There is much to consider when you are going tiny including downsizing by pairing down your things. You beloved dog or cat does not need to be one of them. There are many people that live tiny with not only small animals but larger ones as well. Sure, you hear of folks who are moving to NYC and have to get rid of their dog, but for the majority of us, a house pet, whether they are tiny or not, are part of the family. And we will change the way we live our lives to accommodate them. Here are some great ways to help keep your space, your sanity AND your tiny house pets happy and comfortable.
Built-in Storage
There are many pet owners that have created built-ins in their regular homes. Obviously, these same concepts will apply to a tiny house as well.
Utilizing under stairs storage, or bottoms of cabinets or closets is a great way to keep a cat box or dog crate out of the way. The photo above is from 2Paws Designs, where Sarah and her husband decided to stash the cat stuff in an unused space under the stairs. The photo to the right from Wishbone Tiny Homes shows a great place for any small dog or cat to hide away under the stairs.
Outside Fun
As you can probably imagine, tiny house living is as much about making use of the outdoor space as it is about the indoor space. Fire pits, barbecues and even beer gardens are just a few ways that people make the most of their tiny living. The same can hold true for your pets. There are many collapsible and portable runs, houses, and even fences that you can set up to keep you from herding cats at the end of the day. Just remember to please keep your furry friends out of the sun, with plenty of water and don’t leave them outside all day. If you are looking to get your feet wet in the tiny building world and want to start with something really small, why not consider Dan's doghouse plans!
For Soon to be Owners of Tiny House Pets
So you are thinking about wanting to get a pet and you either live in a tiny house or soon will. Make sure you consider your space properly. I am not saying that you can’t have a big dog, just keep in mind that they need space, too. You will find that most tiny house people end up with smaller pets such as cats and small dogs, mainly because it is easy to hide their accouterments under the stairs in a drawer or cabinet. Again, if you are a true animal person, then you are probably going for what you want and you will make them work in the space that you have. We are a Treeing Walker Coonhound family (That is my Josie right there) and will probably continue to have them even once we are in our tiny house. That being said, in my family the dogs sleep on the bed. We know that we don’t want the dog falling out of a loft (or us for that matter) so the bedroom will go on the bottom floor. We also know that at 70 lbs., she is probably too big to hide under the stairs. So we are going to have to find room for her to have a bed for during the day when our bed is stashed. It is all about compromise. Maybe you just want to have goldfish. That is perfectly fine. You can also have zero tiny house pets. Just remember, they have to live there, too. What kind of pets are you taking into your tiny house? Let me know in the comments below.