Animal-Supportive Homes

Animal-supportive homes move beyond an human-centric view to embrace a more inclusive design philosophy that recognizes and values the place of animals within our built environment. Creating an animal-supportive home requires a multifaceted approach to architectural and design practices that prioritizes the well-being of animals alongside those of humans.

Haven House and Cloud Nine Studios include several features of animal-supportive architecture that integrate the living needs of animals into the home. Although these features are all designed to benefit animals, living in an animal-supportive home has significant therapeutic potential, because not only can it improve the experience of living with animals, but far more importantly, it can allow some people to have all the benefits of animal companionship who otherwise could not due to the challenges that come with trauma recovery.

How Pets Help People Heal

Having a pet in the home has several benefits that help people heal from trauma, including:

• Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Interacting with animals can lower cortisol levels and increase the production of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. Simply petting an animal can have a calming effect, and for those with PTSD, animals can help create a safe environment that reduces fear and hyperarousal, promoting a sense of security crucial for recovery.

• Reduced Loneliness and Isolation: The companionship from pets can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially for those living alone. Animals can also act as social facilitators, making it easier for people to connect with others.

• Improved Moods and Mental Health Conditions: People with pets report lower levels of depression and anxiety. and a wide variety of studies have shown animal companionship to lessen several symptoms of PTSD.

• Structure and Routine: Caring for a pet provides a sense of routine and responsibility, which can be particularly beneficial for those struggling with disorganization or lack of motivation. Since pets thrive on consistency, their needs can provide much-needed structure to help survivors reconnect with daily life and create a sense of normalcy when their world feels chaotic.

• Grounding and Mindfulness: Engaging with animals encourages individuals to stay grounded in the present moment, preventing them from becoming lost in traumatic memories or intrusive thoughts. Sensory experiences like petting an animal, listening to their purring, or observing their movements can serve as anchors to the present, offering a brief escape from negative thought patterns.

• Emotional Support and Unconditional Love: Pets offer non-judgmental acceptance and unwavering affection, acting as a crucial source of emotional support during difficult times. This emotional bond can as strong as human relationships, and such love and acceptance provide a lifeline for survivors who may struggle with feelings of isolation and mistrust.

• Enhanced Self-Esteem and Purpose: The responsibility of caring for another living creature can be grounding for those struggling with PTSD, depression, or a general loss of direction after trauma. This can boost self-esteem and provide a sense of purpose and meaning in life, as helping another living being can be incredibly fulfilling.

• Increased Physical Activity: Although this applies more for walking dogs, having a pet encourages regular physical activity through playtime and other activities required for their care, like grooming and cleaning. This physical activity, in turn, contributes to better mental health by reducing stress and increasing endorphins.

Barriers in Therapeutic Environments

However, the practical challenges that come with animals typically preclude them from being a part of trauma recovery therapy. Some of the top concerns:

• Anxiety or injury from aggressive behavior
• Eye and skin irritation from allergens
• Unpleasant odors, particularly from litter boxes
• Disruption from pet sounds

Furthermore, having animals in the home requires additional work to care for and clean up after them. In individual living facilities, while routine caregiving responsibilities can be therapeutic, they can also overwhelm a person already operating at diminished capacity, leading to follow-on concerns over cleanliness, health, hygiene, and animal welfare. In group living facilities, animal tasks can be taken care of by staff, but this increases workload and can be an unwelcome distraction when residents need attention.

Better Living Through Architecture

These are significant barriers; however, they are all greatly reduced in animal-supportive homes—environments designed to accommodate the living needs of animals. Creating such an environment requires considerable effort and resources; however, it is especially warranted for trauma recovery housing facilities, as animals have been shown to be able to help survivors of extreme trauma, even when they were unresponsive to all other human contact. To that end, Haven House and Cloud Nine Studios were built to support the physical and psychological needs of cats without detracting from the living environment for people.

Animal-supportive architectural elements were used throughout each home. Litter closets completely eliminate litter box odor and contain other features that greatly reduce the distribution of allergens. Bowl basins and cat lofts take care of cats' most essential needs, leading to lowered stress and calm, docile behavior.

The Animal-Supportive Architecture section has a complete list of features in each home and more information on how those features work. However, in general, Haven House was built for flexibility, with five ventilated areas for litter boxes and ten different configurations for cat-safe living environments using a special gate and various combinations of bedrooms. On the other hand, Cloud Nine Studios was built for high functionality, allowing one person living alone in a small space to have up to three cats while maintaining a pleasantly clean and harmonious home. By providing a living environment where pets are treated as essential members of the household rather than afterthoughts, animal-supportive homes such as these make the benefits of animal companionship for more accessible to people recovering from trauma.

Please Note: While dogs are more often used in animal-assisted therapy, much of that consists of short sessions where the recipients do not live with or have to care for the animals. Cats were chosen as ideal animal companions for trauma recovery because of their relatively undemanding maintenance requirements, ability to be safely left alone for long periods, and lower potential for disruptive noise. Plus, cats have a naturally calming effect, with their purring occurring at therapeutic frequencies that can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and promote relaxation.