Rabbits are complex, intelligent animals that deserve more than just a cage
Across the UK and beyond, a quiet revolution is reshaping the domestic interior: the family pet now has a room of its own. Driven by social media aesthetics, behaviorist wisdom, and a deepening cultural conviction that animals are not possessions but companions, pet owners are carving out dedicated spaces — from converted cupboards to themed sanctuaries — that reflect how profoundly the human-animal bond has evolved. Whether modest or extravagant, these spaces ask an old question anew: what do we owe the creatures who share our lives?
- With 81% of UK pet owners now designing dedicated spaces for their animals, what was once a quirky indulgence has become a mainstream domestic expectation.
- Spending ranges from under £100 for a chihuahua's under-stairs nook to over £8,000 for rabbit setups with connected sheds and pastel heart-shaped beds — the financial stakes are rising fast.
- Architects and kitchen designers report surging client demand for built-in feeding stations, engraved pet furniture, and cat cubbies, signalling that pet design has moved from DIY hobby to professional industry.
- Social media both fuels and rewards the trend — elaborate pet rooms perform well online, blurring the line between genuine animal welfare and curated content.
- Even enthusiastic owners pause to wonder whether the phenomenon has tipped into excess, acknowledging that Instagram aesthetics may be as much a driver as their pet's actual happiness.
Lox the cat spends his afternoons on a green sofa beneath a standing lamp, framed art on the wall behind him — inside a converted cupboard in a New York apartment, accessible only via wall-mounted scratching posts and perches. His owners, Derek and Sarah, built the space inspired by cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy's philosophy of vertical "superhighways" for indoor cats. What began as a $200 project became an Instagram sensation, and the cats use their nook every single day.
They are far from alone. Research commissioned by Dulux found that 81% of UK pet owners now design dedicated spaces for their animals. Kiki Rowley spent under £100 transforming a dead space under her stairs into a Mexican-themed nook for her chihuahuas, complete with miniature furniture. In California, cosmetologist Lauren Meyer converted her bathroom into a Prince-themed cat sanctuary — purple walls, a hidden litter box, and a design so striking that guests now ask for a tour.
Professionals are taking notice. Cotswolds architect Jonty Hallett found that a built-in cat cubby became his firm's most-liked Instagram post. Kitchen designer Tom Howley reports that his Manchester company now routinely installs feeding stations, bed nooks, and toy storage — sometimes with pet names engraved into the cabinetry — crediting social media and the cultural shift toward treating pets as family.
Some owners have pushed the concept further still. Surrey-based pet influencer Jasmine Easton spent over £8,000 on rabbit setups with connected sheds, tunnels, and pastel beds. She calls it "over the top" but stands by it, arguing that rabbits are intelligent animals who deserve more than a corner cage. In Tampa, Katherine Saballos gave her labrador Leia an entire room — single bed, clothing rail, a rotating wardrobe of collars — after noticing the dog already retreated there to rest. "It's fun," she says simply, and her dog loves it.
The trend sits at an honest crossroads: genuine care for animal wellbeing, the pull of social media performance, and the very human need to express love through the spaces we build. Whether modest or lavish, these rooms are portraits of a relationship — one that, it seems, now deserves a room of its own.
Lox the cat spends his afternoons on a green sofa under a standing lamp, framed art hanging behind him. His companion Lottie joins him in what amounts to a feline living room—except this room is a converted cupboard in a New York apartment, accessible only by scratching posts and perches that wind up the wall.
Lox and Lottie's owners, Derek and Sarah, built the space as an homage to cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy's philosophy of creating vertical "superhighways" for indoor cats. What started as a $200 project—complete with a pigeon picture that became a social media favorite—turned the couple and their cats into Instagram celebrities. The cats, Derek says, spend time in their nook every single day.
They are far from alone. Research commissioned by paint brand Dulux found that 81 percent of UK pet owners now design dedicated spaces for their animals. The trend spans from modest conversions to elaborate themed rooms that cost thousands of pounds. Kiki Rowley transformed an under-the-stairs dead zone into a Mexican-themed nook for her chihuahuas Bella and Ruby, spending under £100 on miniature furniture. Her dogs use it regularly, she says, while she relaxes in the living room.
Lauren Meyer, a California cosmetologist, solved a practical problem—keeping her dog out of the cats' food and litter—by turning her bathroom into a Prince-themed sanctuary. What began as a baby gate became a full design project. She removed the built-in hamper, tucked the litter box into the newly opened space, and painted everything in shades of purple to honor Prince. Her guests now ask to see the cat bathroom when they visit.
Architects and designers report surging demand for pet-integrated spaces. A built-in cat cubby designed by Cotswolds-based architect Jonty Hallett became his firm's most-liked Instagram photo. Kitchen designer Tom Howley says his Manchester company now regularly installs built-in feeding stations, bed nooks, and low-level toy storage—sometimes with pet names engraved into the furniture. He attributes the boom to social media and the way people now treat their pets as family members.
Some owners have taken the concept to extremes. Jasmine Easton, a Surrey-based pet influencer and dentistry worker, spent over £8,000 on rabbit setups featuring connected sheds, green tunnels, outdoor play pens, and pastel-colored heart-shaped beds. She acknowledges the spending is "over the top" but stands by it: rabbits are complex, intelligent animals that deserve more than a cage in the corner. The elaborate spaces, she notes, perform well online—people enjoy watching animal routines and peaceful environments.
Katherine Saballos, a 37-year-old pet influencer in Tampa, Florida, dedicated an entire room to her labrador Leia. The space includes a single bed and a clothing rail with different colored collars and harnesses. Saballos noticed Leia would retreat there for naps and wanted to make it comfortable. Once she started, the creativity took over. She recognizes the setup might seem excessive, but her dog loves it, and the process itself has brought her joy. "It's fun," she says.
Citas Notables
I know it's a lot of money, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. This is what rabbits deserve.— Jasmine Easton, pet influencer
Projects like this make my life a little happier. I enjoy the process of putting time and energy into something supercreative and fun for two little furballs I adore so much.— Lauren Meyer, cosmetologist
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why do you think people are spending this kind of money on spaces their pets will barely notice?
I think they do notice. Lox and Lottie are up there every day. But you're right that there's something else happening—people are treating their pets like extensions of themselves, like family members who deserve the same thoughtfulness they'd give a child's room.
Is this about the pets, or about Instagram?
Both. The influencers are honest about it. Jasmine Easton admits it's over the top. But she also genuinely believes her rabbits deserve better than a cage. Social media amplifies the trend, but the underlying impulse—to care for something you love—is real.
What changed? Why now?
Partly it's the advice from people like Jackson Galaxy, who gave people permission to think about pet spaces as design problems worth solving. But mostly it's that pets have become central to how people define family. They're not accessories anymore.
Does it feel wasteful to you?
Some of it does. Eight thousand pounds on rabbit sheds is hard to justify. But a hundred pounds to make a dead space under the stairs into something your dog actually uses? That feels different. It's about intention, not just spending.
What do the pets actually get out of this?
Comfort, choice, their own territory. Leia takes herself off for naps. The cats have vertical space. These aren't frivolous things for animals. They matter.