Try these eight tips for efficiently storing pet toys, food, medicine, and more to take pet supply organization to the next level.
“Everything the light touches is yours.”
That’s what I tell my pets when I bring them home for the first time (Yes, I even do the Mufasa voice), but they sometimes take that advice too literally. Toys are drowned in water bowls, food is nowhere near the feeding area, and before you find your dog’s leash, it feels like you’re the one being walked. Ya feel me?Here are eight tips to instantly upgrade your pet supply organization.
1. Create A Pet-Friendly Entryway
This one is mainly for dog owners (and those brave souls that are able to get a harness on a cat and take it for a walk…I envy youso much!) Dogs are constantly going in and out for bathroom runs, daily walks, and car rides to Starbucks for pupachinos. So it makes sense to include their necessities near the door.
Use sturdy Command hooks, a cute shelf with baskets and coat hooks, or a simple basket to store your dog’s leash, harness, and cold-weather coat. And put a small bag nearby with extra waste bags and dog-friendly wipes to tackle dirty paws before they hit the carpet on the way back in from a muddy after-rain walk.
2. Stock A Travel Bag
Speaking of going for rides, I always keep a travel bag stocked up for my pup so he has everything he needs for our adventures. I just use a small sling-style backpack and keep it filled with the following items:
- Collapsible Water and Food Bowls (these are my fave)
- First Aid Supplies (this is the best kit I’ve found for dogs)
- Insulated Water Bottle (this one has a built-in mini-bowl!)
- Extra Waste Bags (I love these berry scented ones)
- Paw and Fur Cleaning Wipes (I use these because they smell like cupcakes)
- Allergy Medication (Pet-Friendly, like low-dosage Benadryl)
- A Couple Of Toys (we LOVE Barkbox toys!)
- Small Bag Of Treats (again, Barkbox, hands down)
- Zip-Lock Bag Of Regular Food (don’t leave it in the bag for more than a month)
- A Whistle (for safety in case we get lost or injured)
- An Extra Collar And Leash (in case one breaks or gets damaged, I like these temporary ones)
- A Travel Phone Charger (in case of emergency, this slim one is great!)
3. Store Items Where You Need Them
This one’s a biggie. You may think it’s a good idea to keep all the pet supplies in one place. But I want to encourage you to think again. I brush my kitties in the living room floor while I watch Ellen. But I brush my dog on the front porch. The dog eats in the kitchen but the cats eat near the laundry room. And they all like to play in different areas of the house.
By keeping the items I need in the room I use them in, it saves you a lot of back-and-forth, and encourages you to actually put the items away after use. If you cut your pet’s nails after a bath, keep the clippers in there, not in the basket by the front door with the waste bags. Trust me, you’ll wonder why you didn’t make this switch sooner.
4. Use Proper Containers
If you don’t want to keep your pet food and treats in their original bags, make sure you are storing them in food-safe containers that have a tight seal. There are proteins in pet food that can break down when not stored in their special packaging, so if you hate keeping those bags around and must use a container, do your research first.
I keep our dog and cat food in a lower cabinet in my kitchen in tightly sealed food-safe large containers. I also keep a scoop in each container to make refilling bows at feeding times easier. If you don’t have an extra cabinet for storage, check out some of these ideas in another blog post of mine.
5. Use A Medicine Tracker
From flea and tick prevention to heartworm prevention, to antibiotics and specialty medicines, it’s hard to remember when you last gave your pets their meds, and when to give them more. I had this same struggle, so I created a pet medicine tracker and I keep it on a clipboard in the cabinet I store their treats and medicines in.
Want this tracker plus lots of other helpful pages? Get your own Pet Planner in my Binder Kit Library.
6. Build A Mobile Grooming Station
Remember my cleaning caddy? That handy little caddy that allows you to take your cleaners all around the house? Why not create the same thing for pet grooming? You may not always groom your pets in the same place, so by keeping all your supplies in a small caddy, you can easily have everything you need, no matter where you decide to park.
I keep all the dog and cat grooming supplies in a divided caddy so I can go out on the porch or plop down in the floor without having to fill my arms with stuff and risk dropping it along the way.
Things to keep in your grooming caddy:
- Brushes and flea combs
- Shampoo, detanglers, and bath treatments
- Ear cleaner
- Paw wipes
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Electric fur clippers and shavers
- Nail clippers
- Spray bottle with water
- Towel (roll it so it fits standing up)
- Treat dispensing toy (for distractions)
7. Upgrade The Toy Box
First of all, if you don’t have a toy box, you need to get one TODAY. It can be a basket, bin, crate, or whatever works best for the height of your pet. Just make sure your fur babies can easily get the toys out.
And if you do have a toy box for them already, consider upgrading to a more functional one. I made this great pet toy box from a wooden box and casters. It’s perfect because I can roll it around as needed. We have a smaller bin I got from Target’s Dollar Spot for cat toys, and the kitties love playing IN the basket. (ha!)
Make it a habit to pick up your pets’ toys every night before bed and put them back in the toy box. And bonus tip, you’ll be able to see which ones your pets play with and which ones they don’t (their least favorites will always stay in the bottom of the bin) so you’ll know which toys you can purge.
8. Splash-Proof The Feeding Area
This is more along the lines of pet cleaning versus organization, but I just had to share what we did in our kitchen recently. Our dog Winston is a big boy, and when he drinks water it splasheseverywhere. It was getting all over the hardwood floor and the walls, so when we had our backsplash added, we had the contractor use leftover tile in a new feeding area for Winston. Now the water won’t ruin any surfaces, and he’s got a swanky new dining area.
I get that you may not be able to add a feeding nook like mine, but consider getting a large tray to protect your floor from splashes, and maybe some peel-and-stick tile on the wall behind the water bowl to protect your drywall.
Get The Pet Medicine Tracker!
Before you go, don’t forget to download my printable pet medicine tracker! It’s part of the New Pet Planner in the Organized-ish Binder Kit Library, and the entire kit has 24 pages to keep all aspects of pet ownership Organized-ish, whether you’re welcoming a new adoption or looking after a longtime furry friend.
Share Your Tips!
Do you have an organization tip that works for your pet supplies? Share it below in the comments! I’d love to get hear your ideas!
And speaking of more ideas, here’s my most popular pet post to date, Three Ultra-Affordable Tools To Get Rid Of Pet Hair.
And if your pets make your house, well, kind of stinky, this post on quickly making your home smell good is for you!
