Aging Together: How to Make a Home Safer for Aging Pets
From flooring to feeding, these fixes may help you and your older pet age in place
Your home should make you feel safe, comfortable and happy — and the same is true for your pets. But as pets move into their older years, the home they love can become more challenging to navigate. Just like people, aging pets can struggle with arthritis, hearing loss, diminished vision, mobility issues and respiratory concerns.
So how do you reconfigure your home to better accommodate your senior pet while making it safer and more comfortable for you as well?

According to Molly Erin McCabe, owner and principal designer at McCabe By Design, "Humans aren't the only creatures who benefit from 'aging-in-place' design — our fur babies can too!" Aging-in-place design, which she defines as "the practice of making everyday home life more comfortable, easier to navigate and safer," is all about ensuring that homes work for all family members as they age.
Both humans and animals often see gradual hearing loss as well as increased noise sensitivity as they age. For this reason, Kimberly Kerl, founder and principal designer at Kustom Home Design, sees reducing background noise as essential. She notes, "Appliances and electronic devices can create significant background noise that hinders the ability to hear or comprehend speech." Some pets may also be sensitive to vibrations from appliances. Kerl says installing quieter appliances can help.
To minimize noise, she recommends dishwashers with sound deadening insulation, remote motors on cooking vents and exhaust fans and laundry rooms equipped with soundproofing. A door with weather stripping can also help to mute laundry noise.
Breathe Easier and Step Lightly
With both people and pets, immune systems tend to weaken with age. People over 65 account for between 50% and 70% of flu-related hospitalizations, according to the CDC, and older pets are more likely to develop complications from respiratory infections than their mid-life peers.
"Air quality and humidity control are important for respiratory health," states Laurie Coger, D.V.M., of the Healthy Dog Workshop. To improve indoor air quality, she recommends using air purifiers, changing filters regularly and positioning them strategically.
While everyone likes a fresh smelling home, Coger also warns that scented candles and cleaners can be harmful to pets and people. She suggests swapping them out for natural, chemical-free alternatives.
Finding flooring that works for both people and pets as they age can be challenging. Hard surfaces can be slippery, and are often hard on the legs (or paws). If someone slips and falls, they're more like to end up hurt if they land on a hard surface. And senior dogs, in particular, need traction, according to Coger.
Carpet, by contrast, provides a softer landing, but tends to gather dirt and dander, and it can be more difficult to clean if your pet has an accident.
While everyone likes a fresh smelling home, Coger also warns that scented candles and cleaners can be harmful to pets and people.
Kerl also warns that, "Edges of rugs can easily become tripping hazards, and transitioning from a soft surface with traction to a harder surface with less traction can lead to falls." One possible solution is using "indoor/outdoor rugs with rubber backing or slip resistant pads. These are typically thinner materials with less traction than carpet rugs, and are easier to clean."
For areas where hard flooring is desirable, McCabe recommends flooring with a slip-resistant finish. For cat owners, she likes low-pile carpet squares, as they provide some cushioning, and are also easy to remove and wash individually if the cat has stomach issues.
She adds, "Senior cats who experience hearing loss may resort to 'reading' their surroundings through vibrations, especially from the floor. Therefore, using low pile carpet can allow your cat to understand their environment better."
Healthy Eating and Drinking
Remember when you were 20 and could eat just about anything and still feel great? Pets may also have more sensitive stomachs as they age, and they may need better nutritional support. Fatty foods can lead to pancreatitis, while higher carb diets increase the risk of cancer.
Fresh food has many benefits, both for pets and people.
For those who enjoy cooking, steam ovens, air fryers and sous vide are great cooking options for making healthier meals.
Cooking can also be a great way to entice a finicky older pet to eat. If food is your love language and you want to share that with your four-legged best friend, Coger cites The Forever Dog Life as a resource for finding nutritionally balanced recipes for your pets.
But even if you hate to cook, you can still enjoy the benefits of healthy, home-cooked meals. Numerous delivery services bring home-cooked meals right to your doorstep — and similar services now deliver home-cooked pet meals as well.
"Senior cats who experience hearing loss may resort to 'reading' their surroundings through vibrations, especially from the floor."
Whatever you food preferences, eating healthier starts in the kitchen, and Kerl says your kitchen should be designed to facilitate that. She states, "Conveniently located refrigeration and microwaves can make it easier to store and reheat homemade food. Refrigerator drawers, undercounter chillers, microwave drawers and speed ovens can make it easier to store and reheat small batches of food for people and pets."
Kerl also recommends induction cooking as "the safest type of cooktop" (unless you have a pacemaker). Because the cooktop stops heating when the pan is removed, you're less likely to accidentally get burned — and if your cats are prone to walking across the cooktop, they're less likely to get burned as well.
Water consumption is critical as people and pets age. Older cats, in particular, may struggle with getting enough fluids. McCabe sees water fountains as a great solution, stating, "Cats love running water and therefore may be more inclined to drink, helping mitigate feline maladies such as diabetes and kidney disease. For homeowners, water fountains are advantageous because they hold more liquid than a standard bowl, reducing the frequency of refilling. They're also harder to kick over due to the weight of the motor, which means less bending and cleaning."
As an added benefit, the calming sound of water bubbling may help to reduce stress.
"Cats love running water and therefore may be more inclined to drink, helping mitigate feline maladies such as diabetes and kidney disease."
Of course cats aren't the only ones who benefit from greater water consumption. Water helps to regulate the metabolism, lubricate the joints, flush toxins from the body, promote kidney function and support healthier skin. For that reason, a water filtration system is a great investment. It can make water taste and smell better, while removing harmful contaminants.
Elevated food and water bowls can be easier for pets to reach, while also minimizing the bending needed to refill dishes. Kerl recommends locating these near a water source to simplify filling water bowls. She explains, "I have projects where we install a pot filler at the feeding station to eliminate the need to carry bowls of water and risk spills which can lead to slipping."
McCabe suggests using rubber-backed mats under food bowls, noting, "This not only helps prevent the bowls from moving but also reduces clean up from drool and water splashes."
"Blind dogs learn to navigate homes quite well if they have consistent layouts and furniture arrangements."
For cats that have spent their lives eating on raised surfaces, these may become more difficult to access as they age. In those cases, McCabe suggests providing a set of stairs to the feeding area, with a sturdy platform.
Likewise, for cat owners who may have trouble bending, McCabe suggests securing litter boxes atop a low table for ease of cleaning, with a set of steps for cats to access the box.
Visual Cues
As we age, good lighting becomes essential. Kerl sees daylight as "the best light source," and believes that it can be a mood booster for both people and pets, but she also recommends motion-activated lighting for added safety.
While cats and dogs rely less on visual cues than humans do, they may still experience stress from age-related vision loss. Minimizing clutter and maintaining clear pathways throughout the home can help.
As Coger notes, "Blind dogs learn to navigate homes quite well if they have consistent layouts and furniture arrangements."
Both humans and their pets often find medications helpful for living out their golden years in comfort. However, it's easy to forget to take these when the bottles are difficult to access. Additionally, poor lighting can make reading dosage instructions tough. McCabe says, "It's important to store medications in a convenient, organized and ergonomic location that is well lit. This can minimize mistakes in the administration of medications."
It's also a good idea to separate human and pet medications to avoid confusing the two, particularly since some medications may be prescribed (in different doses) for you and your pet.
