I'm so sorry to hear about Romeo. Our pets truly are family, aren't they?

My dogs' food and water bowls are at the end of a hallway that has laundry and leads to a bath, bulk storage room, and garage. They make too much of a mess with their food and water to keep it in the kitchen. The cat will eat/drink from their bowls, but she does have a doorway that leads into the bulk storage room for her own.

So sorry about Romeo! I'd love to see a photo.

Our dog's dishes are in a corner of the kitchen, out of the way.

We will end up keeping the water dish and food dish on the floor, though those little cabinet nooks and pull outs for pet supplies always look so sweet and appealing. I imagine the upkeep on them can be a little rigorous, though... My animals are pigs! ;)

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a pet is so hard. We lost one in January - and have another one on borrowed time, which is also stressful.

Aawwww, so sorry about Romeo...I know the heartbreak of losing a well-loved pet.

I have 2 dogs, Diesel and Heidi. They drink out of the same water dish, eat out of the same food dish. It is in the dining room on a rug, because Heidi is a messy drinker!, but it's open concept so just a few steps from the kitchen sink. Our kitchen is fairly small and when it was in the kitchen I was constantly knocking over the water dish. They like it better in the dining room I think. It's right next to the French doors where they come running and crashing in from the outside looking for water!!!

Our dogs water and food dishes are in the pantry which also has the back door that leads into their fenced area.

Hi Thanks for the condolences. I tried to post a picture but my pictures are on Picasa which is not allowing me to upload and I don't know how to resize when I copy it. I'm computer illiterate. and I'm the shoe maker's (read computer Programmer's) wife and mother! with no shoes...

I miss wrote Romeo's birthdate. He was born in Nov 1999. Juliette, my other cat (Romeo's sworn enemy) was born in June 2000.

Steph so sorry about your loss and your other pet's struggles. Pets are a joy to share life with and a real heart wrenching loss when gone.

Lol. My animals are messy drinkers and piggly eaters too. It does seem to be the way of the dog. That's why their dishes are on a mat away from the wall. I'd love to have them be by the back door which is downstairs by the laundry. but that area is too narrow and busy too. The pet bowls are the last placement concern in the kitchen as they are in the way. Especially the water dish, which my son trips over too often. He has motor control issues. I might have to contend with their mess in the dining/office room... I was hoping not but another solution doesn't seem forthcoming at this point. Keep the comments coming though. You never know when a fresh eyedea will help ;)

Our dog inhales his food, so his food dish only needs to be out for 10 seconds at a time. There's no reason water couldn't be in another room. Can you find an out of the way spot in the laundry for water, and feed them in the dining room? One dish might be less of a hazard than two.

Or teach them to drink from the toilet :)

First, I am so sorry for your loss. It is never easy losing a beloved pet....

When we reno'd our kitchen, a must have for us was a dedicated cat water and food dish space. That space resides under our "message center" drawers/counter, between our two pantry cabs.

I had not intended to keep the water dish on a "boot tray" in the space (thank goodness one fits there!), but the temporary set-up we'd had for the cats, in a room with a HW floor, showed us the need for it. At the time, our one cat used to dunk various toys in the water dish, and then splash water all around and under the dish, trying to fish out said toy(s)! We saw the beginnings of blackened water-stains where the dish sat, and decided it best to place something under the water dish in the new kitchen.

Our dog's food and water bowl are in our mud room. He's very tall so I bought him a raised water/food bowl thing. The bowls can be removed and the table-like thing is wooden. Planning a kitchen reno now and I'm planning on having them on the end of a cabinet run that faces the back door. While I haven't thought it through, I was thinking of making a shelf with cut outs for the bowls and perhaps having the interior tiled so there isn't any water damage. So kind of like a little bookcase on the end of the cabinet but facing the side but instead of the shelves holding books, the shelf would hold his bowls. And if room above, a drawer for dog treats, etc. whatever I do, the bowls need to be accessible at all times because he likes/needs to drink at will.

