How to Design a Home For Your Pets: 9 Nifty Ideas With Examples

Dream home inspo for pet owners.

For many of us, pets are family, so it's only natural to want a home that's designed with them in mind, too.

The good news is that a pet-friendly home goes far beyond setting aside a corner for their bed or food bowls. There are plenty of thoughtful ways to design a home that's comfortable for both you and your pets.

If you're planning a renovation and looking for ideas, here are some pet-friendly features spotted in real Singapore homes.

1. Go wild with overhead catwalk and cat fixtures

Designed after the idea of a Balinese holiday resort, this Buangkok flat has both a charming tropical look and rustic atmosphere going for it.

However, the main highlight (for a pair of feline occupants) remains the overhead catwalk. Extending from the dining area into the kitchen, this add-on grants them the freedom to strut their stuff.

2. Have your fish tank built INTO your cabinets

Fish tanks – especially the bigger variants – are definitely an eye-catching feature, but they can also look bulky and out of place.

One way to avoid this? Creating a built-in fish tank instead of using a standalone aquarium. As seen in this Bedok condo, a large fish tank built into a series of cabinets allows it to integrate smoothly into the space without taking up additional floor space.

3. Carve out a niche for your fish tank

On the topic of fish tanks, here’s another way you can display them without needing a separate stand to hold them up.

Carving a niche along their bar counter’s edge, the homeowners of this 4-room flat in Ubi created a unique storage area specifically for their fish tank. Unlike a regular stand that can topple over, this niche is sturdier and also helps the fish tank blend into the overall space.

4. Build a dog bath for your furbaby

If you've ever bathed your dog in the bathroom, you'll know the struggle of crouching or bending over for what feels like forever. Building a dedicated dog bath at hip level makes the whole process a lot more comfortable, especially if you have a medium or large breed that needs regular grooming.

The best part? It doesn't have to be a single-purpose feature. By incorporating it into the service yard, the dog bath can also double as an extra sink for laundry needs. Practical for your pet and surprisingly useful for the rest of the household, too.

That said, if you want to incorporate your laundry area and dog bath in the common bathroom instead of the service yard, take a leaf from this home in Ang Mo Kio.

5. Install cabinets with cut-outs that can serve as hiding spots

As any cat lover will tell you, cats simply love their small spaces – which is why these homeowners had cabinets with cut-outs built.

Aside from serving as great curl up spots, these playful fixtures can be used to conceal bulky litter boxes, as well as double as additional storage space when needed.

6. Keep your home safe but fun for your pets

There’s a reason why the phrase ‘curiosity kills the cat’ exists, and that’s because cats are naturally inquisitive animals. While this very trait is what makes them absolutely adorable, it can be a source of trouble too.

Hence, if you’re living with one cat – or three, like the homeowners of this colourful cat-friendly home – pet-proof features such as concealed wiring and cat flaps that can be locked are a must.

Due to safety hazards, certain areas like the kitchen and studio are also out-of-bounds for the kitties – something you can also consider doing in your own home.

7. Consider furnishings that let your pets sleep in the same room as you

Closing your doors is essential for privacy and containing the air-conditioning, but it does leave your furry friend stuck on one side of the door.

That’s where cat doors or doggy panels come in. Typically installed at the bottom of the door, these little flaps allow you to keep your doors closed whenever you want, while still allowing your cat/dog to come and go as they please.

8. Set up a dedicated cat playroom or enclosure

Not everyone is a cat person, and even the friendliest felines can get overwhelmed when the house suddenly fills up with guests. Having a dedicated playroom or enclosure gives your pets a safe, comfortable spot to retreat to, while helping visitors who may be uneasy around animals feel more at ease too.

Instead of tucking it away in a spare room, consider placing the enclosure within the communal areas of your home. This way, your cats can still be part of the action, and you can easily keep an eye on them while going about your day or entertaining guests.

Another good thing about having a dedicated cat enclosure is that the litter boxes can be contained within the space, which means the smell will not spread to the rest of the house.

9. Take advantage of awkward corners to create pet-specific features

Old HDB flats tend to have awkward corners and niches that may leave homeowners stuck for ways to properly utilise them. But that doesn’t mean they’re entirely unusable, as you’ll see in this pet-friendly and practical HDB flat!

Being owners of 2 cats and 2 parrots, the homeowners decided to have specific features carved out for them. For the cats, they created nooks and counters that provide additional resting and hiding spots, which also double up as a way to conceal the aircon piping.

For the birds, they decided on a custom-made bird cage that fits into an odd niche in the living room. The result: a one-of-a-kind feature that not only has ample space for the parrots to fly around, but also captures your attention upon walking into the space!

This article was first published on 31 July 2019 and last updated on 1 July 2026.

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