A small pet comes with more equipment than most people expect. For a cat: litter tray, litter supply, food, food bowl, water bowl, carrier, scratching post, toys, grooming items, and a vet folder. For a small dog: the same minus litter, plus lead, harness, and waste bags.
Total volume is roughly 0.3–0.4 m³. In a 40 m² flat that is manageable, but only if each category has a designated place. Without one, the equipment spreads across the flat and the flat starts to smell of it.
This guide covers where each category goes, plus the two changes that do most of the work on smell.
The volume breakdown
| Category | Volume | Stored where |
|---|---|---|
| Litter tray (cat) | 0.05 m³ | Fixed position, floor |
| Litter supply (2 weeks) | 0.03 m³ | Sealed container, near tray |
| Dry food (1 month) | 0.02 m³ | Sealed container, kitchen |
| Wet food (1 week) | 0.01 m³ | Cupboard |
| Bowls and mat | 0.01 m³ | Fixed position |
| Carrier | 0.06 m³ | Under bed or top of wardrobe |
| Scratching post | 0.03 m³ | Fixed position |
| Toys | 0.02 m³ | One basket |
| Grooming, medical, paperwork | 0.02 m³ | One box |
| Lead, harness, bags (dog) | 0.01 m³ | Hanging at the door |
| Total | ~0.26 m³ |
Not much, in absolute terms. The problem is that six of those categories need to be accessible daily, which means they occupy prime space rather than storage space.
The two changes that fix the smell
Before storage: smell is the dominant problem in a small flat with a pet, and two changes solve most of it.
1. A lidded litter tray with a carbon filter. An open tray releases odour continuously. A hooded tray with a filter reduces it substantially. Cost: $30–60. The filter needs replacing monthly.
2. An airtight food container. Dry food in an open bag smells, attracts pests, and goes stale. A sealed container (5–10 litre) solves all three. Cost: $12–25.
Those two are more effective than any storage reorganisation, and together they cost under $85.
Where the litter tray goes
This is the decision that matters most, and it is usually made badly.
Requirements:
| Requirement | Why |
|---|---|
| Not in the kitchen | Hygiene, and smell migrates |
| Not in a bedroom you sleep in | Odour and litter tracking |
| Away from the food bowl | Cats will not eat near a tray |
| Somewhere with ventilation | Odour dispersal |
| Away from a wall you cannot clean | Splash and tracking |
The best location in most small flats: the bathroom, if it fits. It has ventilation, a hard floor, and it is not a room you linger in.
If the bathroom is too small: a hallway corner, or a cupboard with the door removed. Not a closed cupboard with the door on — that concentrates the smell and the cat may refuse to use it.
The mat matters. A textured litter mat in front of the tray catches the litter that comes out on paws, and that tracking is the main reason flats with cats feel gritty. Cost: $15–25.
The feeding station
Fixed position, not movable. Cats and dogs are unsettled by bowls that move. Choose a spot and keep it there.
The requirements:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bowl mat | Waterproof, raised edge — catches spills |
| Food bowl | Ceramic or stainless, not plastic (plastic holds bacteria and causes chin acne in cats) |
| Water bowl | Separate from the food bowl by at least a metre if possible |
| Elevation | Raised bowls for older or larger animals |
The water detail: cats prefer water away from their food, and they drink more when it is. In a small flat this can be difficult, but even 1–2 metres makes a difference, and better hydration prevents a common set of health problems.
The storage for food: one sealed container for dry food, one small cupboard shelf for wet food and treats. Keep the scoop inside the container — it removes a daily decision.
The carrier problem
A cat carrier is 55 × 35 × 35 cm — the largest single pet item, and used perhaps four times a year.
Options:
| Option | Space | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Under the bed | 0.06 m³ | Good, if the bed has clearance |
| Top of wardrobe | 0 m² floor | Poor |
| Foldable fabric carrier | 0.01 m³ folded | Best for storage |
| Inside a large storage box | shared | Good |
The best solution in a small flat: a foldable carrier that stores flat. It costs $30–50 and collapses to the size of a large book. The trade-off is that it is less sturdy, so it is worth keeping one rigid carrier if the animal travels by car regularly.
The behavioural point: leave the carrier out with the door open and a blanket inside. An animal that uses the carrier as a bed is far easier to get into it when needed than one that only sees it before a vet visit.
Toys: one basket, rotation
Pet toys accumulate the way children's toys do — faster than the animal's interest.
The system: one basket, holding 5–8 toys, visible and accessible. Everything else in a rotation box, swapped monthly.
Why rotation works: animals lose interest in toys that are always available, and regain it when they return after a break. Rotation is both a storage solution and a behavioural one.
The volume rule: if the basket overflows, toys go into rotation storage. Not a bigger basket.
The grooming and medical box
One box, clearly labelled, containing:
- Brush or comb
- Nail clippers
- Flea and worm treatment (check dates)
- Vet paperwork and vaccination record
- Spare waste bags
- A towel for wet paws
Where it goes: a cupboard, high shelf, or under the bed. It is used monthly at most, so it does not need prime space.
The value of having it in one box: when the animal is ill or injured, you are not searching four rooms for the vet's phone number.
The door zone (dogs)
For a dog, the entrance needs a small station:
| Item | Placement |
|---|---|
| Lead and harness | Hook at the door, at 120 cm |
| Waste bags | Small dispenser attached to the lead, or a hook |
| Towel for wet walks | Hook, or a box beside the door |
| Treats for recall training | Small container on a shelf near the door |
This is a 30 cm × 30 cm area of wall, and it prevents the daily search for the lead.
What to skip
Large furniture-style pet beds. They occupy floor permanently and are hard to clean. A washable bed that fits in a corner is better, and a cat will choose the box the bed came in anyway.
Automatic feeders in a small flat. They add an appliance, a cable, and a cleaning job, for a benefit that matters only if you are away at feeding time regularly.
Multiple litter trays in a small flat. One is enough for one cat, provided it is cleaned daily. Two trays double the space and the smell.
Open food storage bags. They smell, they attract pests, and the food goes stale. A sealed container is $15 and solves all three.
The complete setup and cost
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hooded litter tray + filters | $40–60 |
| Litter mat | $15–25 |
| Airtight food container | $12–25 |
| Ceramic bowls (2) + mat | $20–35 |
| Foldable carrier | $30–50 |
| Toy basket | $10–20 |
| Grooming/medical box | $10–15 |
| Door hooks and lead station | $15–25 |
| Total | $152–255 |
That covers a cat or small dog fully, and every item has a place in a flat under 50 m².
The honest summary
Pet equipment in a small flat is not a storage problem — it is a placement problem. Six items need daily access, and the rest can go under a bed or on a high shelf.
The two changes worth making first are the lidded litter tray and the sealed food container. Together they cost under $85 and they address the thing that actually makes a small flat unpleasant with a pet, which is smell rather than clutter.