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Make your furry friends feel more comfortable and safer by creating a home that’s paw-fect for their needs.
From building feeding stations to adding pet doors, Bunnings Workshop members have shared many ways to create a welcoming space for their beloved companions.
Grab a treat and check out the examples below for inspiration.
1. Restrict access
Install child safety gates or barriers to restrict access to certain areas of your home, particularly those with potential hazards or breakable items. You can also build your own pet gate, which Mark (@Remarka6le) did while renovating his entrance.
It’s also a good idea to cover your bins or use pedal bins to prevent pets from rummaging through garbage. Workshop member @ponting72 provides a stylish bin storage solution.
2. Grow pet-friendly plants
Certain plants in your home and garden can be toxic for your pets. Read horticulturalist @Noelle's guide How to keep your garden safe for pets for plants to avoid.
Don’t miss experienced Workshop member Adam (@Adam_W)'s guide How to remove weeds without harming your pets.
3. Add a pet door
No more waiting at the door or scratching for attention. Pet doors enable your furry friends to come and go as they please.
Have a look at the Bunnings guide How to choose a pet door for useful tips.
4. Keep small items out of reach
Keep toys and other small objects like wires out of reach to prevent your pets from choking or electrocution. Use storage solutions like cube units to keep your pets from reaching them. Carol (@Carol_Prime) used Flexi Storage Clever Cubes to organise her spare room.
Find more storage ideas in Top 10 most popular storage projects and 10 ways to organise your home.
5. Create safe outdoor areas
Enclosures can allow pets to enjoy the outdoors safely, especially cats who are prone to wandering and escaping. @Shannon's indoor to outdoor cat tower is a perfect example.
Check out more ideas in How to go pet-friendly.
6. Close gaps and small spaces
Close gaps, nooks or holes in your home to ensure your pets don’t fall or get stuck. Read our Best Advice article on how to close a balcony gap for pet safety.
You can also look at the discussions How do you close a gap in our balcony to stop our Puppy falling through? by @Martin2020 and Best way to close gap on balcony to avoid puppy falling through? by @maddy1310 for more advice.
7. Designate spaces for pet baths
A pet bath can be a convenient and mess-free way to keep your furry friends clean. Wanting to create a functional space for dog grooming, community member @mangoaqua opted to install a bigger sink and tap in their laundry.
Laundries or mud rooms are popular choices for bathing pets as they can also provide handy storage space for pet supplies. Watch how the Bunnings team creates a pet-friendly laundry in this episode of the Make it Happen series.
8. Keep pets entertained
Provide toys and accessories like scratching posts to keep pets mentally and physically engaged.
Resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert Eric (@EricL) shares step-by-step instructions on How to build a cat tower that can give your cat lots of exercise, stimulation and fun.
9. Create pet beds
Creating a pet bed or house can help keep your pets warm and comfortable, especially during cold winter nights. Mark (@Remarka6le) built a D.I.Y. slide-out dog bed using dressed Pine.
The Bunnings team shares How to choose the best pet bed.
10. Set up a feeding station
A pet feeding station can help contain food and water spills, keeping your home clean during mealtimes. @Wayne’s raised food and water station keeps dog bowls in place.
The Bunnings guide D.I.Y. dog feeding station contains step-by-step instructions.
More advice and inspiration for making your home pet-friendly
The Bunnings team has shared several guides related to making your home more comfortable and safer for your pets, including tips for welcoming a new pet into your home and how to dog and cat-proof your home.
For more inspiration, you can also check out these D.I.Y. projects for pets shared by Workshop members.
The Bunnings Workshop community can help if you need more assistance with making your home pet-friendly. Don’t hesitate to ask a question.
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