Ideas for Paint Colors for an Animal Shelter

By their nature, animal shelters aren't particularly cheery places. They're full of dogs and cats who, for whatever reason, are no longer wanted by their owners or strayed away from homes. When choosing paint colors for an animal shelter, you must combine the practical with the comforting. The practical side demands easy-to-clean, dirt-hiding shades, while comforting colors help uplift the spirit of the animals, caretakers and potential adopters.

  1. Deciding on Paint Colors

    • Paint used in animal shelters must be tough but non-toxic. Special animal shelter paints are available in blue and sky mist, several shades of green and red brick, along with black for trim. You can also find metal paint for cages in black, gray and white and order custom colors. If your budget permits, choose more than one color to differentiate shelter areas. Your cat room might boast a brighter, lighter shade than the canine areas, since flooring and walls won't get as dirty. The quarantine room for sick animals should have a soothing color scheme.

    Black Animals

    • Solid black or mostly black animals tend to be hard to adopt out. Often, these animals don't photograph well for online pictures, and in the dull, subdued colors typical of many animal shelters, they don't stand out when potential adopters come to see them. Brighter colors in the shelter, combined with good lighting, can make black cats and dogs more appealing and improve their chances of finding a new home.