New Study Reveals Eye-Opening Details of Impact Pets Have on Home Renovations

When we were building our last house two things I insisted upon were feeding stations and pet food storage built-in to our kitchen island, and a special room to have the litter box with a built-in cat door so I never had to have my litter box in public view. My cats loved the privacy, and I loved never having to trip over a food or water bowl again.

A lot of us consider our cats and dogs members of our family, so when we think about our homes we also take their needs into consideration. Dog parents want access to a yard or a nearby park so their pups can exercise, cat parents appreciate a place to house the litter box and windows for our cats to gaze out of.

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Houzz Inc., the leading platform for home building, remodeling and design, empowering industry professionals and their clients with all-in-one project management and design software, today released the 2024 Houzz U.S. Pets & the Home Study. The survey of more than 1,000 respondents found that nearly half prioritize pets in their decision-making process when upgrading their home (48%). Considerations include pet-friendly products and materials (34%) and choosing design or functionality specific to their pet, like incorporating space for an animal’s bed or feeding station (22%).

Some of the interesting findings in the study:

• The majority of pet owners have a single pet (44%), however over a quarter have 3 or more animals in their home (26%). Dogs were the most common among pet parents (83%), followed by cats (33%), birds (3%) and fish (3%).

• Flooring was the most common project among this group (51%). Landscaping, wall or baseboard upgrades and door frame replacements were also popular projects (34%, 34% and 31%, respectively).

• Nearly 1 in 10 renovating pet owners added built-in areas as part of their home upgrades, with feeding stations (39%) and outdoor enclosures (34%), such as a catio, topping the list. Other built-ins included sleeping or relaxation areas (21%) and grooming stations, play structures and litter boxes (18%, each).

Related: Woman's Special Tiny House & Catio Built for Her Rescue Kitties Is Downright Incredible

You can read all of the study results and get inspired by the Houzz study findings here.

Home Improvement Ideas for Pet Parents

If you are planning on remodeling your own home, so many projects for your pets are an inexpensive add-on. Adding a pull-out feeding station in a new kitchen island won't cost a ton, but will keep your floors a lot tidier.

Here are just a few ideas to put on your own dream home wish list.

Dedicated Dog Washing Station

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As someone who spends way too much time on Zillow drooling over real estate, I always see dog washing stations in laundry rooms and I absolutely want one. Do I need one? No. Our dog is tiny and when he's not at the groomer we just wash him in our laundry room sink. But if I had large dogs I would love one of these.

Catio

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Now this I do need. As a cat mom of three I'd love to let my cats outside but I need a catio to keep them safe. I did have a pop-up catio but it was ugly and not very comfortable. I want an actual pretty fancy one with ramps and a way for them to get outside from my window and all that nice stuff. Sadly, catios run about $5,000 to $15,000 so that project is not in my future!

Litter Box Room

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One day I shall have another dedicated cat box room and a robot litter system. Until then I suffer with my junk in the laundry room.

Dedicated Dog Rooms

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I love the idea of a dedicated dog room built under the stairs or a dog kennel built in somewhere so you can keep your pup safe while he's home alone.

Happy remodeling!