La Jolla Pet Centered Home Design Tips

Cohabitating with a pet is often looked at from a purely human perspective. People prioritize protecting their home and their valuables. Pet owners sometimes even lock their pets in a utility room to keep a hungry or bored pet from interrupting them, which can cause distress to an animal.

If you looked at your living situation from your pet’s perspective, there are many things a pet could tell you about your home and how it impacts them. Do they bump into furniture or find themselves constricted in a space? Are there things your pet might be curious to investigate that could be toxic and dangerous for them? Imagining life from your pet’s perspective can change your vision for how you organize your space and what materials you want to use in your home. Having a pet-centered home is a key element of peaceful, non-toxic, non-violent interior design that respects the needs of all the creatures who inhabit the space, both human and non-human. If you are committed to having a pet-centered home, here are some things to consider:

Know Your Pet’s Nesting Needs

Depending on what kind of animal your pet is, they might have different needs for sleeping and burrowing. Dogs and cats might want a bed and they might also want to curl up with you sometimes. Birds might want privacy, and a rodent will want materials to burrow. Some animals that are nocturnal, like rodents, could be disturbed if their cages are in loud, noisy and brightly-lit areas. Animals in the wild try to find a soft, cozy and safe place to sleep. You should never leave your animal in an exposed place that makes them feel uncomfortable. Some animals prefer to be solitary and no animal should ever be forced to receive human affection. Social animals, on the other hand, will need your presence. If you have a dog, locking the dog away at night could be emotionally damaging for the dog. Every animal is different so you should know your animal’s individual and species needs. There are many ways to reassure animals using scents and textures, such as leaving a toy that smells familiar for your dog, or making sure that bedding materials don’t irritate their skin.

Create a Play Space

It’s useless and counterproductive to spend your time shouting at an animal to get off the furniture or quit behavior that is natural and healthy for them. Many people with animal companions choose to create a play space for their animal, such as climbing frames or scratching posts for cats, cat grass, sand pits for dogs and more. Playing is an important part of life for animals and there are many innovative ways to re-design your home to reflect your animal’s needs in ways that will make their lives more enjoyable and meaningful.

Accommodate Older or Disabled Pets

Older or disabled pets will have different needs. If your dog is older or disabled, climbing stairs could be difficult. Non-slip ramps can help older animals manage stairs, and some people even build bespoke stair-lifts for elderly or disabled dogs. Smaller dogs might need assistance such as folding steps to help them join you when you’re sitting on a couch or bed. Certain surfaces such as tiles or hardwood can be difficult for disabled pets. Putting down carpets or installing non-slip treads can help animals with special needs navigate the home.

Allow Pets to Communicate Their Needs

Humans often assume that we are the only animals that are able to communicate, but this is not true. Research has shown that cats can recognize their own names, the names of other cats or even their owners. With assistance, it’s possible for animals to communicate their basic needs to humans. Inbuilt features in your house can even make this process easier. A bell for the dog or cat to let you know when they want to go out can be installed by the door. Some pet owners install recordable buttons so their pets can communicate a variety of needs with them.

Make Sure Your Space Is Safe and Non-Toxic

Many common houseplants and yard-plants are toxic for pets. If you are redesigning your space with your pet’s needs in mind, it’s a good idea to do an audit of all the toxic materials and hazards in the space. You should shorten window blind cords, wind up cables and make sure that trash is properly secured. Common waste such as coffee grinds and fruit seeds can be poisonous for cats or dogs, and trailing cords can be choking hazards. There are many overlooked everyday materials in the home that can be toxic for pets. Synthetic materials are often recommended for a home with pets as they are more durable, but in fact these could be coated and treated with chemicals like formaldehyde that can cause cancer in animals. Pets often explore their world by picking things up or chewing things with their mouth. This means materials in your home need to be non-toxic, non-violent and pet friendly.

At Earth Science Design we help people design a space that is beautiful, non-violent and respectful of the needs of all creatures who live there. For over ten years, we have been studying the science and principles of beautiful, non-violent interior design, non-toxic interior design, biophilic design and conscious design. Whether you are building a home or office, redecorating a space, have a pet with special needs or need specific interventions to rid your space of toxic materials, we can consult with you about how to create a living space that reflects compassionate and earth-centered values and centers your animal. Please contact us to learn more about our non-violent, cruelty-free interior design services.