We made it. This the 26th and final installment in the Organized Life Series.
This week is optional for some of you. Those sad, lonely, and possibly unloved people known as non-pet owners. Seriously, you don’t know what you’re missing.
We’re going to talk about cats and dogs, but if you have other pets, you can probably relate. In this article, I’ll be referring to my pug, Toby and my cat, Ringtail. Toby is a boy and Ringtail is a girl.
Supplies
If you’ve never owned a pet as an adult, you don’t realize how much pets cost. Here’s a rundown of the supplies you’d need for 1 cat and 1 dog:
- Collars
- Leash
- Doggie bags (for picking up after Fido when you go on walks)
- Fencing
- Indoor pet gates
- Dry food
- Canned food
- Food/Water dishes
- Treats
- Toys – stuffed, noisy, squeeky, tug-o-war, and even chew toys.
- Catnip
- Scratching post
- Beds – think living room, office, bedroom
- Dog crate
- Litter boxes & litter
- Carpet cleaner – believe it or not, vomiting is my biggest stain-maker
- Good pet-quality vacuum
- Lint Roller / Fabric Sweeper
- Furniture drop sheets
- Travel items (cat carrier, doggie seat, travel water dishes…)
- Nail trimmers
- Pet shampoo
- Pet brushes
Get Organized
Getting organized depends on how your pets live in your house. I’ll break down a good organizing solution by area.
By the Door
Whether you take your dog outside by the front or the back door, you should have an area for his things.
- Treats – keep treats by the door to reward your little guy for responding to your commands.
- Carpet Spray – most messes will occur near the door but still in the house, in my experience
- Towel – Wet puppies can get sick and WILL shake water all over your house. Dry your dog quickly when they come in out of the rain/snow.
- Leash – keep your dog leash near the door
- Doggie bags – get a nice dispenser with bags to clip on your leash, and keep backup baggies nearby.
- Cat/dog door – if you have an outdoor cat or a yard that your dog can not escape from, this is a good idea once your dog is fully house-trained
- Backup treats/snacks/toys – You need to keep a little plastic bin of your backups somewhere. I keep mine on the bookshelf by the back door.
- Fence – technically, this would be outside the door. If you get a dog, invest in a fenced-in yard.
Kitchen
You may feed your pets anywhere, but I find that a spilled water dish is easier to clean up in the kitchen, or specifically the breakfast room in my home.
- Food and water dishes – make sure you have dishes appropriate to your pets. If they turn dishes over and make a mess, buy ones that can’t be turned over. If they eat so fast they choke, get a dish that slows them down.
- Food – make sure you have an airtight container to store your food to keep it fresh. Keep a measuring spoon in your bin to serve the food. For the canned food, either get some of those lid covers or use a ziploc baggie. Keep open food cans in the refrigerator.
- Catnip – keep this up high in the cabinets.
Family Room
This is probably where you’ll spend most of the time with your pets.
- Toy Box – keep a basket or bin for toys so you can put them away.
- Beds – create a cozy corner with a bed so your pet can relax. I found that my pets loved the large ottoman that went with my chair-and-a-half. After cleaning up pet hair too often and finding that a towel moved too much, I purchased a pet bed the size of the ottoman. Now I just pull off the cover and wash it rather than trying to clean upholstery.
- Crate – You can keep your dog crate anywhere, but I found that my crate with a wooden enclosure worked as a nice side table in my family room.
- Water bowl – if your dog stays in a crate for long periods of time, it’s not a bad idea to put a little water in his crate. Get a bowl like this one for your crate. Just don’t give your little guy too much water or he could have an accident.
- Nail trimmer – I keep a Dremel tool in the family room to groom my dog.
- Scratching post – this keeps the cat from scratching the furniture. Train her using catnip.
- Pet Gates – get some pet gates, particularly when you’re training your dog. Restrict their movements.
Home Office
If you spend a lot of time in your home office, it’s a good idea to keep a bed and a toy basket in that room as well.
Closet
I have a nice, big closet under my stairs.
- Cat litter – If you have a dog that likes to get up close and personal with the cat litter, you can always cut a hole in the door and add a cat door. You can get the electronic ones that only work for the pet with a sensor collar, or if your cat is smaller than your dog, get one too small for the dog.
- Cleaning supplies – the giant super pet vacuum goes in here, along with carpet spray and the Pledge Fabric Sweeper.
- Pet shampoos – assuming you don’t take your dog to the groomer
- Pet brushes – nothing makes my cat happier than me taking 3 minutes out of my day to brush her. It also helps keep the pet hair to a minimum.
- Backup food/litter – I keep these heavy items in the bottom of the closet.
Bedrooms
This may vary according to your house rules. Some people let pets on the beds, some do not.
- Pet beds – if your pets are not allowed on the furniture
- Drop Sheets – great to keep on the guest bed if kitty likes to get up there and leave fuzzy deposits. I use an old sheet.
- Duvet cover – if you allow your pets on YOUR bed you might want to get a good, sturdy duvet cover that you can wash often.
Garage
Keep travel items like pet carriers in your garage.
Thanks for checking our our series on getting your life organized. Feel free to look at the rest of the series and watch for new articles and series appearing all the time!
