Pet owners love their pets, and can’t resist the impulse to spoil them a little bit. The problem is, pet decor and accessories can quickly add up, and there are some luxuries that are difficult to afford. However, there are some fun and creative ways you can use your own ingenuity to make your home even more pet-friendly without breaking the bank. You may even save some money, by reducing wear and tear on your furniture. Here are some DIY ways to transform your home into a pet palace.
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Make a pet friendly window seat
The truth is, cats and dogs love to look out the window. And, even if you tell them not to, this habit can eventually take a toll on the back of your couch or your blinds and curtains, as they insist on doing it anyway.
Using an inexpensive storage bench to make a pet window seat not only saves your blinds and your furniture, but you can use the space below for a convenient pet bed, or even a concealed litter box. Pets will love having a sunny spot to watch the world go by, and you’ll love keeping all that pet hair off your sofa. Even just with this simple addition, your home will become more welcoming for your pets.
Make a Catio
Even though it’s called a “catio”, these enclosures will delight dogs as well. The principle is as simple as building a screen-in enclosure outside a door or window, so that pets can come inside and outside at will, without ever risking them wandering away.
Construction can be as simple as placing a large, open dog crate outside a pet door, so your pet can go back and forth, or as complex as building a wooden frame and enclosing it in wire fencing. The range of size and scale for your catio are completely up to you, and only limited by your imagination (and your budget).
Turn a table into a pet friendly hammock
Pet friendly hammocks can be a nice way for pets to relax and stay cool, as the hammock dissipates heat better than a cushion or a bed. You don’t even have to stop using the table, so your furniture can keep on working for you and your pets. A table with a pet hammock can also be a good way to satisfy a pet’s desire to be close to you while you are working, without actually getting in the way of a project.
Using a fairly heavy, substantial four-legged table, screw large eye bolts into each of the legs, facing inward, at about the height that will be convenient for your pet. Hang a hammock from the bolts. To make your table really cat-friendly, use wood glue on one or more of the table legs and wrap them tightly in sisal rope to transform a table leg into a scratching post.
Make a DIY cat wall
Cat trees can be incredibly expensive, but, as we all know from cats’ love of cardboard boxes, they don’t really need expensive toys. You can turn a wall or section of a wall into a cat wall by hanging nearly anything they can walk or sit on, and make an unused section of wall into a decadent cat play-space. A cat wall can also have the extra benefit of helping to keep your cat from climbing or jumping onto shelves and storage spots where you really don’t want them.
A DIY cat wall is as simple as firmly hanging an apple crate (or two or three) on a wall, at a height the cat can climb or jump into or onto. The cat will enjoy sitting on or in the crate, and having a few different crates gives them options for climbing. You can do the same thing with old dresser drawers, or even bracketed shelves. Adding strips of carpet to your shelves, drawers, or boxes will make it easier for your cat to get traction as they climb and jump, and keep them busy for hours.
These pet friendly projects are simple and inexpensive, but will truly spoil your pet. Even better, these kinds of projects indulge your pets’ natural desires and impulses, but channel them away from unwanted behaviors. Get creative and come up with your own projects to make your home into a pet palace.
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