Pet-Friendly Homebuilding with Cottonwood Custom Builders

Cottonwood Custom Builders is a prominent general contractor based in Boulder, Colorado. They specialize in “green” custom homebuilding and remodeling, and pride themselves on the ability to bring any vision to life.

We interviewed Hannah Finch Phillips (Marketing Director) and Kimberly Neill (Project Manager & Estimator), and combined their comments below.

Marketing Director Hannah.
Photo copyright: Cottonwood Custom Builders.

Project Manager/Estimator Kimberly. Photo copyright: Cottonwood Custom Builders.

Does your team have pets? 

Founder Jeff with his dog, Karma. Photo copyright: Cottonwood Custom Builders.

Do we ever!  We’re a pet loving community.  

Most days at the office, we have our friendly and very enthusiastic greeters: Beatrix (cattle dog mix) and Apollo (Boston terrier).  Both are rescue dogs that belong to our Marketing Director, Hannah.  When we are really lucky, our founder Jeff Hindman brings Karma the Portuguese water dog to the office, too! Karma doesn’t visit as often, as both of her humans work at pet-friendly offices, so we have to share her! 

Outside of the office, our team members have many more dogs, cats, and other animal companions!

Have your experiences with pets affected the way you think about functionality in home design or construction?

Certainly! As pet owners, we know how central they are to families and how much joy we find in pampering them.  As pets age, they need different considerations. Our goal is to build homes that pets are safe and happy in, from youth to old age.  

We love getting to build “wish list” amenities for pets in our homes, such as dedicated washing stations and built-in litter boxes!  It keeps the home clean and beautiful, and makes it easier to care for our furry (or scaly) friends. 

What makes your company a pet-friendly builder?

Dog wash station in a mudroom. Photo copyright: Cottonwood Custom Builders.

As a fully custom builder and remodeler, our homes are never “one size fits all.”  That doesn’t just apply to the humans! On each project, we work with the homeowners to make sure that everyone is happy with the final result, including their pets. 

Over the years, we’ve enjoyed coming up with clever solutions to make the humans’ and pets’ lives better!

Have you worked with clients whose pets were a major consideration in the project?

We’re working on a fun one now!  Our client has a dog and two cats.  Since the dog and cats don’t get along, and the owners don’t want the cat’s litter box in their bedroom (can’t blame them there!), we needed to create a way for the cats to travel from the second floor bedroom to the first floor mudroom. The solution? A secret cat tunnel between the two rooms. We’re currently working with the homeowners and their cats to determine the best finishing materials to allow the cats to feel comfortable and travel easily. 

How can builders help their clients live more comfortably with pets? What custom home options facilitate pet-keeping tasks?

There are so many options, it’s hard to know where to start.  We like to think about ways to make the humans’ lives easier, such as pet washing stations, automatic pet doors, and ventilation systems to reduce litter box odors. For the pets, we think of ways to add more delight to their lives.  Cozy window seats, heated tile floors, and built-in, raised eating dishes seem to be some pet favorites!

Pets need mental stimulation and exercise; otherwise their boredom can lead to destructive behavior. Do you have suggestions for home options that can help keep dogs or cats busy?

By creating things like cat tunnels and automatic pet doors, we enable our pets more space to move around and explore.  Since they spend so much of their lives in our homes, it’s essential that they have room to roam & play! Even better, when pets have a designated area that is built to withstand their rougher play (claws, mud, etc), it gives them an area to “blow off steam.”  

Speaking of destructive behavior (e.g., dogs chewing furniture or cats pushing figurines off shelves), do you have advice for clients whose pets are home alone all day?

Creating a designated space that the pets stay in when left alone is great for pets and humans.  Pets enjoy having a routine and places where they feel safe.  By creating a designated area that meets their needs (access to the outdoors or a litter box, sunshine, food, etc), it sets the pet up for success (and protects those family heirlooms). 

Kitchen with a honed concrete, radiant heated floor. Photo copyright: Cottonwood Custom Builders.

