My Next Project: Making Room For Pets

I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about my animals. My dog, Boo, is a labrador retriever/border collie mix. Then my two precious cats, Powder and Peeve, are a flame-point Siamese and a Calico, respectively.

I love them so much, and this tiny condo is as much their home as it is mine. The problem is that there’s just so little space, that I find myself “making do” with some of their things.

When I make Boo’s food each night, I just put his dish on the floor any ole place, and then when he eats (because he eats a raw food diet, which is more challenging to get out of the food bowl), his dish ends up across the room. And while it’s quite entertaining to watch him push his bowl around as he’s trying to get the food out, I’d rather not have to search for the bowl each night when I’m ready to make his food.

And then there’s my cats. I have to have their food bowl up off of the floor, or else Boo will eat their food, and they’ll be left with nothing. So where does it end up? Either on the countertop in the kitchen or on the table. Well, that’s just gross. I love them, but their little kitty litter paws on my countertop or table is just disgusting, so they’ve taken over the table, and Matt and I eat elsewhere.

That just won’t do. We need our table back.

So the other day, I was browsing blogs, and I came across this picture:

Oh, how I wish I could remember where I found this picture!! (I REALLY need to get better about noting sources.) I could just hug the neck of the person who posted this on her blog. What a fabulous idea! So naturally, my wheels started spinning, and I’m sure that I have the perfect solution.

You see, a few months back, my neighbor gave me a couple of pieces of furniture that she no longer wanted. (I wonder what that says about me, that my neighbors know they can pawn off old, unwanted furniture on me. Hmmm…) 🙂

Anyway, one of the pieces she gave me was this desk:

(And by the way, my walls are NOT that gold. They’re a pale yellow. I have no idea why it looks that way in the pic.)

So here’s the plan:

(1) Remove the bottom two drawers, and the rails that separate the two spaces, and cut holes in the bottom for Boo’s food and water bowls to be recessed into the bottom.

(2) Cut a hole on the very top “shelf” of the desk for Peeve and Powder’s food bowl to be recessed into. (I’ve tried just sitting the bowl up there, but Peeve has knocked it off twice, and Boo ate the food. And when the bowl is empty, she knocks it onto the floor so that the loud clanging sound will alert me that she needs more food. I could really do without these subtle hints.)

(3) Remove shelf from inside the desk part so that it’s one big open space.

(4) Cut a hole in the side so that Powder and Peeve can enter the desk area when the flip top is closed.

(5) Make a cute little cushion to fit inside the desk area for Powder and Peeve to have a comfy, out-of-the-way place for daytime naps. (Powder, especially, LOVES dark, enclosed spaces.)

(6) Keep top drawer for storage of pet products and accessories: leashes, shampoos, ear drops, brushes, nail clippers, etc.

(6) Finish out with beautiful details: beadboard, gorgeous paint, etc.

So, that’s the plan. I’m so excited about getting started on this! And very excited about my cats having their own place, and no longer having to search for Boo’s food bowl.