How to Make a Happier Home For Pets

How to Make a Happier Home For Pets HOME We all love our pets. .. and we've made an active choice to share our lives and our homes with them. It's important to ensure the home environment is a safe, pleasant and happy place for our pets. After all, many pets spend more time in the home than their owners do! DOGS Make a custom dog bed with thick, soft fabric & firm stuffing. You can make it just the right size for your pooch, and match the colours to your home décor. ?? Introduce food puzzles to your home to encourage patience and problem solving. SNIFF SNIFF Hide Food around the house or garden for a fun food hunt! Create a mud room to clean dogs before they come back in after long walks, so they don't have to wait outside. Choose a sofa wisely make sure it's pet proofed, hard-wearing or made of easily washable fabrics if you really want to make your dog feel like part of the family. "Put a cosy bed in every room that your dog is allowed in to help create an atmosphere of comfort for them. Also by investing in several beds your dog is much more likely to stay off the furniture and retreat to their own personal areas when they want to rest." - Denise Elphick, Co-founder and Creative Director of PetsPyjamas CATS Create cat shelving especially for your feline friends. They will love having a space they can climb and perch on. Install a microchip cat flap that will only be activated by the microchip on your cat's collar. Your cat will be able to come and go as they please, but you won't have to put up with other cats popping in when they like! Make a cat hammock so your cat can curl up close to where you spend a lot of time. They might be under your chair, desk or coffee table. Add scratching posts and surfaces to help keep kitty busy and save your furniture! Clear the way so cats can to get to their favourite perches by adding stairs or lower level furniture close by. One of the best things we have done for our beloved cat is choose windows with deep sills, so that she has plenty of room to sit wherever she likes. We went a step further and installed a one-way bird feeder – it's somewhat like a one-way mirror. Allie can see the birds, but they can't see her. She is literally inches away from them, and she's mesmerized. - Shannon Dauphin Lee, BuildDirect Other House Pets Tunnels for rabbits Buy or make indoor tunnels for house rabbits to explore. Sunlight for birds Birds need sunlight which can be blocked by windows, so arrange regular time outside or place their enclosure by a large window that can be opened. Clean Tank A fish tank can be a beautiful addition to a room, and keeping it clean and properly maintained will keep fish happy as well as making it look its best. Bean Box Make a 'bean box' for ferrets or other burrowing animals to play in. Use a plastic box and fill with large dried beans. Sources lifehacker.com aspca.org hgtv.com boredpanda.com homes.yahoo.com saveafluff.co.uk beautyofbirds.com smallanimalchannel.com VIVIDDOORS www.vividdoors.co.uk