As kids we have always wanted a personal space to ourselves. We have built small forts and tents to hide from our enemies aka our notorious siblings with cushions, bedsheets and what not.
Guess what?
Our pets are no different from us when it comes to having their own personal space to calm down and rejuvenate.
In a pet’s world, these tents are referred to as ‘Teepees.’ They are a simple, fun and creative way to let your pets chill, in fact they can literally sleep their way in it or maybe even dream about their next meal and treats!
Having a spot in the house where your pets can relax is crucial. Cats and dogs have evolved and become domesticated from being wild animals.
These wild animals lived in dens to protect and shelter themselves from threats and extreme weather.
This tendency to protect and comfort themselves became essential to their survival over the years. But now that they have been domesticated, such means of survival are gradually eroding from their system.
As responsible humans and pet parents, it becomes our duty to keep them close to their roots. And a DIY pet teepee does the job perfectly!
It is their own personal den and safe space to feel protected.
Every Pet Deserves Their Own Space
Another reason why it is important for pet parents to have a teepee at home is to let their pets develop a habit of having their own space.
Pet parents absolutely love their goof balls but in many households, pets are not allowed on the bed, sofa or the couch and there is nothing wrong in that.
But in order to fill that void, pets need to have a space to call their own where they can rest undisturbed and the solution to this is building a teepee for them.
They will spend their quality time snoozing and your couch will get to live longer!
Why Should You Make a DIY Pet Teepee?
Now don’t you love doing things for your pets? From making tummy treats to playing with them, it brings you unmatched love and joy. Precisely why you should make a teepee for your pet.
Building something for your pet will engage you in their world and make you understand their needs.
Honestly, it is a trial method to know what your pet will love but that’s how your relationship will grow. It will cement your relationship further and will satisfy your inner most child.
Money Saver hands on
As pet parents, not everyone is equipped with a lot of monetary means yet they wish to give their pets a wonderful life.
And we believe that money should never be a constraint to give their pets the best.
We build dog houses, make grooming tables, and DIY dog dish stands.
So, a DIY teepee is the way to go!
You will find stuff lying around in your home and that can be used to build an iconic safe house for your furry baby.
With a DIY project, you can do everything from scratch. From sketching out to finding appropriate items and decorating it to your own taste, you have control over everything.
The added advantage is that you will have an activity to kill your time during at home, such as when there’s a pandemic lockdown. Isn’t that great?
Gets your creative juices flowing
You have a lot of items lying around in your store room and garage?
Do you always plan on throwing it away? Well, don’t.
Remember how as kids we used to participate in best out of waste competitions and make something out of nothing?
This is your chance to revive that tradition and use that old cushion, bed sheets, poles and decorative items to light up your pet’s world.
Makes any occasion come alive for your pets
It is a great gift. Your pup’s birthday is coming soon?
Don’t know what to do for them? Build a teepee and grant their wish to have a space of their own.
They won’t be able to thank you but you will know of their happiness when they will sneak inside the teepee to spend some pupper time.
How to DIY a Teepee for Your Pet?
What you need
- 5 Wood sticks/Poles/PVC pipes
- Your old bed sheet based on your climatic conditions
- Hot glue/glue gun
- Drill machine (if available)
- Old cushions
- Velcro & rope ties
- Your pet’s favorite toys
- A bowl full of water
- Decorative items for example – spare diwali lights/fairy lights, spare card boards etc
- Yummy treats & healthy food to gobble up when bored
Step 1 : Take the wooden sticks/pvc pipes and drill a hole in all of them at equal distance i.e. around 5 inches. Once done, use the rope to string through the holes and once done, secure the sticks by tightly wrapping the rope on the top.
Step 2 : Once the top is secured with the rope, position the sticks in a triangular form. The top should be narrow and the bottom should be wide, just like a triangle.
Step 3 : Take the bedsheet and hold it horizontally. Hold it from the middle and start draping it on the sticks from the back. Once you get a fair idea of its position, mark points where you would like to put the velcro on the stick and on the fabric. You can use hot glue to stick the velcro on the stick and on the fabric too.
Step 4 : Once draped and fixed with velcro, let it fall naturally on the poles. You can also put velcro on the entrance to make a doorway entrance to the teepee.
Step 5 : Place your old cushions and a warm rug inside the teepee and adorn them with your pet’s favorite toys. You can also place your old clothes in case your pet suffers from separation anxiety. This will calm them down. Place the water bowl outside the teepee.
Also place a bowl of healthy pet food like these choices for your pooch. It can include chimken or their favorite treats like biscuits.
Make sure the pet food is healthy and has high nutritive value. You can also install a treat vending machine so that your pet can treat himself while lazing around.
Step 6 : Now to the most fun part of DIY. You can use fairy lights to decorate it. Start from the top and start rolling it around on the teepee. Plug it and your teepee is ready!
Additional ideas for decoration
You can also use the cardboard to make a fun flex board with cute quotes like “You are entering dawg’s territory, BEWARE!” and place it on the top of the teepee!
Your teepee can also have a name board which has your pet’s name on it.
Now that your DIY pet teepee is ready, it is time to introduce it to your pet!
Let them sniff around and snuggle with their favorite toys. Once they get comfortable with the surroundings, you will see their tail wiggle and that’s your cue that you did a wonderful job with the teepee!
Taking on the responsibility of pet ownership means that you are ready to take care of them on a personal level, and cater to their specific needs which you will soon learn as you spend more time with them