Cats EVERY time. I have two and they are nearly 15 years old. Brother and sister. They are independent, keep themselves clean, take themselves for walks, and are VERY affectionate and loving. I will be distraught when they pass away. I love debanger3’s comment ”dogs are for kids,cats are for grownups”— brilliant!!

I saw this one yesterday on the French bedroom company whilst looking for something else!

Please drop me a line at kate.burt@houzz.com if you are a designer who could share some great tips on dogs and small garden design for an editorial story I'm putting together. Thank you!

Maybe look in salvage yards or eBay for an old one, or try Jim Lawrence. Jim Lawrence sell firedogs (another word for andirons) and they have grates that sit on top. They seem to sell them as a combination on their website, but I’m sure they would sell a grate separately- they’ve always been super helpful when I’ve bought things from them.