Making Room for Pets

Americans love their pets, some to the point of obsession. As pet owners increasingly treat their animal friends like key family members, businesses across the nation are getting the message that products that spoil Spot and Princess are more than welcome. Some home builders are getting into the act as well by creating homes that cater to their clients’ pets as much as to the clients themselves.

Pet-friendly details can be simple, such as a pet door to the outside, built-in feeding stations, or cabinetry for storing supplies and toys; or they can be complex, such as built-in play structures and complete rooms dedicated to the care and keeping of the animal. Bathing and grooming stations may be the most popular feature for owners of furry animals.

There is a potentially substantial market for pet bathing stations, according to a recent consumer survey conducted on behalf of faucet manufacturer Moen. The survey revealed that 47% of American pet owners bathe their animals in a bathtub or shower and that 22% bathe their pets in the driveway or elsewhere outside the home; only 6% take their pets to a professional groomer. About 31% of owners who bathe their pets at home do so once a month and 22% do so once or more per week.

An elevated bathing and grooming station takes the strain of bending and kneeling off pet owners, and is scaled to hold just enough water for small or large pets. Photo Courtesy: Wayne Harbin Builder, Yorktown, Virginia Builders can easily create a convenient pet bathing area with a modular or tiled bathtub or shower pan, or they can offer a complete bathing station out of the box, courtesy of MTI Whirlpools’ JentlePet Spa. It is designed to be built into a raised surround, has a non-slip basin floor, comes with a tub filler and handshower, and it is available with basin jets and retaining rings. Either way, a dedicated pet bath—conveniently placed in the laundry room, garage, or elsewhere—keeps animal hair and collected dirt out of the owner’s shower or tub.

Wayne Harbin Builder of Yorktown, Va., included MTI’s pet spa in the garage of its 2007 Parade of Homes house and received lots of positive feedback from visitors. According to vice president Brad Harbin, the company has incorporated a variety of pet-friendly details into several of its homes over the years, including outdoor hot water lines for pet bathing and grooming centers. “People want to take care of their dogs just like the rest of their families,” Harbin says. “It’s amazing how much money they want to spend.” Human comfort and pet accessibility during the bath are important details.

Building the bathing station on an elevated platform to minimize the need to bend or kneel is a helpful detail. A stairway or ramp access to a raised tub or shower platform allows large or heavy dogs and other pets to climb up so the owner does not have to lift them, as custom builder Stuart Colvin of Laurel, Md.-based CGC Builders did for one baby boomer client and her two Chesapeake Bay-loving dogs. Colvin says the pet shower is one of the client’s favorite features in the house.