The love you have for your pet is possibly only rivaled by the amount of stuff you have for your furry friend. While your love for your pets fills your heart, their belongings quickly overcrowd your home. Having a designated area for "pet central" can help, and luckily, organizing your pet's space isn't rocket science. It just takes a little know-how, effort, and these easy tips.
How to Start Creating an Organized Pet Space
First things first, before you start tossing all your pet’s belongings into cute boxes and bins, you need to know what exactly you have. Gather up all of your pet’s stuff from around your home and bring it to one location. Then, start to sort out all of the items into similar piles. For example, all the toys in one pile, all grooming supplies in another, etc.
Once you have all of your sorted piles, assess each one to tally up what your pet has. Toss out anything broken or overly worn, and create a new stack of duplicates that you can donate to a charity or rescue organization. Now, you should only have what you plan to keep remaining, and you’re ready to get organized!
Set Up Pet Zones
Just like you, your pet does different things in various areas of the home. Therefore, it makes no sense to have all of her things piled up in one place. Think about what you do with your pet and where you do it so that you can set up efficient, functional zones for various tasks. This process will not only keep your pet’s items neat and tidy, but it will also make your life so much easier.
To get your pet’s stuff (and your life with your pets) under control, take a look at these 8 helpful ideas for creating the ultimate, organized pet zones.
Food and Treats
The most important part of storing your pet’s food and treats is to use airtight containers to keep edible items fresh and pest-free. The options for jars, bins, and other possibilities are pretty much endless, so you can undoubtedly find something to fit your personal aesthetic. If you like to see everything, opt for clear glass or acrylic containers. If you’d rather not have to stare at your pet’s kibble, select a pretty ceramic or stainless steel jar with a fun label.
Keep the jars in an area where it makes it easy for feeding time. For example, your dog food container should be near your pet’s dishes. If you don’t have a lot of space, consider one large container that you can keep in the pantry or laundry room and a smaller, more manageable container near your pet’s dishes to handle daily feedings. Then, you can simply refill the smaller container as needed. Plus, to keep pet messes to a minimum, using a product like the Neater Feeder helps keep spills contained in the attached bottom tray, instead of all over your floor!
Items to help you stay organized:
Frisco Airtight Food Storage
Iris Airtight Food Storage Container
Frisco Melamine Treat Jar
Neater Feeder Deluxe
Toys
Very much like a lively toddler, your pets can end up with toys all over the house in a matter of minutes. This is great for playtime, but when it’s time to clean up, having a designated spot for all of your pet’s balls, bones, squeaky toys, fake mice, and stuffed squirrels makes pick up time a breeze. You can get a basket that goes with your home’s decor and place it in an inconspicuous corner, or if your pet has her own chill spot, you can keep it there.
Plus, resist the urge to give your pet twenty toys at a time. Keep a few of her favorites out, and let the rest stay in your backstock area (more on this later). You can rotate them out, which will help your pal’s toys last longer, too. Bonus points if you can train your furry friend to help pick up after herself.
Items to help you stay organized:
Harry Barker Cotton Rope Toy Bin
Paw Prints Fabric Toy Bin
Bone Dry Rectangle Storage Bin
Grooming Station
Keep your pet’s grooming essentials within easy reach near wherever you bathe and brush your pet. If you prefer to wash your pal outside, keep the supplies in a convenient caddy that you can grab easily when you need it.
Since you likely will do things like brush and trim your pet and clip her nails more often than bathe her, you might want to keep these supplies in a separate caddy. You can always grab the items you need and put them in the bath caddy for bath time. For things like pet wipes and cologne, consider keeping some of these near your back and front door, so you have them right where you need them.
Items to help you stay organized:
Shernbao Professional Grooming CaddyDerby Originals Grooming Tote Bag
Pet Health
Items like flea and tick prevention, supplements, and a pet first-aid kit should be kept together for convenience. You can keep them in something as simple as an appropriately-sized storage bin. If you give your pet a monthly pill, such as heartworm prevention, label the pill pack with each month. Then, you'll always be able to tell if you miss a dose.
For daily medications, you might want to keep them somewhere a bit more accessible or near something you do every day. For example, you can keep it by your multivitamin or the coffeemaker to help you remember to give it to your pet.
Items to help you stay organized:
Did You Feed the Dog? (But use it for daily medication instead. It's also helpful if you have young children in the home whose job it is to feed the pets.)Medicine and First-Aid Boxes
Kurgo Pet First-Aid Kit
Out the Door
The best way to keep things functional is to have items where you need them. So, why would you want to keep your dog’s leash rolled up in a drawer that's as far away from the door as possible? Instead, have a couple of hooks near the front door, perhaps by your keys, for things like a leash, poop bags, and anything else you bring with you when you're out-and-about with your pal.
Items to help you stay organized:
Mobile Dog Gear Dog Walking BagNeater Pets Reflective Leash with Attachable Waste Bags and Dispenser
Customized Leash Holder
Travel
If you travel a lot with your pet, packing and unpacking her belongings constantly can get old. Instead, keep some necessary items ready-to-go in a designated pet travel bag. Include some labeled containers for things like food, treats, and medicine as instant reminders of what you need to pack for your friend.
Items to help you stay organized:
Wahl Paw Print Tote Bag Mobile Dog Gear Rolling Dog Bag
Kurgo Kibble Carrier Travel Container
Pet Papers
Keep a separate folder containing your pet's records with your other important papers. Another great option is a basic three-ring binder in which you can place customized printables and essential information.
Go digital with as much as possible to alleviate the amount of paper. Many vet clinics make it possible to access your pet's health records online or with an app, making it super easy to show proof of vaccinations when doing things like traveling or boarding your pet.
Items to help you stay organized:
Ultimate Pet Care KitPet Care Binder Printables
Pet Backstock
It's helpful to have a backstock area for spare items, extra food, and anything you might buy in bulk, like doggy shampoo or cat litter. This place is typically set up somewhere like a laundry room or in a spare closet. A backstock area enables you to keep all of your pet zones trim and streamlined, restocking them as needed.
With these few simple tips and some effort, you’ll finish organizing your pet’s space in no time! Now, the next time you’re ready to take your pup for a walk or give your kitty some tasty treats, it doesn’t have to be a frantically scrambled version of hide-and-seek. You’ll know right where everything is, and you can do what you need to do, hassle-free.
For more useful ideas like these, check out the rest of our blog! You’ll always find all sorts of resources and advice to help you create a better life for you and your pets!