I have a blind area in the living room where I keep the water and food bowls rather than keeping them on the kitchen floor. I have placed them inside one of those cheapy salad bowls from Walmart/Walgreens to protect the hardware flooring, although this has never happened. You know of course, that the day I removed the "underbowls" someone would tip it over.

I too lost one of my cats last month. My husband came to get me and said "I think the cat's dead". His reason - she wouldn't stop staring at him. I ran to the room and sure enough, she is not breathing, her eyes are open and she is just not responsive. This comment of "I think the cat's dead" is from a medic in the Army. Baby Cat (that was her name) was only 8 years old. She was sitting about 4 feet away from him, and didn't utter a sound before she passed so I can only hope she went peacefully Over the Rainbow. My heart still aches as I am certain most of you identify with. Her brother spent weeks looking for his friend. He would stand on his back feet, trilling like crazy, trying to see where she might be. So sad - how do you explain "death" to your pet?

My 26 year old son moved out the day before. I miss my cat.

In our laundry room, I planned for an area of open counter with a shelf about a foot under, but leaving the tile floor itself exposed. There are two nooks next to each other, each about 20 inches wide. I have a kitty litter box in one, and the other is currently housing empty laundry baskets. However, you could easily put the water bowl in a nook like that. (I have put ours there at times, but I have another good corner in the laundry room for it, so I don't usually stash it under the counter.)

Years ago we got a request from the owner of a remodeled
kitchen that we provide a place for her poodle to kennel. So we designed a
corner cabinet that swerves as a kennel.
We call it, unimaginably, the "Kennel Korner", and have built a few dozen of them since.

The 24" standard cabinet depth is
perfect for dogs up to 100 lbs., or more than one smaller dog. The water
dish is kept in the kennel out of the way, and the food dish can also be left
there, to be filled at dinner time. Add a carpet remnant and you have a cozy doggy home.

This
photo shows the Kennel Korner integrated into the corner of an Arts &
Crafts kitchen in white oak. My dog, cunningly named
"Dog", is reluctantly posing inside. She got a treat
after, so she's happy.

Cats are more difficult.
For cats you need a litter box as well as food and water dishes, and
food can be left out continuously. The
problem is keeping the food out of reach of the dog. So we developed a cabinet that I wanted to call the "Cat
House", but the Boss vetoed that (she does not always appreciate my sterling
sense of humor).

It is a base cabinet built with a tambour door. A cat size hole is cut into the base of the
door. The small door allows access for
cats up to 20 lbs, but denies access to all but the smallest cat-food-sneaking dog. When you want to add food or water, or
change the litter, just open the tambour door for complete access to the interior. We tried it with a traditional hinged door, but it does not work as well.

You can view a picture of the "Kitty Kubby" here. Store the cat food, treats, litter, toys, etc. in the next cabinet over, and you have a complete cat service area. Now, if only I could teach the cat to change his litter.

When the cats want a respite from the dog, or from people, this is where they nap.

I saw a piece on Shark Tank last night that featured a product called "City Kitty." It was a training system to teach your cat to use the toilet. I kid you not! Check out citykitty.com. I wish I could teach the dogs to do that.

Here is our solution. An extra large cabinet pull that coordinates with our other pulls. This is a small stainless kennel bucket. We put a chair leg felt bumper on the bottom so it won't clank when in use. It's off the floor so I don't kick it.

Such good ideas and so many kind condolences. I came home after work today and only fed 3 hungry pets. Romeo's dish is still where it's always been. I miss him and do commiserate with other who've lost a stalwart friend. 8 years old is too young! No wonder your DH wasn't sure, army Medic or no.

Lol. "My 26 year old son moved out the day before. I miss my cat." Not that my son would move, but he doesn't greet me with the same enthusiasm as my pets. ;)

I wish my dogs would use the toilet too. Here in Vancouver they want us to take the dog doo home and flush it. Too many of us responsibly clean up and use the trash at the parks. :) They say there's to much to handle. Maybe they should build outside toilets for dogs. ;)

Ahem... Back to the regularly scheduled kitchen talk. Love the idea of a wall attached water container. My son would most likely have difficulty housing the bowl, but he could still do it if he leaned against the wall. That could work.

