The phrase "pet project" is taking on a whole new meaning for Canadians - they're not only owning pets in increasing numbers, they're adapting their homes to give pets their very own space.
A majority (56 per cent) of Canadians surveyed in RBC Royal Bank's 13th Annual Housing Survey have pets in their homes, and one in five (21 per cent) of those pet owners have altered their homes to accommodate their pets.
"A few of these alterations - the addition of secure 'pet portals' through doorways or windows, or reinforced 'grooming' countertops - are as much for the pet owner's convenience as for that of their pets," commented Mike Mayo, senior manager, Home Equity Products at RBC Royal Bank. "Others involve much more extensive renovations, to make our homes as pet-friendly as they are people-friendly."
Some of the more creative solutions to the care-and-feeding of our four-legged friends:
- Pet "cubbies" - built-in cubbyholes, complete with bedding, tucked
into the bottom of pantries or kitchen cabinets
- Customized bathing areas - shower stalls with enlarged drains, or
oversized, waist-high bathtubs
- Pet nooks - home space that can include pet-friendly flooring (vinyl
or rubber tiles) and furniture, with ample space for pet possessions
(chew toys, scratching posts, feeding dishes, brushes, leashes)
- Built-in hideaways for kitty litter or pet crates - pull-out drawers
or under-counter spaces adapted for pet use
"Renovations for pets have come a long way since the first 'doggy doors' came onto the market," added Mr. Mayo. "It's a good idea not to forget the pets if you're making a large scale renovation. There are a multitude of pet-friendly home alterations for people whose pets are truly members of the family."
These are some of the findings of an RBC Royal Bank poll conducted by Ipsos Reid between January 18 and 24, 2006. The online survey is based on a randomly selected representative sample of 2,001 adult Canadians. With a representative sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data results were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.