Pets are beloved members of the family. As such, they need a lot of their own supplies, toys, treats, food blankets, and even sometimes clothes. This is especially true of man’s best friend. Though unlike other family members pets rarely have their own room. Which can make it challenging to figure out a convenient way to store all their stuff.
Pet Food Storage & Feeding Stations
Pet food is one of the bulkiest items in your pet’s life. Especially if you have a large breed dog. Of course, you also can’t just let them have free access to food any time they want, or you will very quickly end up with a major mess and an obese pet.
Large Dog Feeding Station & Food Storage
One way to broach this problem for a large breed dog is to create a food storage and feeding station in one. This can be a repurposed heavy-duty tote that will securely hold your pet’s food, with a food and water bowl station attached to the top of the front.
Medium To Small Pet Feeding Stations & Food Storage
For a smaller pet like a small dog or a cat, you can certainly keep the food storage separate from the bowls, as they likely want their food down low where it’s easier for them to get at it. Plating it on a slightly elevated stand with a surrounding tray helps keep any spilled food or water from getting all over your floors.
Raised Feeding Stations For Cats & Dogs Sharing Space
This is the classic cliché animosity between cats and dogs. If there’s one thing a cat doesn’t want it’s a dog sneaking up behind it for a quick sniff while enjoying a meal or taking a drink. Not to mention the very real fact that your dog’s favorite treat is snarfing up your cat’s food.
Fortunately, cats have more vertical abilities than a dog. Especially if you let your cat keep its claws. Giving your cat a feeding station up in a cat tree or cat tower, lets you feline friend eat in peace, and keeps your dog from chowing down on food that really isn’t the best for him.
Organizing Pet Toys
If you have a child, then chances are you have been subjected to the intense pain of stepping on a Lego block that’s hiding in the carpet. Second, only to this is the suffering caused by spiky cat and dog toys under the arch of your foot in the middle of the night. Setting up dedicated places to keep pet toys gives everything a place that isn’t under your feet.
In the case of a dog, it also gives you better control over when and how they can use their toys. This is especially important for training items and chews toys that are prone to making a mess on the carpet.
A simple cupboard near the primary door out of the house is handy, but not always practical. If you do have a cupboard or a cabinet near the door with a little extra space in it for pet items, you might want to install shelving dividers. This way soiled dog items don’t touch other important items in the cupboard.
A pet toy box is another great idea to consider. This could be a plastic flip-top tote bin or a repurposed garbage can that gives you quick access to the dog toy you want to grab on your way out the door. Keeping a box of baking soda or some other type of odor neutralizer will also help reduce the smell of slobbery wet tennis balls and other well-used dog toys.
A Pet Hamper
A lot of pets have their own towels, mats, harnesses, and bedding materials. A few even have special outfits for festive times or just to keep them warm on a cold day. Yet as clean as you keep your pet, chances are they are still transferring pet odors to their soft items.
Giving your pet a separate hamper or tote bin to keep their soiled, smelly laundry keeps it out of the family laundry. This keeps pet hair off your clothes and prevents odors from transferring to your daily items.
A Dedicated Pet Cubby In The Foyer
If you have cubby space in your foyer, or you are thinking about installing cubbies for your family members, you might want to provide one for your dog. This lets you keep important items like, harnesses, balls, training toys, waste bags, and dry off towels right at the door where you are likely to need them most. A few well-placed hooks can also help keep your pet’s leash up and untangled.
If you have a dog that likes to roll in stinky things they find on the lawn, or you live in a place where skunks are a real concern, you can also keep some odor neutralizer or a bottle of old-fashioned “Stink Dip” in the foyer cubby right by the door.
A Sealable Dog Waste Bin
Responsible pet owners need to clean up after their pets when they get done doing their business. Though it seems like no matter how tightly you tie that little plastic bag, some odor manages to escape. Tossing it directly into your outdoor garbage can seems to be the obvious answer. Though the odor can still permeate the garage. Especially during the warm days of summer. Keeping a sealable tote with baking soda deodorizer or repurposing an old Diaper Genie will help reduce the unpleasant odor further.
A Dog Murphy Bed
Pet beds can sometimes get in the way. Especially if you have a medium or large dog in a small apartment. A dog murphy bed can be attached to or built into a wardrobe or similar piece of furniture. When it’s time to go to sleep, you can simply fold it down. This can also be a great training exercise for your dog to know when it’s bedtime. It might also be used for training purposes if you don’t want your dog sleeping with you at night.
