Making Home a Little More Comfortable: Simple Changes That Help Our Senior Pets

By Dr. Alissa Anderson, Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian | Faithful Hearts Mobile Veterinary Services

There is something so precious about getting to share a life with a beloved pet and care for them as they age. The gray muzzle, the familiar routines, the years of knowing each other so well. It is a privilege to share enough life together to reach this chapter.

I also know how bittersweet it can be. You feel grateful that they are still here, while noticing the changes that remind you your time together is growing shorter. There is love in learning to slow down with them, in making room for their changing needs, and in helping them feel comfortable and secure in the home where they have always belonged.

As a hospice veterinarian and as a caregiver to 4 super senior pups of our own, I think about their comfort in both the medical sense and the everyday sense. Pain management matters. So does being able to stand at the food bowl without your feet sliding out from underneath you.

Aggie (estimated age 13)

There is a particular kind of love that looks like yoga mats across the living room floor, a stack of cookbooks under a food bowl, and pet steps beside the couch.

If you share your home with a senior pet, you probably understand.

Our pets’ needs change as they age. Sometimes helping them means changing their surroundings so that the familiar things they love remain within reach.

A home does not have to be perfectly decorated

to be perfectly suited to the pet who lives there.

Start by watching the little things

Watch your pet move through a normal day. Where do they hesitate? Where do their feet slide? Do they approach the couch, pause, and walk away? Is getting up from bed harder than getting into it?

These moments can help you identify where a small adjustment might make daily life easier. They are also worth discussing with your veterinarian. Changes in mobility or behavior deserve attention, and home modifications work best alongside an individualized plan for pain and other medical needs.

I encourage families to think about the activities that matter most to their pet: Getting to breakfast? Going outside? Finding a sunny spot? Settling beside their person? Start there.

Make mealtime comfortable

Lucy Lu (age 14.5 years)

The feeding setup pictured here is wonderfully ordinary: a bowl, a few cookbooks, and a mat.

For some pets, adjusting bowl height can make eating significantly more comfortable. Imagine trying to do a pushup while eating to get food off of the ground! However this is an individual choice, so ask your veterinarian whether elevation suits your pet rather than assuming every senior needs a raised feeder. Work with your pet to find out what works best for them. Whatever the height, the bowl and its base should be secure.

Also, the blue mat serves a very practical purpose: providing traction while eating and providing a little extra padding for arthritic joints. Just make sure the mats themselves stay in place.

Tip: Elevating bowls to your pet's elbow height is a good starting point. (And remember to take pictures regularly so you can better monitor your pet's physical condition and posture over time!)

Make favorite places easier to reach

Ramps or stairs are typically best placed running parallel to a stable surface.

The couch photo captures something that matters deeply to me as a caregiver: preserving access to a favorite place.

For some pets, that spot beside you is the most important part of their day. Supportive steps or a ramp may help them continue enjoying it. The choice should fit your pet’s strength, balance, and comfort; adding an access aid does not automatically make a setup safe.

Look for a stable surface with good traction. Watch your pet use it in both directions, and give them time to learn without pressure. A ramp that is too steep or steps that require too much effort may need a different arrangement.

Hardwood and tile can become difficult surfaces for older pets. Nonslip runners and yoga mats can help create more secure routes through the house. Prioritize the paths between their bed, food, water, and outside door, and make sure the mats themselves stay in place.

Look at the whole route. A rug in the living room may help, but your pet still has to get across the hallway to reach it.

Tip: Yoga mat bulk rolls on Amazon are a cost effective way to have a material you can cut as needed and can be cleaned if your pet has accidents. Washable rugs like Ruggables are another good option if incontinence is occurring.

Make bathroom trips less demanding

A bathroom setup that worked for years may need to change. For our own Lucy Lu, not only were stairs becoming more difficult, but vision changes made her anxious about climbing stairs in the evenings. Just look at how thrilled Lucy was with this modification!

When possible, ramps are preferred over stairs for geriatric pets. A ramp can often be adjusted, which may be necessary initially or as your pet ages. Unlike stairs that have a standard height that a pet must be able to step onto, a ramp allows them to adjust their stride and steps as needed. Again make sure your pet has traction and any additional support needed to keep things safe.

For dogs, consider whether their resting area could be closer to the outside door. A shorter trip may make daily care easier.

For senior cats, consider a roomy litter box with a low entrance. Keep a box on each floor they regularly use so they do not have to navigate stairs whenever they need it. Think about the approach, too: the box should be somewhere accessible, with room to enter and turn around comfortably.

And when accidents happen, meet them with kindness. Share new changes with your veterinarian rather than assuming they are an unavoidable part of aging.

Think about getting out of bed, too

A bed can look wonderfully cozy and still be difficult for an older pet to use. Softer is not always better! Supportive bedding, an accessible location, and traction around the bed all deserve consideration. If your pet sleeps on furniture, think especially about how they get down. A safe route off matters just as much as a route up.

Offer a resting place near family activity as well as somewhere quiet. Your pet may want to nap through everything while still knowing you are close.

Make the house easier to navigate

For pets with changing vision or awareness, small environmental adjustments can help. Night-lights near important resources may improve navigation, while gates or barriers can protect access to stairs and other hazards.

Try walking your pet’s usual route with their needs in mind. Is there clutter to move around? A narrow gap beside the bed? A water bowl tucked somewhere inconvenient?

We become so accustomed to our homes that it can take a deliberate look to notice what has become difficult for someone smaller, slower, or less steady.

Caregiving has to work for you, too

As a caregiver, I also want families to hear this:

your comfort and physical limitations belong in the conversation.

If helping your pet requires repeated lifting, ask your veterinary team to demonstrate appropriate assistance and discuss whether a fitted support harness would help. Sore muscles and pain can make supporting your pet properly important to keeping everyone safe and comfortable.

Choose arrangements you can maintain. Washable covers, accessible supplies, and a comfortable place for you to sit beside your pet can make care feel more manageable.

You do not have to buy every senior-pet product or change the whole house in one afternoon. Start with the part of the day that seems hardest. Make one thoughtful adjustment. Watch what happens.

Faithful Hearts Mobile Veterinary Services is an independently owned veterinary end-of-life practice providing compassionate at-home dog and cat euthanasia throughout Greenville, Anderson, Simpsonville, Easley, Greenwood, and surrounding Upstate South Carolina communities.