If you have decided that it's time to remodel your kitchen, you may have started exploring countertops, cabinets, and fixtures to see what you might like best. One of the things that you may not have thought of is features you could incorporate with your pets in mind. After all, most people don't really associate their pets with their kitchen renovation. However, there are some elements that you might want to consider when you're planning a remodel of your kitchen in a home with animals.

Pet-Friendly Floors

For many pets, laminate, tile, and similar smooth flooring can be hazardous. With four paws to balance on those floors, even one of those paws slipping can lead to a displaced hip, an injured knee, or other painful problems. While you might put carpet runners elsewhere in the house where you find smooth flooring, carpets in the kitchen can collect crumbs and be problematic.

Instead, protect your pets from traction-related injuries in your newly remodeled kitchen by opting for textured flooring. Whether you choose an epoxy flooring with a textured material incorporated or you opt for textured tiles, choosing a floor that has some sort of traction-improving feature can make the new kitchen safer for your pets.

Convenient Food Dish Storage

If you're tired of tripping over your pet's food dishes, you should talk with your contractor about incorporating a feature that gets those dishes out of the main floor area. You have a few different options for this, including incorporating a recessed area within your cabinets or your center island where the dishes can sit so that your pets can easily access them without them being out on the floor.

A recessed area is convenient when you have pets that free-feed. It's also ideal if you don't have a water fountain or other water dish elsewhere in the home so you need to have water accessible all the time in the kitchen. However, if your pets have a feeding schedule and access to water elsewhere in your home, you may want to talk with your remodeling contractor about an enclosed cabinet space where the dishes can be kept out of sight when they aren't in use.

Built-In Kennel

If you have dogs, but don't prefer them running loose in the kitchen when you're cooking, you can meet in the middle and let your pups in the kitchen with you while keeping them contained in a built-in kennel. Have a kennel incorporated in space under your island to give the dogs somewhere safe to stay safely out from underfoot but still close by you where they are happy.

Talk with your kitchen remodeling contractor about incorporating features like these into your remodeling plan. Kitchen remodeling can be just as much about your family's four-legged members as it is about your preferences.