Yellow: Summer Decorating Your Small Pet's Home

Seasonally decorating your animals' homes gives them something new to enjoy and brightens your home. Some animals can see color as well. I will show examples of my guinea pig home, where guinea pigs can see color. Their happiness brings me joy. So not only is decorating good for their wellbeing, but it is also great for your mental health. You can learn more about guinea pig family dynamics here:

The following are recommendations. I suggest if you are on a budget to first start with what you already own, then go to your local thrift or second hand shops. If you have a larger budget and are out of these supplies then your local hardware, thrift, fabric and craft stores will have all of these materials.

1. Pet-safe fabrics like fleece and bamboo are soft and safe for most animals.
2. This forum is great for learning more about guinea pig habitat.
3. For larger animals such as dogs, cats and rabbits Canvas, Denim, and microfiber are safe.
4. Be careful of leather, pleather and outdoor fabrics as the processing of these can have unsafe chemical residue on them.
5. Paper Bedding: If a small animal like a hamster, lizard, or guinea pig bedding in a color that feels like summer, I recommend yellows and oranges with bits of greens and purples (or go with ocean colors like blues and turquoise) The brands I like are: Unbleached paper ffrom brands like Small Pet Select and, if buying in a store, Care Fresh.
6. Animal-safe paint or stain (if it is safe for human babies, it is usually safe for animals, but always check with a vet or research on your specific animal). For example, soy-based paint is often used in construction as it is safe for most wildlife.
7. Twine or natural fiber strings like hemp cord
8. Lighting of your choice (so long as it is away from the animals to prevent chewing)
9. Natural elements like dried flowers, indoor plants, rocks, and sea shells (so long as they can not eat them, or if they do, they are safe to eat)
10. Fruits and food that will last a few weeks out, such as gourds, melons, bread
11. Artificial but natural elements such as faux flowers
12. Pins, Binder Clips, Wooden clips
13. Tape glue (be careful with these since most tape and glue are toxic)
14. Things to decorate around their habitat in the main living area, such as runners, area rugs, table clothes, and curtains, go for it if you would like. I like to decorate four times a year according to seasonal changes to match nature. So it's up to you and how much domestic free time you have.
15. Anything else you would like to add

These items will get dirty. Consider the soiled version and ease of cleaning in the future. 

When planning your design, think backward in time.

There are many videos on YouTube on how to clean your animal's habitat.

Here is my version for guinea pigs. Over the past six years, I have tested many ways to keep a guinea pig home clean, including labor, cost, and time. So, my way of cleaning and how I line their enclosure are probably the best of both worlds. 

If you need your four-legged, furred, scaled, winged, or finned family members somewhere else, it will make designing much more accessible. I recommend setting up a temporary home for them to play in for the day. Make sure they have access to their primary food and water. Of course, give them treats, toys, and space. More space than their everyday habitat will ensure a higher success rate in keeping their attention, reducing the chance of accidents.

Url of video.

I recommend doing most of the cleaning in short bursts over a week, so it only takes an hour at this stage.

1. Move all their toys out of the way.
2. Then, if there is time, clean it with animal-safe disinfectants such as vinegar, soap water, and other natural soaps that do not contain toxins that are toxic to your pet.
3. For example, the Tea Tree is safe for humans but toxic to guinea pigs.

Their new bedding should be in summer colors such as yellow, aqua, sand tan, light greens, etc.

You can also do summer themes like oceans, sunflowers, or something specific to your local area.

If you need a more absorbent layer first, I recommend puppy pee pads, guinea dad liners, or a layer of hemp.

Also, consider how many yellow and summer colors you want. Sometimes, a white or tan background with pops of yellows, oranges, greens, and lavender can look just as beautiful, if not more chic. 

Small animals, like humans, like a combination of routine and spontaneity. Therefore, when changing their habitat, please keep some things the same.

For example, familiar smells help them feel safe, while too much smell, such as pee everywhere, can cause fights within their ears. 

Another example is changing out their toys, such as new tunnels or bridges, but keeping the huts the same but in different locations than before. 

Place their toys and huts in new spots each time you do a habitat clean to inspire a curious nature in your pet's life. 

Here is the Canva video link

Most small animals think: push, pull, or chew.

For Guinea Pigs: tunnels, bridges, and hay chew toys

Rats, hamsters, mice: Climbing, puzzles and mazes

Larger animal examples

Cats and ferrets: Places to climb onto

Rabbits: Places to run and hop onto, they also love hay and other edible grasses 

Dogs: Tugging and chewing

Watch the end of the video to see how  I set up the lighting.

Add lighting and seasonal decor around the habitat.

Use Velcro and pins to put items in place so they do not fall down.

Affordable Lighting Options

• LED strips
• Twinkle Light Strips
• Artificial Candles

You can find all these at discount resell stores such as grocery outlets, Ross, and Marshals. I would avoid the dollar stores since the quality is really cheap. 

Flowers brighten a space and add a pleasant aroma to your sensual experience. Some flowers can even help cover the pee smell from your animal friends.

For a summer look, I recommend going with seasonal flowers such as:

• Sunflowers
• cacti
• Flowering Trees
• Sticking with the warmer colors with only a few neutrals
• Dried Flowers of white, tan, yellow, and gold also look lovely.

Place them around your home. You can also place them close to your pet's habitat but far enough away that they can not reach them.

You don't need to spend money. Go around your neighborhood with scissors and a basket.

Clip the ones that are leaning over into the sidewalk (making them on "public" property, ripe for picking)

Watch how they move and play in the newly arranged home.

Track or remove items if they seem to be struggling.

Too many toys reduce surface area and square footage for them to get exercise, so be careful. You also want to see if they can reach any of the decorations. Therefore, set aside time to watch them for at least 30 minutes.