I am sure that animal lovers, especially those who have a dog, a cat, a fish or a chicken in their home, will appreciate this article. I wrote this article at the suggestion of my dog, who pointed out the fact that I wasn’t paying attention when I chose his basket, because now it’s full of toys and he has to sleep on my bed and occasionally on my head.

Even though I am an architect, I failed to think of his needs, but now I have a few solutions both for myself and for those who have similar problems with their pets.

We all need our personal space , just as our little friends, who also want their own , conformable place that represents them. Does your dog usually spend most of his time in the living room? We can’t put up wallpapers with patterns of dog paws, neither should we have carpets with westie silhouettes just because that space is your dog’s favorite spot. Instead, we can integrate the basket/bed with our furniture and for the cat, we can make a colorful, geometric tower and even a hiding place beneath the interior stairwell. Here are a few examples:

Lately, for some of my projects, I had to design bathrooms for dogs. Strange? Absolutely not, because I understand the utility of these rooms, especially when I know how difficult it is to wash Hank after we return from the park and he is covered in mud. There are a lot of solutions for these types of spaces, and because these are rooms dedicated to dogs, the solutions can be approached in a fun way! The same happens with Pet Salons and Pet Shops. I appreciate conceptual designs such as those found in stores like Cloud 7 from Copenhagen (minimalist, functional, adorable) or My Fluffy Friend’s Pet Shop from Vancouver (bright colors, geometrical lines, playgrounds).

From the series did you know that: Did you know that the only color that dogs and humans see in the same way, is yellow? I don’t know how Riko and Stich feel about it, but their bathroom - with a bathtub placed on a high furniture piece (so the owner can reach to wash them ) and a built-in ladder for them to climb - is also yellow! 

Be imaginative and intuitive about your pet’s needs, whether it’s your guinea pig, hamster or …zebra! No matter what you choose for them (colorful bowls, miniature houses, toy storage spaces), remember that it will also invigorate your home!

And you thought that pets weren’t aware of technology and novelty! Have you asked yourself if your cat would rather chase lasers than play with a ball of yarn?