and knock over pet dishes, and lots of times pets are messy eaters and can spill kibble and water all over the floor. To help keep the room clean and feeding time organized, a built-in feeding station is a great pet-friendly idea. In the kitchen, it’s common to create a special feeding center under the cabinetry. It’s a simple solution that doesn’t use up extra floor space. If you don’t want to add a feeding station under the cabinets, there are a lot of other great, free-standing options as well that will keep the mess contained!

Planning is an important part of any renovation, addition or remodel. The idea is usually to make your home more livable to suit your current needs. So, if pets are an important part of your life, pet-friendly home renovation makes sense. The ideas we’ve outlined here are only some of the ways to make your home more pet-friendly. If you have any other fun ideas, feel free to comment them below! Or if you’re curious about how to start your addition or remodel and incorporate some of these ideas into it, contact us and we’ll be more than happy to walk you through it!