Anyone who raises a dog or cat knows that their four-legged friend is an integral part of the family. Therefore, when designing your home, it's important to create our space while addressing the pet's needs.
Whether it's an energetic dog that needs to release energy or a cat that likes to climb furniture, you need to find a design that considers the animal's needs along with a personal touch that can transform the space into a place where everyone feels at home.
Yael Gabriel, an interior designer, and Ori Mires, a dog trainer and behavioral therapist, specialize in the relationship between humans and dogs. They have tips and ideas on how to design a home in harmony for everyone.
Creating designated areas for pets
If you have decided to train your dog, you are probably familiar with the accessories designed for training such as a training fence (suitable for puppies) or a training cage. "Defining designated areas for pets is an essential part of the proper training process, so a training fence or training cage must be located in the center of the house, which is usually the living room. This way, our furry friends will feel part of the pack, which is the family, and staying in the designated and defined area will give them security and calm," says Mires.
According to Gabriel, assigning specific places to your pets helps maintain order and prevents their belongings from scattering all over the house. So that that training fence or cage does not feel "stuck" in the middle of the living room, it is important to integrate the designated area for your pet into the design. How do you do it? "A training fence or cage can be both stylish and functional," explains Gabriel.
"When choosing an item for your dog, it is recommended to choose an accessory that complements the aesthetics of the interior design in terms of colors and materials. Even a training cage can be stylish and look like a side table in the living room if it is planned in advance as a carpentry item that corresponds to the design style," she added.
When it comes to cats, there is another area that attracts quite a bit of attention, the litter box. "Recently, I designed a house for a family with a cat and it was very important to them that access to the litter box would not be through the utility room door, because they did not want to leave it open," says Gabriel, "So I designed a utility room with special carpentry and a wall with a special opening for the cat. Through the opening, the cat reaches the utility room where the litter box is located, and the door of the room always remains closed."
The balance between releasing energy and choosing friendly fabrics
Who is accustomed to a destroyed sofa or a flowerpot scattered on the parquet floor in the living room? Most of us. "Many dogs need to release energy, otherwise they will start messing with our furniture at home. Therefore, it is important that the release of energy takes place outside the house, by playing with a ball or any other toy the dog likes," explains Mires. "It is advisable to accustom the dog to a daily routine, at a fixed time and in an appropriate area. I always recommend a fenced yard rather than a dog park, because in a dog park, we do not know in advance which dogs will be there and what level of balance and friendliness they will have toward other dogs."
According to Gabriel, in addition to instilling the right habits, there is also great importance in choosing upholstery for the home. "Even if our dog or cat has a regular routine for exerting energy, it is advisable to avoid delicate fabrics and upholstery, which can easily come apart. When I start a new renovation project or plan a new apartment, I am often told that they do not intend to buy a new sofa because the dog or cat will destroy it in a second anyway.
It doesn't have to be that way. The next time you choose a sofa or armchair, choose durable fabrics that are easy to clean and maintain. There are quite a few of these on the market today." According to Gabriel, tight fabrics are more durable than loose fabrics as it is easier to remove loose hair from them, liquids don't absorb as much, and they do not tend to fall apart and wear out such as the ones from the Spanish company Aquaclean.
Choosing flooring that's right for everyone in your home
Does your dog defecate on the couch or the bed? According to Mires, "When you're teaching a puppy to go about his business, it's important not to accustom the dog to "go" on a cleanable surface that looks like a diaper or a baby's changing pad, because then the dog may interpret any other soft surface, such as a couch, bed, pillow or carpet, as a surface on which he can take care of its business. And if there is still a mistake, it's a good idea to immediately clean the area with vinegar (or vinegar diluted with water, if it's parquet) which will help you neutralize the smell so that the dog doesn't think it's his territory and does it again."
Wondering which flooring is best for a home with pets? According to Gabriel, porcelain granite tiles are the easiest to maintain, but there's really no need to give up on a wooden parquet if that's your dream. "In recent years, the world of parquet has developed greatly and the selection is wide. More and more Israelis are tiling the entire house with parquet, including in the kitchen area. For those who are unwilling to give up the real thing, both in terms of appearance and feel, there is nothing like a multi-layer wood parquet. Its installation method is gluing over the existing flooring, and therefore it is also the most recommended from an acoustic perspective. This installation method also allows you to repair a specific area if the need arises, without dismantling all the flooring in the house," says Gabriel.
For those who are willing to compromise on the appearance of the parquet and are looking for a solution that is a little more budget-friendly and a little more durable, then it is worth getting to know SPC parquet, made from a combination of stone and plastic, with a look and texture that are very close to real wood parquet.
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Match your furniture with your pet's 'destructive' powers
(Photo: Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock)
"When it comes to flooring, in addition to choosing the material (porcelain tile or parquet), it is advisable to carefully choose the shade," adds Gabriel. "I've often come to the store with customers carrying a small bag of hairs that have fallen out of the fur of the dog or cat that lives in the house. We spread them over the flooring that we liked in the store and see how visible the hairs are. When we have to bend down and look for them with a magnifying glass, we know we've found the right shade."
The dog and cat also need their own "dining area"
While you sit down to eat at the table, it's also important for your dog or cat to have a designated dining area. "The area should fit in with the design of the house, and the food should be chosen according to the needs of the dog or cat," says Gabriel. "You have to make sure that the bowls for water and food are at the right height because if the dog bends down while eating or drinking, it could hurt its neck. Today, you can find a variety of design solutions that allow for height and width adjustments, so that it fits the height of the dog or cat."
The choice of eating and drinking dishes is also important. "It is highly recommended to replace plastic or stainless steel bowls with ceramic or earthenware, which are both better designed, more stable, and safer to use. Ceramics do not have the risk of becoming toxic as can happen with stainless steel or plastic," says Mires.
Green doesn't calm only humans
It is known that adding plants creates a calming energy at home, and it may soothe the animals as well as us. "For those who are afraid to bring plants inside for fear of the dog or cat going wild, you should remember that during the training process, the dog learns to release energy outside the house, and everyone can enjoy some green imagery inside the apartment," says Mires.
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"It is very important to choose the plants for the house according to aesthetic parameters: the color of the leaves (there are endless shades of green and it is important to consider the other colors present in the space, in order to choose the most appropriate shade), the shape and size of the leaves, and appropriate proportions of the width and height of the plant according to the corner where we want to place the plant. Beyond that, we must first check that the plant is not toxic to dogs or cats. There are quite a few poisonous plants, and a quick Google search will save everyone a lot of heartache," adds Gabriel.