No mud room here. Boy do I wish there were. My beach dogs come home caked in sand... and mud!

Cute kitty kubby. Romeo wouldn't have used it. At least until I gave completely up on the idea. After having a climbing setup for several years, I finally realized my cats weren't going to use it. So the weekend I decided to take it down Romeo decided to move in. Wonderfully contrary cat. :)

I read a long time ago that cats and dogs eat and drink better, ie enough and without back/neck strain, when raised to their heights. So have always had their bowls on something corresponding to their various heights. That's why Romeo's insistence on stretching himself to reach the higher bowl confounded me a little. Maybe he just identified better with dogs. He certainly hated other cats! Have I said lately that I miss him. :(

My dog has his bowls in a raised stand (hacked ikea end table) in a corner of the dining room. There isn't space in the kitchen. My parents have always kept the water bowl for their dogs in the kitchen (or in an adjacent laundry/mud room if they had one), but against a wall somewhere out of the main traffic patterns so you have to really try to step in it ;)

Aw I am sorry for your loss. My cat is 18 and I know it will be any day now. She and the dog share cat treats in a specific spot in the kitchen....I know when she is gone I will still have to buys the treats for the dog (just a few nibbles - I have heard they are not good for dogs I know!). The dog is a slob, so I have bought a spiffy new tray from Ikea to put the bowl on. The bowl itself is hideous, lol, neon green, but it keeps me from kicking it over by accident by making it visible.

When we moved into our house, the only access to the backyard was by traipsing through the kitchen and the dining room; which meant muddy paws and feet ALL the time.

In my reno/build on, one of the goals was to provide a direct access to the laundry/mudroom from the backyard.

I took a window out of the laundry room, put a new larger header in its place to add a door and built a shed roof over the area.

I now have a very small "breezeway" that goes from the backyard to the mudroom as well as a main backyard entrance from the dining room.

The breezeway is the dogs room. The door to the backyard is a screen door with a doggy door on it. The dogs spend most of their time outside but in the winter or during inclement weather they are brought into the breezeway where I have their water and food bowls and a doggy bed.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I've had to bury 2 very old dogs in the past few years. The first, my baby, I got when I was 13 and she was a puppy. She died at 16 years of age. The second was the first dog my husband and I got after we married

She was 11 years old and died from cancer, we buried her on Christmas Eve.

My dad laughed during our reno when I was talking about planning a space for our dogs but I've come to realize, some people just don't get it.

Of COURSE I would spend an extra 1000+ to make sure the space is good for not only my present dog, but any future dogs I might have. My dogs are family members. They might not live as long as we do, but they are ABSOLUTELY a part of my family!!

We are down to only 2 dogs now, both chihuahuas that we rescued when we were pregnant with our first (who turns 8 this year!!)

I really want to get another dog, a good one that can play with the kids; but first I really need to be finished with the reno work so I have the hours a day to devote to properly training a new pup.

Stephan thanks for reminding me, my son has vision problems as well. Sometimes I forget to add that into the equation with his other issues. I'll definitely make the water bowl more visible if it has to stay on the floor.

Glad to hear your cat has lasted to 18. I can't help but think that a loss is too soon for any pet under 16.

Texas_gem so sorry for your losses. We lost our husky lab cross, Jagger, at 17 3 years ago, then our Golden Retriever, Leona Mercedes at 15 2 years ago. I think she died of a broken heart over the loss of Jagger. I'm hoping Juliette will live to be 20 or older. So far no signs of aging from her... I'm worried about eventually bringing in a kitten in case it's too much for her. I have to wait until the hurting lessens anyway for sure.

Yes there's pet people and non pet people. Hopefully pet people have partners who agree and aren't allergic. Though there are hypoallergenic pets, even horses, out there nowadays. :)

I love your breezeway solution. Wish I had the room for something creative like that.

Kids, dogs and renovations are tough to mix together, without adding a puppy who gets into everything, into the mix. I don't blame you for waiting!

