Custom Home Build Tips to Consider for Pet Owners

When it comes to building a custom home, you may have some reservations about how each design choice will affect you. However, pet owners can also make plans to incorporate their furry friends’ well-being into a final build. With 7.7 million dogs and 8.1 million cats across Canada, these custom additions often come with little to no regrets.

After all, a home should be great for everyone in your family and as any pet owner will tell you, their fur babies have preferences and habits all their own. By adding a few special touches to your final custom home design, you can ensure your pets have the same fantastic advantages you do – whether it’s sleeping, eating, lounging, or getting clean.

Start with Your Yard

Custom homes don’t stop with the interior – everything from your garden to walkways matters. With pets, you know the yard will be a place of comfort for dogs and even some cats. With this in mind, it is important to think ahead for your pet’s needs.

Currently, a trend that has been popping up more and more is small enclosures attached to windows or doors so that cats can enjoy the outdoors without fear of them bringing in birds or getting lost. Creatively called “Catios”, these additions are perfect for your furry friend to get their outdoor time without the need for supervision.

Beyond additions, such as a doghouse, it is important to also consider your landscape. Several flower and fauna species can be toxic for animals, so do your best research or even consult a vet on a pet-safe garden.

Built-In Litter Boxes

Cat owners know how much privacy their cats need and often enjoy, but this is especially true when nature calls. Despite best efforts, it is often difficult to find areas in a home where litter boxes are well out of the way, but accessible to be cleaned.

A custom home build offers an opportunity to create this space so the litter box stays out of the way of guests but can be found by your cat with ease. As well, due to the custom nature, a low-powered fan can be wired to keep odours ventilated from your home.

Dog Showers

It can be difficult to get large dogs in a tub. Often times thinking you’re trying to play; water and soap can be thrown about as your dog fights to stay out of the tub. Luckily, several custom homes have featured a shower for their canines, helping to keep water off of you and on your dog. As well, these systems will be easy for your best friend to get in and out without all the fuss.

Sleeping Nooks

A pastime for every furry creature, naps are simply the best. For the animals in your home, consider creating a sleeping nook so they can enjoy their rest and lounging in style.

Some favourite places for animal owners to include their pets are within the kitchen, by windows, or even within the bedroom. There is plenty of opportunities to develop and design a bed for your pet, so in the end, it’s your choice of where you would like them to spend their nap time.

Dog and Cat Doors

A simple addition, but with a modern approach – dog and cat doors can now be self-locking. With new technologies, some companies have created unique collars that work in proximity of your animals’ entrance, allowing them to walk in and out as they please without the fear of rodents getting in your home.

Aquarium Walls

Not all animals are furry – some are fishy.

Not necessarily a new idea, contemporary homes for a while have featured aquarium installations into walls or room borders to create unique views for guests and the family. The key to them is to keep parts and feeding accessible, but aesthetically pleasing. Working with a custom home builder can keep these designs interesting.

Keep Your Pet Feeling at Home with a Trusted Custom Home Builder

If you want to include your pets in your custom home, work with a builder that you can trust to work with your ideas.

Stellar Homes has years of experience doing what some might find eccentric and over the top. However, it is your custom home and your dreams matter. That is why we will give you the best advice on how to keep your home pet friendly and offer unique ways to keep your animals, furry or not, living their best life.

Call us today to start your dream project.