A minimalist lifestyle with pets made easy

Can you be a minimalist and have pets? This is a question I typed into google many years ago before we welcomed our first cat. Even without a minimalist approach to living, bringing a pet into your life will change your way of living. If this is a question you have been asking yourself, continue reading for some insights from our own experience (or click here).

We have three beautiful cats that are irreplaceable and bring us immense joy and happiness. I love seeing them relaxed on their cat tree or happily stretched out comfortably somewhere in our home. In the final section of this post I will explain how I chose the type of cats we got and why and how we are living intentionally with our pets. Even after the arrival of our baby, they still are loved immensely and continue to bring joy in our life.

Can you be a minimalist and own a pet?

In general, the answer I found to this question was no. Many minimalist principles lead towards a life that enables them to feel free. A pet needs space and your time. Depending on the pet, you need to brush them, feed them, clean them, clean after them, provide exercise, love, and play (and more). On the other hand, living intentionally is also about surrounding yourself by necessities and joy. Here, I would say a pet can fall into this category, depending on what is important in your life. For us, pets bring us joy and happiness. We enjoy giving our time and space for them to enjoy their life. They are part of the family and loved by all. If you are thinking about bringing a pet into your family, here are some perspectives on living intentionally with our pets.

How much time can you provide?

To be minimalistic is to have freedom to do what you want with your time. Before considering bringing a pet into your home, you need to reflect on how you live your life and how you want to continue living your life. If you love being outside from your home, going on regular vacations away from home, or want to have the freedom of time, then a pet would not fit into your lifestyle… unless you can bring them with you. Another element of time to consider is your work and hobbies. How often are you not in the home or do you work from home? Are your hobbies away from home and take up large portions of your time? With this, do you have time to give to your pet between your schedule?

1. Holidays/Time away

You could bring your pet with you when you travel. A small obstacle with this may be the pet not wanting or enjoying travel. We tried teaching our cats on the harness and it only worked with one out of three. Once, we brought our cat with us on vacation and booked a pet friendly AirBnB and hotel. He did not enjoy it. But, he travelled perfectly well. He chilled on our laps on the train, but in the accommodation he hid most of the time. After this, we asked our friend to pop in regularly when we went away to make sure he was happy and comfortable. So, travelling may not be straight forward as this may happen with any pet. Below are some things you may need to do if you want to bring your sweet pet on holiday with you:

Admin: If you are going to another country, consider the time it may take you to get your pet a passport, vaccines, and prepared for the journey.
Accommodation: Look for hotels or AirBnB’s that accommodate pets. Hotels usually charge more.
Transport: If possible, driving would be the best form of transport for your pet. Otherwise, you need to find a train or flight that accepts pets.
Pet sitter: This is something to consider before getting a pet. Can a trusted person look after your pet, or will you need to hire someone or take your pet to kennel? My friend often travels and before he got his dog his parents said they will always be available to look after it. We have friends nearby or family who will pop into our house to check on the cats and look after them. There are also groups, pages, and individuals who advertise their time to look after your pets, such as walking them when you’re at work.

2. Working hours

Work. For many, this takes up a large portion of our day outside of our homes. This means that our beloved pets are left at home alone during this time. We can be away from our home from 7am-7pm and this was a huge factor with what type of pet we will get. Therefore, we needed to consider how it will go to the toilet, eat, drink, and exercise. Not only this, but we need to factor in how this then marries up with living intentionally. What do you usually do when you are home from work and can time with your pet or looking after it fit into this?

We wake up a little earlier to feed our cats and replace their water as well as clean their litter boxes before we leave for work. They also love a big cuddle in the morning and get very excited hearing us wake up, so we ensure we spend time with them before we leave for the day.

What type of pet is minimalist?

Living intentionally is to make conscious decisions that align with your values and goals. Choosing your pet needs to fit with this to them the best possible life and enjoy your time with them. I will go into detail about how I chose my cats, but here are a few things that may help you decide on the best companion to join your life.

Type of pet: Dog? Cat? Hamster? Rabbit? Each of these pets have different demands to fit different lifestyles. A dog often needs a garden or to be taken outside for exercise and toilet. A cat may need a litter box or the ability to go outside. Hamsters and rabbits (and many other small animals) often live in cages which will need to be regularly cleaned. Research and watch videos on how to look after these pets to carefully choose what you know you can do.
Fur type: Do you have time to brush long fur, or to take your pet to the groomer? Both long and short fur can get left around the house and on clothes, do you have time to clean this up? Curly fur, like a poodle, can avoid this but then they also need brushing often as well as clipping.
Needs: What I mean by this is, what do they need in your home or outside? Some pets need a lot of exercise and lots of toys. Some are categorised as aloof. Do you need a cat tree and scratching posts? Or a run for the small animals.
Location: Do you live in a house, or flat, or do not have a garden/balcony? Is there a park or field or somewhere to take your pet if they need the toilet or exercise? Do you have space for a cage or fishtank?
Vets: Research the common illness the pet may get for their breed. If you want your pet to go outside, you will have to keep them up to date on worming and flee treatment. What vaccines do they need? Insurance? Each pet type and breed cost different.

My Minimalist approach to pets

For us, living intentionally with pets is important as they have always been a value in our lifestyle. We have had pets most of our lives. My husband had a family dog. My family have had many different breeds of dogs from miniature poodle to owning three St Bernards at the same time, with five cats, a hamster and a rabbit. This was back when I lived maximalist, as mentioned in my first blog: here.

Over the years, I have come to reflect on the time and needs of each animal. Personally, as much as I love dogs, I found that cats fit better with our current lifestyle and goals. I knew that the long haired cats shredded their fur in clumps and short haired cats would leave a patch where they slept, so I searched for cats that fit this description.

As I had always loved cats, I was gifted a cat encyclopaedia when I was very young and I used this to learn about each breeds needs. Sound excessive, I know, but this book actually had a grid on how much time is needed to brush them as well as exercise and food. It also spoke about their personality and whether they would need to go outside or are fine indoors. We wanted our cats to be indoors, and it felt good to know the cat is aloof and chill.

Once we decided on our lovely Maine-Coon, it was important that the cat tree was both aesthetic and easy to clean. I can remove the cushions and wipe clean the surface very easily. It is big enough and sturdy for a large cat or three. I then found the perfect litter box that looks lovely in my home. It is a litter box shaped as a plant pot. You can turn the entrance to face a sofa or wall when guests come.

The food and water ended up being quite difficult as it turned out he didn’t like still water, so we chose this fountain. It’s minimalistic design and simplicity is easy to clean and it looks smart in our home. Lastly, we opted for this feeder as it helps with their natural hunting instinct and keeps them active. True to the word, he is a lovely lazy boy who adores his cat tree and cuddles. His favourite toy is this wooden cat ball, which we store in the little house in the cat tree. Other than that, I find cats minimalistic as they will play with anything from a bottle cap to a clothes tag.

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