It's so hard to lose our animal friends. We have lost several over the years. I miss them all but the dog we lost in 2010 is the one that broke my heart. Still missing her daily although our new dog is helping to fill the empty hole.

Condolences to everyone else also grieving.

We have a spot in-between our pantry cabinets and a free-standing cabinet that is in a corner and just big enough for a tray with the dog's water bowl on it. I only have to move it once a week or so when I decide it's yucky enough to be washed as I fill it with a pitcher. It's just quicker and easier that way and I don't slosh water when I take the full bowl back to set it down.

She is a food-inhaler so the food bowl is only down on the kitchen floor for a minute or two, then it goes in the DW. We have several food bowls so I don't have to hand wash them several times a day.

I finally figured out pictures. Here's Romeo as requested.
Happy Mother's Day everyone.

Our cat would never drink out of her bowl. She would only drink out of the dogs bowl or our cups. I thought she did it to the dog just to annoy him, lol but anyone who put down a glass of water had to watch because in minutes she would find it and have a drink. I always thought it was her way of asserting herself.

Our dog was a very messy and fast drinker and eater. I could never imagine having his bowl in a drawer.

What a beautiful kitty!

Handsome boy, Romeo!

What a beautiful boy! I know how much you hurt and I'm so very sorry for your loss. We were adopted by a stray kitty a few years ago. He had a microchip, but the contact information was not longer good. He was the love of our lives for about 2 years before he died at the age of 8 years old. We have another kitty now and his bowls are at the island, under the overhang that we never use for seating. When we renovate the plan is to do another small overhang for his dishes.

we live in a split level and we have the dog's bowl at the bottom of the steps on lower level with a pet mat underneath b/c she is such a messy eater and drinker. the cat gets fed on top of W/D b/c dog will eat his food ASAP...
so no food bowls in my kitchen. i was always knocking the water bowl pre-reno and did want to deal with it in new kitchen.

so sorry for everyone's loss. it is just heartbreaking to lose your pet. we lost two dogs some years ago and we still miss them and talk about them. our dog now is going on 13 and really slowing down... thinking of rescuing another soon. i would just hate to something to happen to her and then have no dog at all.....our cat is going on 11 but still acts like a kitten, so hopefully he has alot more years in him. he is indoors only, so i think that really helps further his life. he was a rescue. we found him at 6 mos of age on the jetties in cape may, nj. brought him home and have had him every since. he's is just awesome, more like a dog than a cat. always the first to greet you at the door, we all just love him so much. we always wondered what made someone dump him, but their loss was our gain. here's a pic of Tori, just taken this morning and Jetty, taken 4 yrs ago, he looks the same!!

Texas Gem, I have a Chihuahua foster right now who ADORES children. Small children (my 2 and 3 year old grandsons). I have owned several Chihuahuas (have 2 of my own right now, and lost 2 others in the past 2 years at 15 and 12 years old, and our 12 year old cat), and I've fostered many Chis through the years. I have never seen one who loves babies like this one does. Message me if you're interested in adopting an awesome boy :)

Yeon - I'm sorry to hear about your Romeo. I feel your pain :(

In response to the original question, our water dish is on the floor in a little corner created by the fridge and the hallway wall. In this picture (of our unfinished kitchen), you can see my Lucy drinking out of her bowl (Lucy went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2013, but the water bowl still is in the same place).

I'm so sorry about Romeo. He was a beautiful boy.

My cats' food dishes are in the dining room, where else? :) There's a water dish nearby but my Bessie likes to put bits of food in it and it quickly gets nasty. Their big water dish is in my bedroom, of all places. Sometimes I sequester them in that room and got in the habit of leaving the water dish there. It's a little odd, but it works for everyone.

I got this idea from my sister, who built in drawers with dog bowls into the ends of her kitchen benches. I turned a kitchen cupboard sideways at the end of my kitchen island and removed the doors. The cats and the dogs drink out of this, and keep it off the floor.

Here's Bailey playing in the water .... I hear him doing this every morning!