What do you see as the major considerations for building a pet-friendly home?  

The major considerations center around creating what YOUR pet needs to thrive, while balancing that with your design goals for the home.  Any style home, from traditional to modern, can be pet-friendly with creative thinking!  And of course, throughout the whole process it’s important to choose eco-friendly building materials that promote healthy indoor air quality and protect the environment. 

What type of floors do you recommend for households with large dogs?  

For durability and modern style, we suggest honed concrete.  After finishing, it is quite gorgeous and if you pair it with radiant heat in the flooring, it's a pet's dream!  Luxury vinyl tile is another durable option.  We feel that the honed concrete is a greener option, although both products have their shortcomings. 

What are your favorite pet-friendly luxuries?

Jeff’s cat, Mikki, enjoying a radiant heated floor.
Photo copyright: Cottonwood Custom Builders.

If we could give a gift to every dog owner, it would be a washing station.  It’s less stressful for the dogs and saves your back from having to lean over a tub!  And for cat owners, a heated tile floor. Cats love to lounge on the warm, relaxing surface. 

Many people think of "pet-friendly" as a design consideration that only applies to rich or eccentric clients. What do you think? Are pet amenities out of reach for the average homeowner?  

Not at all! Of course, there’s a range.  Not everyone has the time, energy, or resources to do custom framing for creating cat tunnels.  But there are many simpler things that are achievable.  We love looking online for clever DIY ideas. If you’re just getting started, it’s a great place to start!

Many pets live in apartments, and landlords are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of allowing pets (larger prospective tenant pool, happier/more loyal tenants, etc.). What tips would you offer to property managers who want to accommodate pets? Are there options that benefit families with pets as well as children?

We are huge believers in the value of time outside.  When communities create shared resources, such as off-leash areas for dogs, it doesn’t just benefit the pets. It also benefits the humans and often helps them meet more of their neighbors. A true win-win! Patio space is also great, but it’s essential that the railings and decking are safe for children and pets. 

Do you have any specific examples of pet-related challenges that you would like to share?

It can be hard to predict how a pet will react to a new environment. Sometimes, you might build something you’re sure they’ll love and then discover that something about it makes them uneasy.  With that in mind, we encourage people to beta test ideas before fully building them out. 

We had a great “learning moment” on this a few years ago. We crafted a cat tunnel that led to a custom litter box enclosure. It was designed so that when the cat was visiting the litter box, a ventilation fan would automatically turn on. Turns out, the cat was terrified of the fan. In the end, we disconnected the fan and the cat thoroughly enjoys the luxury litter box in peace.

Animals are unique creatures; listen to them as you’re designing their spaces. 

Do you think that pet amenities will ever be offered as standard "options" for homebuyers?

Especially with how people are thinking about home differently during the pandemic, we say YES! Buyers want their homes to be an oasis from the outside world.  Anything that makes life more comfortable and easier is a huge value-add!

A few pandemic-era photos of the Cottonwood team and their furry co-workers. All photos property of Cottonwood Custom Builders.

Summer Travel & Sad Doggie Faces

Summertime: the season of warmth and relaxation — and for many of us, travel. As in many households with pets (especially dogs), our travel plans often include decisions about hiring caregivers, finding good boarding facilities, or attempting to bring the animals along. While we try to find the best possible solutions for our dogs, there is almost always some guilt involved in disrupting their routine and sense of safety.

It is not easy to travel with pets, but sometimes it makes sense to include them. For example, my mother sometimes comes to visit for weeks or even months at a time. Her elderly dog would be traumatized if he were separated from her for that long, and the cost of a long-term petsitter is cost-prohibitive. Fortunately, he is a small, quiet, and well trained dog who is allowed to fly with her in the airplane cabin as an “emotional support animal” (ESA). Airlines have been tightening restrictions on ESAs, but people who have a doctor’s authorization stating that they have been treated for anxiety, depression, or other relevant conditions can still get permission to bring certain animals on board. Each airline has its own requirements, usually posted on its website. For animals who are NOT official service animals or approved ESAs, air travel options are limited. Very small, crated pets can sometimes fly in the cabin if the crate fits under the airline seat. Larger animals have to fly in the cargo area, which can be traumatic. Also, extreme weather or physical conditions such as a snub nose or a weak heart can affect the animal’s safety.

