Top 10 Pet-Friendly Ideas That Encourage Outdoor Play

1. Create a place to run and play
Cats, dogs, even rabbits and guinea pigs in a pen, love to run around, so offer them plenty of space to do so, as 43 per cent of respondents to our survey have done. For dogs and cats, this can be achieved by a perimeter corridor connecting front to back gardens – so your pets can do a full lap around the house – or by offering them an open carpet of lawn out back so they can simply sprint up and down. Grass is the best surface as it is soft underfoot and visually appealing.

So you’re thinking about getting a dog/cat?

2. Install artificial lawn
While on the subject of grass, it’s worth noting here that laying synthetic lawn rated on the Houzz survey list of readers’ pet-friendly landscaping preferences, although it was not hugely popular with just 5 percent of Houzzers choosing to do so.

That said, artificial grass can suit a number of circumstances. For instance, it can be an alternative surface to natural grass for pet-owners who either have limited space or possess an outdoor area in which grass won’t grow. And it can be a welcome solution in a big yard when a large dog wreaks havoc with its antics on real grass. Plus, as a small bonus, artificial grass won’t offer safe haven for fleas and ticks.

3. Fence off areas
If you have large dogs and small children or frail relatives living with you, it might make sense to fence off areas for the humans to which the dogs will have no access. This will keep your relatives free from the sometimes over-friendly compulsion of your canine critters to cuddle up to them, while making it obvious to your dog where the no-go zones are.

You can also use fences to cordon off a place in which dogs can do their ‘business’. For example, train them to use a corner of the yard filled with pebbles or artificial grass that can be cleaned up easily; and perhaps install an old wooden stake here as a marking post. Separate this area from the rest of the yard with a tall fence. Cats, on the other hand, need no training. They prefer to look after their own powder room habits and will seek out private places with loose dirt or leaf mulch that they can easily scratch up to cover their waste.

4. Garden with toxin-free plants
As animals are highly susceptible to poisons in the outdoor environment, and yet often like to nibble on the greenery in your yard, ensure your gardens are filled with toxin-free plants as 26 per cent of people who were making pet-related upgrades did.

For example, lily toxicity is extremely devastating for cats, and sago palm has the potential to kill both cats and dogs. The RSPCA suggests looking up the US published Pet Poison List to ascertain if a plant has any noxious qualities.

5. Offer shelter
It’s vital to provide outdoor shelter to your pets if you expect you them to spend a good deal of the day and night outside. A dry mat or box out of the rain may be all that’s necessary in warm climes, but for those in regions that get lower temps, a dog or cat house with a cosy place to curl up in is the ticket.

The doghouse pictured previously, with its covered deck and cosy corner location, is fit for a canine king. But cats are just as pampered. Look at this oversized cat house which gives felines the chance to run, play and rest up comfortably.

Pampered pets and their homes

6. Pave paths to explore
If you want your pets to be happy, make sure they have plenty of opportunity to explore their outdoor domain. Pathways throughout the garden, front and back, create direction for your pets, but please make sure they are friendly to your pets‘ paws. Avoid using sharp stones, and opt for grass, gravel, wood chips, or flat pavers. Encouraging your puss or pooch to walk along paths will also hopefully keep them out of your garden beds or vegie patches.

7. Build features to protect edibles
It’s far too tempting for cats and dogs to explore off-limit areas of the garden. Especially attractive are vegie patches built with narrow paths that seem to resemble dog or cat runs. To avoid your produce getting trampled on, scratched up or even eaten, fence off the whole area or at least plant the vegetables in raised beds. And while you may want to rid your plants of pests, don’t forget to be careful not to spray them with anything that will be toxic to your pets, just in case.

8. Feature fresh water
When the Australian summer hits and the temperatures soar, often above 30 degrees in many of our cities and even higher elsewhere, pets can be severely affected by heat distress and dehydration. Pet owners should ensure that pets are not only given easy access to a dish of water, but also preferably to a water feature that is constantly replenished, such as a bubbling fountain or a regulated dripping tap. While only 10 per cent of backyard renovators making pet-related updates have incorporated a fresh water feature, it’s something that more pet-loving homeowners should consider.

9. Distract from digging (and scratching)
It’s natural for dogs to dig (holes in your yard) and cats to scratch (your fly-screens) but you can reduce their tendency to do so by creating a diversion. Give them things to do and play with outside. Dogs may feel cooped up or just plain bored in your yard so giving them a ball, rubber bone or pet toys to wrangle with, or an obstacle course to jump over, may be all that’s needed to keep them heads-up and barking with joy rather than having their head and paws stuck down a hole.

Cats need trees to climb and specifically tree bark to scratch, so you need at least one good tree in your garden. If you don’t have one, considering planting one quick smart. The addition of a ladder or ledges around the garden for kitty to climb up and onto will ensure feline satisfaction and hopefully reduce the appeal of clawing the back door.

10. Use your imagination
There are lots of other things pet owners can do to modify backyards for pets, including providing a pool to cool off in or a shady spot to lie in, a lookout platform for border control, a specialised dining area or a convoluted running track. But of all the optional extras, just don’t forget to install a doggy door or cat-flap so your pet can access this wonderland.

You can see the full results of the Houzz Australia 2016 Landscaping & Garden Trends Study here