Interiors and Pets

Candlemania

Hi All,

I was wondering if any of you have done any adjustments to your interiors to accommodate your pet's stuff, such as cat litter box, dog bed, feed bowls, etc. so it's not so visible for people visiting your house and it's not in your way either, when you walk around the house every day.

I have a cat and after moving to a new house my problem is that we don't have room to hide the cat's litter box. We used to keep it under the stairs in the old house, as there was a void, but in the new house there is a small guest bathroom that's taking up the space. Well, there is a tiny triangular space, as the stairs meet the floor, but we would need to do some serious work to adjust it (cutting out an opening and probably moving pipes). We don't have a utility room either...

So to repeat my question, has any of you gone that far to keep your interior clean and stylish and had some work done on concealing your pet's essentials?

I'd love to hear from you. If you have a photo, please share!

my3cents

We have pets if people don't like that they don't need to visit - I'm quite sure that they keep some "friends" away

You can't conceal beds for two dogs that weigh over 50kg each and the cat just has to fit in where he can

I can understand your question and problem but really if its that much of an issue why have you got a pet?

btw you could put a cat flap in to the door to the guest bathroom and the litter tray in there.

Candlemania

my3cents wrote: »

(...) I can understand your question and problem but really if its that much of an issue why have you got a pet?

I was kinda expecting somebody would say that.

But since this forum is about interiors I am guessing people who follow it have some sense of aesthetics and therefore their direct surrounding matters to them. It doesn't have to be that people who have pets must have a stinky and messy house...

Your idea of having a cat flap in the guest bathroom door is great, but the bathroom itself is tiny, and has only space for the toilet bowl and a small sink...

GraceKav

Our architect thinks I'm a crazy pet lady as our spec for the house design is hugely impacted by the fact that we'll have at least one large dog at any point in time and upwards of two.

Things impacted by the need for a pet friendly house:
-Our pets aren't allowed in the hallways or bedrooms (personal preference) so doorway at kitchen living to stop them getting into the hallway
-Rejigged utility to give a separate laundry room so clothes wouldn't smell of dog
- tile planned for main open plan space and no rugs.

There's definitely more areas impacted and we did in fact completely change the positioning of the utility room/kitchen to better flow for pet purposes. The architect even threw two large dog beds into the plans when they realised how serious I was. Important to plan for the family you'll have though and that includes dogs.

Tips for incorporating into an existing house (much harder):
- Look up pinterest for ideas. I've found it great for dog ideas so no doubt have tons of cat tips also
- Can incorporate under a counter or cabinets (thats our plan in the utility room for the dog beds - take up a large amount of space so no point wasting the space above it plus animals seem to love more enclosed den-like spaces. I'd imagine cats wouldn't be too different in this either.
-Crates can be great to divide up pet space if you have a handy corner and can dress up with a pretty covering.

Rancid

If you have a corner available this type of solution could work for your litter box:
http://photo.foter.com/photos/pi/341/hidden-cat-litter-box-2.jpg

I used an Ikea Stuva frame with Malad doors and cut out a "door" at the back for cat to get in.
Plant and table lamp on top and no visible litter box!
The Malad doors at the front are handy for easy access to scoop and clean too.

Candlemania

Thanks @GraceKav and @Rancid for your replies!

I found something online that would be quite what I was looking for - I have exactly the same nook under the stairs, which I could convert into a cat's bathroom. And there's even an instruction on how to do it: http://www.instructables.com/id/Under-Stairs-Storage-Space/



I also like the idea of a cat's little entrance within a proper door


And @my3cents, I found something for you! :-)