For us, airline travel with pets is not an option. Even aside from safety concerns, we would not pay to fly three large dogs to our not-necessarily-pet-friendly vacation destinations. We definitely cannot bring them on overseas trips. Our solution is to leave the dogs at home, where they are in familiar surroundings. We have a trusted pet sitter come by several times a day. For long trips, we have the trusted pet sitter or close relatives stay in our home to give the dogs a sense of companionship and normalcy. I cannot overstate the importance of having a reliable, caring, and trustworthy pet sitter — and a backup if your pet sitting service is only one person. Even if you are not planning a trip, I recommend finding someone for “just in case” and introducing them to your pets. You never know when a last-minute crisis will come up, and it’s nice to have someone you can call even if it’s just to swing by your house because you’ll be late and your pets need to be let out or fed.

Even when we have someone loving and responsible to cover pet care while we’re gone, it’s nearly impossible not to feel guilty when those sad puppy eyes watch us walk out the door. At that point, all we can do is take a deep breath, know that they will be fine, and enjoy our trip.

Dreaming of Catios

Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2015

I don’t have a catio. At the moment, I don’t even have a cat. When I did have cats, though, I longed to give them a safe outdoor space where they could enjoy the view and fresh air without the threat of being attacked by coyotes or hawks, or hit by a car. In addition to the many dangers faced by outdoor cats, I was concerned about the impact of my cats on birds and other wildlife*. So they stayed mostly indoors.

When the cats were older and a bit more sedentary, I started letting them spend time on the second-floor balcony of my bedroom. They loved sitting in the sunshine (or watching the rain), but eventually one of them started wandering further onto the roof and I had to rescind her privileges.

Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2017

We moved into our current house soon after that, and the cats were now spending most of their time in a big, sunny basement. (See blog post from 4/16/19.) My husband built a window box for them out of wood and screen so that they could look out and feel the breeze. Still, we were tempted many times to let them sit on the patio with us and explore the backyard under supervision.

Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2016

We toyed with the idea of adding a screen porch just outside the basement so that the cats could be “outdoors.” That prospect turned out to be too expensive, but our research led to all kinds of creative ideas that people are using to keep indoor cats safely connected to the outdoor world. You can see some of these ideas here. My favorites are “catios” (screened-in enclosures that range from simple lean-to structures, to elaborate cat houses with built-in climbing equipment) and “catwalks” (mesh tubes or tunnels that cats can walk through; usually attached to the house or laid across a yard/garden). In our search for pet-friendly amenities, indoor-outdoor spaces for cats tend to be among the most interesting. If you have found a great way to let your cat have controlled access to the outdoors, please share it in the comments or on our social media pages.

*Do you know of an outdoor cat or feral colony that kills birds? Click here to read about an easy solution.

Our Pet-Friendly Basement

Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2019

I am lucky to live in an area where basements are common. A basement is handy for many reasons, but it has been especially useful for solving my family’s pet-care challenges.

We first decided that we wanted a daylight basement when we were dealing with two cats who were wreaking havoc on our furniture and wall trim. We tried providing a variety of scratching posts, keeping cat claws trimmed or even covered, and countless other solutions that seemed to work for everyone but us. Sadly, our cats were determined to destroy the house in an apparent conspiracy: one was in charge of ensuring that every sofa, chair, curtain, or other soft surface was tattered and frayed, while the other one handled the destruction of wood surfaces such as baseboards and door trim.

When it was time for us to move, an unfinished basement was at the top of our house-hunting priority list. In addition to the cats, we had three dogs. We wanted them to have a damage-resistant area where they could be safe and comfortable if we had to leave them unattended for a few hours. A daylight basement (not to be confused with a cellar, which is typically smaller and has no windows) can be an ideal place to leave dogs and cats when you are not home, assuming that the area has been checked for comfort and safety.

