Although it may sound strange to provide a pet with its own room, it is becoming common to dedicate one room in the house to Fido or Fluffy as people have fewer children.
Even households with children can benefit from pets having their own special area inside the home. If you cannot provide a full room solely dedicated to your pet, you can consider making a laundry room or mudroom a special place for your pet to call its own.
Dogs, especially those in multi-dog households, enjoy having their own space, whether it’s an entire room or a crate inside a pet-designated room. Although dogs are beloved for their social interaction with us, they are also programmed to enjoy cozy, den-like spaces to retreat to when they need to relax. Keep reading to learn five practical reasons why giving your pet its own room is a great idea for all pet parents.
Organization
If your dog or cat has its own room in your home, it makes it easy to know exactly where his or her necessities are located. Although you may not want much furniture in a pet’s room, you can install cabinets or shelves to hold the items used in its care.
Designate one area for feeding-related supplies, another for leashes, harnesses and other going-out items. If you choose to store food, treats or medicines in your dog’s or cat’s room, make sure they are located in a locked cabinet, out of the animals’ reach.
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Although you may want a few chew toys, nylon bones or “Kongs” in your primary living spaces, having a designated toy bin in your pet’s room provides a convenient storage zone. Just keep them in a low bin or bucket that allows your pet to pick and choose what it wants while spending time in its room.
Cleanliness
Let’s face it. For all the love they give, animals can be very messy creatures. Having one designated pet room can help keep the rest of your home clean. Of course, pet hair on rugs, furniture and clothing will still be an issue because companionship is the reason we have pets to begin with.
However, having a designated sleeping zone and place for your animal to stay when you’re not home helps cut down on the amount of fur and other messes around the house.
When choosing a room for your dog or cat, make sure it has an easily-washable floor. This will be handy if your pet becomes sick, and is valuable with older pets that may have frequent bowel or bladder accidents.
You can store enzyme cleaners in your locked cabinet for easy access when needed. Just be sure to give the pet’s room the same regular sweeping, dusting and other cleaning tasks you perform in the rest of the home.
If anyone in your home has pet allergies, even mild ones, having the animals sleep in their own room is preferable than allowing them to sleep in family members’ beds. Pets can also transmit fleas, ticks, ringworm and even tapeworms. Having a designated pet sleeping zone can help reduce the transfer of these pests between animals and humans.
Territory
All pets have territorial needs and these are easily satisfied by providing your pet with its own room. Although your animals will see your entire home as his or her territory, a pet’s mental health is greatly improved by having an area all to itself.
If you have more than one dog, then you may want to invest in crates to provide even more territorial designation within the room at night or when you are away from home. This is particularly important with bigger or more aggressive breeds who can use this downtime to keep from becoming overstimulated.
If a dog is trained to associate its room or crate as a positive place, he or she will be willing to go to it even without being told to do so. You may walk by the room and see your dog happily resting inside its crate with a favorite chew toy.
Safety
A pet having its own room is as much for its own safety as for the safety of visitors who come into your home. Just like with childproofing, “pet-proofing” an entire home can be a difficult thing to accomplish.
Many dog breeds love to chew, and younger pets have a physical need to chew for teething purposes. Having a designated room well-stocked with chewing toys can prevent your pet from using your antique dining table leg as a chew toy instead.
The same is true for cats who must scratch things to keep their claws healthy. An ideal room for a cat will include cat towers, clawing posts and other objects that are safe to shred at will. This helps create harmony within the home. Instead of yelling at or punishing your pet for damaging your furniture, provide it with safe outlets for their natural instincts.
This can save expensive trips to the vet when your pet swallows something it should not have eaten. It can cost thousands of dollars to remove intestinal obstructions from an animal’s digestive tract, and serious obstructions can kill your pet.
Your pet’s room may feel most useful when you have family, friends or other guests in your home. Many people and pets are wary of one another and take some time to become comfortable in each other’s presence. If you have a designated pet room, then you have the perfect place to confine your animals at any moment’s notice.
Because they recognize this as their own territory, they are usually happy to retreat there when needed. If you have a pet that tends to nip or bite, you must have a location to safely place the animal when young children or babies are visiting.
Peace of Mind
When you know your pets are in a safe area, you feel at peace. As discussed above, it is good for your pet’s mental health, too. A designated pet room is a necessity if you work outside the home for long hours each day.
Naturally, if you are going to be away from a dog for a great deal of time every day, it may be a better option to enroll it in a doggy day care program rather than leaving it at home alone all day.
Cats are more social than many people assume, but are generally content for longer periods of solitude than dogs. You can feel a peace of mind knowing your cat is in a safe, toy-filled room while you’re away.
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