Pets are part of the family and they want their homes ready for them as well.

Sixty five percent of American homeowners also have pets as part of their families. Over 300 million fury family members in total, in the United States. Notice the term “own pets” is no longer used? They are part of the family.

Services for pets now include such things as holistic healing, pet massage, deluxe boarding and spas. Pet food and toys have moved upscale as more and more specialty brands enter the marketplace. Don’t be shocked if you ever see a dog in a couture sweater that cost hundreds of dollars.

(A pet bathroom)

In 2016, pet related spending totaled over $62 billion and has maintained a constant spending growth rate of 5.4% since 2002. The spending has been so consistent that the industry is considered close to recession proof. Of all spending, 60% comes from high income households.

With those numbers, the slow-to-change home building industry has started to make a dramatic shift toward meeting the needs of pet owning families. Some of the new options in homes include things pet suites with TVs, so your lab can watch her favorite show, and special tubs made for pet washing. These suites can add as much as $35,000 to the cost of a home. Cats are also a big consideration with designs including hiding spaces and integrated scratching posts.

Pet parents also want homes that provide convenience for them as well. Pull out boxes to store pet food in are an integration now offered in homes. A separate space for cleaning a muddy dog keeps the bathrooms clean and enables easier clean-up. Bowls are even being built into cabinets.

Even blogs are now dedicated to this newest trend in building and even have house plans with pet suites. Two of them are Time to Build and House Plans Blog. Pinterest is filled with images of pet friendly homes and progressive builders offer pet friendly options on their websites. Design centers, like Sater Design, even have pages dedicated to pet friendly home designs.

Pet doors are a huge consideration for new homeowners as the traditional method of installing the door in the wall after purchase devalued the home and potentially took the home out of code. The newest trend has been the installation of patio doors with the pet doors integrated, so that pet owners have a solution for cats and dogs to enter and exit the home freely. It is a convenience for both the pet and the pet family members that don’t want to get up to let Fido in and out.

Boise based PETiO DOOR INC, manufactures and sells sliding glass doors with the pet door built into the glass. They have seen this new trend moving from the southwest to the northern states since its introduction in fall 2016. According to PETiO DOOR’s president, Brian McKay, “We saw a new trend in the industry and an additional way for builders to satisfy their customers with a very functional solution. Products that allow builders to satisfy pet families are being created nationwide and fulfill a definite need. Our builders are forward thinking, innovators and want to have customers that move in fully satisfied.”

(A pet ready sliding glass door from PETiO DOOR)

Pet owners are showing themselves not to be price sensitive and the pet market is expected to grow to over $90 billion by the early 2020’s. New companies, like PETiO DOOR, and new solutions are being created constantly for this growing market segment.

It is very likely that soon new home customers all across the US will be asking their builder, “Is this home pet friendly?”