How to Decorate Your Kennel

Whether you are taking your dog or cat on an airplane or want to make your kennel look nicer in your home, decorating it can help. Decorating your kennel to take your pet on an airplane helps avoid airline personnel from forgetting to load your pet. If you keep your pet's kennel in the living area of your home, you may also want to make it fit into your decor so it isn't as noticeable.

  1. Kennel Covers

    • Fabric kennel covers come in a variety of fabric types and designs to best match the decor of a room. These covers come with openings so the bars of the kennel remain open for light and air for your pet. This includes an opening for the kennel door so you can still get your pet easily in and out of the kennel. These kennel covers slide over the exterior of the kennel similar to a slipcover for a piece of furniture.

    Stickers

    • Stickers are a good way to decorate your kennel when you use it for travel. Choose pet stickers that show what kind of pet you have inside or any stickers that are bright and colorful to help your kennel stand out. Taping a sign to the top or side of the kennel that reads "live animal" also helps the airline identify that the kennel contains a pet. If you have special instructions, tape these to the crate as well.

    Paint

    • If you use a plastic-sided kennel, you can use some kinds of paint to decorate your kennel to make it stand out for the airline or to match your home decor. You can paint the kennel in one solid color or in a pattern of several colors. If you are talented with painting, you can also paint pictures onto the kennel for further customization. When painting your kennel, it is important to choose one that works well with plastic so it doesn't wear off and is non-toxic, such as acrylic.

    Ribbons

    • Tying ribbons onto your dog kennel can help to decorate it so that airline employees don't miss it when loading and unloading the airplane. Tie ribbons around the bars of the kennel, both on the side windows and the cage door. You must be careful not to allow the ribbons to hang inside the cage where your pet can chew on them. To avoid this, keep the ribbons trimmed short and tied in a bow so your animal's paws can't reach them and pull them inside.