More than half of UK households own a pet, and for most of them the kitchen is where the animal spends its day. It follows that the kitchen should be designed with them in mind: safe, easy to clean, and with a place of their own.
This guide covers the whole kitchen. For built-in dog beds specifically, see our post on bespoke dog beds built into the kitchen.
The Pet-Friendly Kitchen at a Glance
A pet-friendly kitchen keeps harmful food out of reach, stands up to claws and muddy paws, and is quick to clean. In practice that means handleless doors or child-proof catches on low cupboards, an integrated pull-out bin, hard-wearing quartz or granite worktops, scrubbable paint on the cabinetry, a hard floor such as tile, stone or luxury vinyl, cables kept out of reach, and a dedicated spot for a bed with storage for food, leads and grooming kit alongside. Handmade Kitchen Company design and hand-build pet-friendly kitchens from our workshop in Essex.
Keep food and hazards out of reach
- Handleless or inset handles. Dogs, and determined cats, do learn to paw open low cupboards. Handleless doors or recessed pulls give them nothing to hook, and child-proof catches on the most tempting cupboards add a second line of defence. Chocolate, grapes, onions and several artificial sweeteners are toxic to dogs, so where you store them matters.
- An integrated pull-out bin. A bin built into the cabinetry keeps a curious dog out of the rubbish entirely.
- Cables out of reach. Trailing leads from kettles and small appliances are a chewing and pulling hazard. Enough storage to keep small appliances put away, and sockets planned where cables will not dangle, solves most of it.
- Ornaments and plants up high. Many common houseplants are poisonous to pets, so keep them, along with anything breakable, on high shelves.
A place of their own
Pets want to be where the family is. A bed built into the kitchen lets them settle while you cook and eat, rather than being shut away. It can be built into the cabinetry, tucked into a boot room or utility end, or placed beneath an overhanging worktop or peninsula.
In one of our Bishop’s Stortford projects, Stanley has a bed built into the classic shaker cabinetry, with drawers alongside for food, treats, grooming kit and waste bags, and an easy-clean floor for muddy paws.
In our Chelmsford kitchen, a traditional shaker U-shaped layout, the granite peninsula overhangs to create a sleeping spot beneath, with cupboards nearby for the dog’s things. Both are covered in more detail in our dog beds post.
Choose materials that cope
- Worktops: quartz and granite resist scratches and stains far better than timber or softer stone.
- Cabinetry: a scrubbable, hard-wearing paint finish lets you wipe off nose prints and splashes without damaging the colour.
- Flooring: tile, stone or luxury vinyl are the easiest to keep clean and cope with wet paws. Softer finishes mark easily under claws. Add a non-slip mat on smooth floors so older dogs do not slide.
Keep it easy to clean
Pets bring in mud, drool and a surprising amount of fur. A hard floor that mops easily, surfaces that wipe clean and a daily sweep keep on top of it. Planning a boot room or utility room by the back door, with a deep sink for washing muddy paws, keeps most of the mess out of the kitchen in the first place.
Pet-Friendly Kitchen FAQs
How do I stop my dog opening kitchen cupboards?
Choose handleless doors or recessed pulls, which give a dog nothing to hook with a paw or nose, and add child-proof catches to the low cupboards holding food or cleaning products.
What is the best worktop for pet owners?
Quartz or granite. Both are hard, scratch-resistant and non-porous, so they cope with claws, bowls being put down and spills far better than timber.
What is the best kitchen floor for dogs?
Tile, stone or luxury vinyl. They are easy to mop, cope with water and do not mark easily under claws. Add a non-slip mat or runner on very smooth floors.
Where should a dog bed go in the kitchen?
Out of the main walkway and away from the hob, but within sight of the family. A corner of the cabinetry, the boot room end of the kitchen, or beneath an overhanging worktop are the usual positions.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company design pet-friendly kitchens?
We design and hand-build bespoke kitchens, including built-in pet beds and boot rooms, at our workshop in Essex and hand-paint them on site, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London.
If you would like to know more about making your kitchen pet-friendly, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
