Do you have a furry friend living with you? We do. First, we had Cleo, a white cat. She had to be an aristorcatic cat of some kind, as she definitely owned US. Next, is another cat, Sparky. We don't love the name, but he responds to his name when he is called! We just adopted Sparky about 2 weeks ago. We keep calling him by his name because it's too much fun when he responds to it! We definitely need to be retrained...
Pets need to be considered in the design of the new kitchen. Not to the point where they attend meetings, and sign off on the plan, no, but just short of that! Here are some thoughts:
- Planning - where can your pet eat peacefully without fear of being bumped into or forced to move for a moment?
- Where do the bowls go so that when they are not eating, they are in a spot where they will not be bumped, resulting in spilling water?
- Do you have multiple pets? Is it ok if they eat in the same area? Will they know whose bowl is whose and do they or you care?
- Will the bowls even go in the kitchen?
- Think about proximity to pet food storage and water. Maybe the pet food goes in the prep sink cabinet, if there is one. What's the best spot to store the pet's food, especially if there is more than one? Feeding should be quick and accessible.
- How many types of pet food do you have and how much do you buy at one time? Do you have a million small cans or huge bags?
- Would it be helpful to have the pet's food in roll out shelves?
- Do you have pet medications? Where do you want to store it/them?
- Do you not want to see the bowls or at least the feeding bowl? Consider a slide out shelf or drawer at the bottom of, or under the cabinets.
- Do family members frequently visit with their pet? Is there a secondary feeding area that is convenient? I have that for Max, the dog, who visits us on occasion. Only problem is that Max eats out of the cat's bowls too!
- Naptime...do you want to include a spot where a small pet bed can be placed?
- There are auto feeders, which are large in size, so that you only need to refill these infrequently. Will these be part of the plan? Do you want to see, or hide these larger feeders?
Built in banquettes will most likely be a pet magnet, especially if there is a window behind it, ideal for pet naps and their own dining spot (so they think), as they hope to be dining along with you! So far, we are succeeding in training Sparky NOT to walk across the table during dinner...
What am I forgetting? Please fill me in. And, tell me what works, what doesn't work, or solutions you've come up with, in terms of feeding your pets in the kitchen.