Once you have a furry friend in your home, life is never really the same. To keep your new friend healthy, safe and happy, you’ll have to switch some things around and implement some upgrades. This can be anything from basic updates like fencing in your yard to more time-consuming projects like adding a pool for your dogs to keep them cool in the summer. 

But Pet upgrades don’t just improve the quality of life for your pet babies, they also make life easier for you as well. Depending on your priorities, you can take on home upgrades that will streamline your home and keep things clean in as little as one weekend. Below, the team at Hippo insurance have rounded up a few DIY pet projects you can consider. 

1. An Outdoor “Catio” Space

An outdoor “catio” is basically an enclosed outdoor playground for your cat. If your feline friend enjoys spending time outdoors, then this upgrade is a perfect way to allow them to roam free. And you won't have to worry about the many potential dangers of letting them do so. Be sure to outfit this joint with plenty of fixtures to enhance your cat’s play like car tunnels, platforms, and places to climb, perch, or just lounge lazily in peace. 

2. A Comfy Pet Crate

For young active pets or the highly rambunctious ones that can hardly sit in place, you need to keep an eye out for them at all times. But what happens when you have to do something else and you can’t supervise them? The simple solution is to give them a safe place to rest that is entirely their own. And no, a steel cage in the corner is not what we have in mind as this is both unattractive and may be very uncomfortable for your pet. 

Even if you cannot dedicate an entire room to your pet, there are a lot of creative ways you can create a pet crate out in free corners of your room or out of regular furniture. Consider creating a small and comfy pet nook under your staircase, on the bottom of your cupboard, or some hollow beneath the kitchen island. Just add a cushion for comfort and a fenced door to enclose the space. Bonus points if you add your pets food and water bowls to their new hideaway to keep them happy all day long!

3. Ramps

As part of their daily activities, your pet will have to go up and downstairs, get into your car, climb onto the porch, and so on. All of these can be particularly difficult for young cats and dogs or senior pets with arthritis. Some pet owners may modify their homes specifically for their pets to help them save time and energy. Another alternative is to purchase or build a ramp for this purpose. You can buy a portable staircase or ramp which can be placed next to your couch, bed, porch, and other favorite elevated spaces around the house. 

4. Pet Bathing Centers

You need a dedicated space to groom your pet once in a while. This bathing space can be indoors in your bathroom or outdoors on your driveway. An entryway bathing center makes it easy to clean up your pet after a long day at the park or after a walk before going into the house to avoid bringing all of that dirt in. You will also find a lot of ideas online on how you can modify your bathroom or shower into a bathing station for your pet. All you need in most cases is a small tub and a pull-down faucet for water.

5. Designated Eating Spots 

Your furry pets are rarely the most distinguished eaters. They’ll probably slop water all over your floor and fling food everywhere and cleaning up after them can be quite a chore. The simple solution for many pet parents is to add a designated eating spot to contain all the mess in one area. This will make it easier to clean spills and messes after their meals.

6. Cat Play Space With Features 

Consider designating a space for play for your cat within your home. Cats love to climb which means you don’t even need a lot of floor space for this. You can install features like cat trees, hammocks, mounted catwalks on the walls and windows for your cat to climb and hangout. 

7. Heated Floors

You can upgrade your pet’s favorite spot in her room or a part of your living space with heated tiles. This update is great for senior dogs and can help young pets deal better in colder climates as well. If you want an easier option to make your pet comfortable, consider a heated pad or blanket. Just make sure to turn it off when they aren’t using it!

8. Pup Pool

A pup pool is just like a kiddie pool for your dog. It will help your dog cool off especially during hot summer days. You can have a pool made for your dog or buy one that can be secured to the ground. Of course, you have to be sure your dog likes to take a dunk in the pool in the first place. 

9. Doggy Door

Doggy doors make it easy for your pup to come in and go easily without having to wait for you to open or close the door. There are both regular and motorized versions depending on your preferences.

These are just a few of the many home upgrade options to make your pet’s life more comfortable and will make things a lot easier for you as a pet owner or sitter as well. You can absolutely pull off some of these as DIY projects or have them professionally installed for you.