As tempting as it is to convert a basement into extra living space, leaving it at least partly unfinished can be more practical in homes with pets. Concrete floors are a breeze to clean when there’s an accident, and cats can scratch exposed beams to their hearts’ content. Pets are our main reason for leaving the basement unfinished, but it has other benefits: arts and crafts, as well as children’s play, are enhanced by the light streaming between beams rather than being blocked by walls, and bare concrete floors take the stress out of messy activities. The only “finishing” we did was to cover the walls around the perimeter so that the insulation would not be exposed. We happened to have a beat-up old couch from our previous house that was perfect for the new space. As we added heavy-duty shelves, doggie gates, and other improvements, we kept all the surfaces rustic. To keep dogs from entering storage or arts and crafts areas, we created half-walls using old pallets. Any improvements we make in the future will continue to match the unpolished, utilitarian style. We want this to always be a place where no one worries about paint spills or muddy foot/paw prints.

A basement is also a great place to keep smelly or unsightly pet supplies, such as cat litter boxes and bags of dog food. We have designated one area of our basement for all pet-care tasks, including feeding and grooming. Someday we will add a bathroom with a utility sink and a dog-washing tub.

We no longer have our cats (one passed away and the other went to live in our son’s multi-cat household), so we installed a doggie door from the basement to our fenced backyard. Now our dogs can safely go in and out when we are not home.

If you are house-hunting and have pets, and if your area and budget permit, I highly recommend looking for a home with an unfinished daylight basement.

Cat-feeding shelves with recessed bowls are a good way to keep cat food away from dogs. Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2019.

Rustic dog pen with wooden gates and pallet half-walls. Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2019.

Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2018

Preventing Dog Urine Marking

Last week’s blog post talked about preventing fights when visitors bring their dogs over. A less critical but still bothersome issue that came up while we had visiting dogs in our house was urine marking. A guest’s male beagle started peeing on the floor, which caused one of our dogs to do the same. Obviously, we had to put a stop to that behavior, but how?

Our guests, of course, were embarrassed, and insisted on keeping their dog outside or in the garage. We all felt sorry for the exiled hound, though. His droopy eyes followed us sorrowfully every time we passed the window, and at night, he howled a song of loneliness from the garage. 

The next day, we gave him another chance and it paid off. The trick was to supervise him closely at all times. He was allowed to join us in the living room whenever we were gathered there. Like most dogs, he felt safe and relaxed being surrounded by people, so he was content and well behaved. He was also allowed to sleep in the room with his family. It’s a small bedroom away from the other dogs, so marking was not a problem. Whenever we all left the house, we made sure the beagle was either in that bedroom or (if the weather was nice and we wouldn’t be gone long) in the back yard. For more tips on preventing visiting dogs from marking, check out this article from VCA Animal Hospitals. For tips on training your own dog from marking in other homes, try this article.

Preventing Dog Fights

A recent hurricane evacuation from a nearby city, as well as the upcoming holidays, have brought a stream of family members with pets to our home. You can imagine the chaos, especially since we have three dogs and two cats of our own. Like most family gatherings, though, the chaos is welcome. Some of the cats had to be isolated in separate rooms, but most of the animals got along just fine. 

We did have one dog fight break out when somebody dropped a plate of food onto the floor and two male dogs rushed for it at the same time. Thankfully, it resolved quickly and with only a minor bite on one dog’s ear. We kept those two dogs apart for a day, but they have been fine together ever since. Still, we’ve been extra cautious to keep all food and feeding areas separate. 

For tips on introducing dogs to each other, please visit Best Friends Animal Society, Cesar’s Way, and PetMD. If a dogfight does break out, remember that intervening can be dangerous. Check out the techniques described on The Dodo, WikiHow, and Cesar’s Way. 

Copyright: Pet-Friendly Planning 2016