What if your dog were Marley from Marley & Me? Or Beethoven, the oversized Saint Bernard? Or maybe your cat was Garfield, picky and proud. Cute, yes. But now imagine stepping on their water bowl. Again. Spilling food across the hallway. Again. You’re frustrated. You clean it up.
The bowl’s next to a cabinet. Or under a table. Or too close to where you walk when carrying groceries. There’s no thought behind the placement. No barrier. No built-in space. So the food gets kicked. The water splashes.
At AV Architects + Builders, we ask about these things when designing your custom home. Where does the food bowl go? Where do pets sleep, bathe, play, or hide when guests arrive? Most homes ignore this. We don’t. Because homes that work for your pets work better for you. Keep reading. You’ll leave with real fixes you can apply. Or if you’re building new, you’ll know what to ask for from day one.
According to a 2024 report by the American Pet Products Association, 66% of U.S. households own pets. That’s over 94 million homes. Most weren’t built with pets in mind.
In those homes, the feeding area is often an afterthought. You set a bowl down wherever there's space. But those quick fixes turn into long-term problems:
People love their pets but keep solving the same avoidable issues. The data shows a clear gap between how homes are designed and how people actually live.
When the bowl placement isn’t part of the home plan, it usually ends up in one of these spots:
These are reactive choices. You pick them because there’s leftover space—not because they make sense for your pet or your routine.
Why those locations don’t work for the pet bowl:
These placements solve nothing. They create daily friction. But the pet bowl isn’t the only problem. It’s just the one you keep stepping on. The truth is, most homes are built without pets in mind.
There’s no plan for where the litter box goes, how to clean muddy paws, or where your dog should rest when guests come over. You end up cramming things into corners, hiding them in closets, or settling for whatever space is left. Then you blame the pet when things get messy. But maybe it’s the layout. Maybe it’s the design. Maybe the house isn’t working for them—or for you.
1. Why Bowl Placement Always Becomes a Problem
Most people place food and water bowls in the kitchen, near a wall or tucked by a cabinet. It seems logical. But that choice creates traffic issues, safety risks, and constant mess.
You wouldn’t put your dining table in the hallway. Don’t treat your pets’ meals like an afterthought.
Designated feeding zones matter. That means built-in nooks or recessed areas with washable surfaces, out of high-traffic paths. Your pet eats in peace. You stop stepping in puddles. Everyone wins.
2. Litter Boxes and Pee Pads Shouldn’t Be Hidden, They Should Be Integrated
Where’s the litter box? Behind the laundry machine? In the guest bath? In the garage?
These spots feel out of sight, but they don’t work. Poor ventilation. Zero accessibility. Your cat refuses to use the box. Your dog misses the pad.
Fix it with smart placement. Add a ventilated nook in a low-traffic area. Use odor-resistant surfaces. For custom homes, request enclosed cabinets with side entry holes or hidden drawers. These solve the problem without turning your house into a pet store.
3. Scratches, Stains, and Smells Start with the Wrong Surfaces
If your dog were Scooby-Doo or your cat were Tom from Tom & Jerry, your floors wouldn’t survive. But many real pets scratch floors, leave stains, and trap smells. Most homes aren’t built to take the hit.
Choose hard flooring with sealed surfaces. Skip wall-to-wall carpets. Add pet wash stations near entry points. Use low-porosity materials on walls and floors. Ask about stain-resistant fabrics for your furniture.
The right materials make your space easier to clean and harder to damage.
4. Built-in Pet Zones Keep Everyone Sane
When pets don’t have their own space, they invade yours. That’s not their fault. It’s yours. You didn’t give them what they needed.
Built-in zones fix this. Add a dog bed under the stairs. Install a cat perch in your office window. Include a pet crate nook near your room with a sliding door. These features create boundaries without fences or gates. Pets know where to rest. You get your space back.
Built-in zones aren’t luxury. They’re structured. You structure your kitchen, your closet, your garage. Do the same for your pets.
For more ideas on designing pet-friendly homes with thoughtful built-in features, visit this article on custom home design ideas for pet lovers.
5. Pet Doors Should Fit the Way You Live, Not the Back of the Garage
The most common pet doors are small flaps in the back wall of the laundry room. That’s fine for outdoor cats, but it doesn’t work for most dogs or for owners who supervise outdoor time.
Put your pet door where it fits your habits. That might mean:
Add locks, timers, or motion sensors. Design around how you live, not what you saw at a big-box store
Today’s pet households aren’t limited to dogs and cats. Many families include:
Each animal has unique needs. A rabbit’s hay station won’t work for a turtle’s tank. A birdcage setup is different from a fish tank zone.
What works:
Pets are sensitive to noise, temperature, and layout. Felix the cat wouldn’t tolerate a noisy corner, and neither will your guinea pig.
When you plan early, you unlock better options. These features make feeding zones easier and cleaner:
Each item serves a purpose. Pull-outs hide the mess. Drainage protects your floors. Lighting improves safety. The goal is efficiency, not decoration.
You might not have pets now. But the next buyer might.
A NAR survey found that pets strongly influence homebuying and renovation decisions. Buyers notice built-in bowls, cleanable surfaces, and enclosed feeding zones.
According to Better Homes & Gardens, homes with thoughtful pet features often sell faster and photograph better in listings.
Future-ready homes sell better. A clean drawer today becomes a pet drawer tomorrow.
You wouldn’t put your coffee maker in the hallway. You wouldn’t store cereal under the table. So why settle for poor pet bowl placement?
Here’s how some homeowners solved it:
For home maintenance beyond pet care, see our article on home maintenance tips for new homeowners.
Why Pet Bowl Placement Matters in Custom Home Design
If you’re tired of makeshift setups, schedule a discovery call with AV Architects + Builders. We think ahead from the bowl to the bin to the cleanup.
We design spaces that stay clean, quiet, and useful. No more tripping over dishes. No more awkward cleanup zones. No more pet routines that disrupt your layout.
Visit our Learning Center to explore case studies, maintenance strategies, and design ideas. You’ll see how the right placement solves daily problems before they happen.
We solve real problems with permanent design. Every square foot should work harder for you and for your pets.