Creating a Cozy Apartment for Your Pets

Perhaps you live in a beautiful highrise apartment in Chicago, IL or are moving into a small studio apartment in New York, NY. Regardless, with the space constraints of apartments, creating a safe and comfortable environment for your pet can sometimes be a challenge. From sourcing the right pet products to creating easier access for your pets, there can be a lot that goes into creating a cozy little apartment pad for your pet. Not to worry, in collaboration with RedFin, here are some tips on how to get started.

1. Create easier access for your pets 

When living with a pet, especially animals like dogs, providing them with a safe way to get on the couch or their favorite resting area is essential. 

DoveLewis, a emergency and specialty animal hospital based in Portland, OR shares, “Make jumping even easier if your pets want to cuddle up with you. Pet stairs may not always go with your design aesthetic so consider adding an ottoman next to your couch or bed, so it offers a lower surface to leap onto or find lower furniture to make joining you even easier for them. Rugs can also give pets, especially older pets, the traction they need to jump up to you.”

2. Dedicate a space away from high-trafficked areas

High-trafficked areas of your home can provide a lot of stimulation for animals. Be sure to dedicate a space where your pet can destimulate and retreat away. 

Rachel Friedman, MSW, LISW of A Better Pet, a dog training service in Cleveland, OH shares, “Be sure to create a special space for your dog that is away from high-traffic areas where they can escape to when feeling tired, stressed, or over-stimulated. This safe haven can be as simple as a blanket, bed, or crate.”

3. Keep food fresh and odors down 

It’s important to keep food as fresh as possible for your pet. There are many pet-safe food containers and dispensers available on the market that can even match your apartments aesthetic. 

“Bins for food storage tucked away in cabinets keep pet food fresh while simultaneously keeping odors down,” notes Chief Emergency Doctor Taylor Stockdale of Veterinary Referral Service of Central Oregon. 

4. Keep your pet’s needs in mind

Be sure to design your space with your pet’s needs in mind,” says KeepPet Team, a pet care solution application. “For example, if you have a cat, make sure there are plenty of high perches for them to relax on.” 

Below are some tips for two of the best pets for apartments:

Cats

• Keep litterbox areas fresh and clean every three to four weeks
• Place a cat tree and cat perches around the house for your furry friend to roam 
• Place scratching surfaces in your home to keep cat claws fresh 
• Install a catio on your balcony for your furry friend to go outside

Dogs 

• Place a dog bed in your apartment so your dog has a place to call its own
• Install a potty patch on the balcony 
• Put a crate in your apartment as a comforting place if you have to step out for a few hours
• Get potty training bells or buttons so your furry friend can let you know what it needs  

5. Pet-proof your apartment 

Your pet’s safety is important. There are many ways to pet-proof your apartment from using childproof latches on cabinets to keeping unsafe foods on higher shelves to purchasing pet-safe garbage bins.

Anything Pawsable, a news site for service and working dogs shares this tip on how to keep your pets away from chords. 

“Keep your pet from playing with or chewing on power cords, HDMI cables, or data cables. Be sure to tuck them behind furniture, run them along your baseboard inside a plastic sheath or invest in a cord organizer box.”

6. Go with smaller-scale solutions 

Don’t make your apartment too cramped to live in. There are many smaller-scale solutions that can provide the perfect coziness for your pets. For example, if you don’t have enough space to install a cat tree you can get a window perch for your cat. 

“Cat owners: No space for cat trees? Try an over-the-door cat tree or a window perch with suction cups. Your cat will still have a place to climb and play, and you’ll save floor space for other furniture and activities,” notes The Meow Place, a blog dedicated to all things cats.