Since ancient times, humans have kept cats as pets and companions. While every individual cat has its own distinct qualities, there are certain characteristics that are common among cats and their owners. Thus, the following tips and tricks could prove helpful in maintaining an organized home and ensuring the contentment of your feline friends.
Look for Makeshift Toys
While observing your cat’s behavior at home, you may realize that not all the things that capture their interest are items purchased from a pet store.
Chances are high that you have witnessed your cat getting smitten with a paper towel roll or engaging in playful activities around a cardboard box delivered recently. This can not only provide entertainment to your cat but also save you some bucks by letting them enjoy such things. However, it is crucial to double-check that everything they play with is secure and safe!
Save Your Furniture Legs
Although you have affection for your cat, you don’t want to enter your home and find your furniture ruined. Is there a solution? Using some twine can be a quick fix.
To safeguard your furniture and create scratching posts, you can use twine to wrap around the legs. Just make sure to wrap it securely without causing harm to the furniture.
The Foil Trick
While we adore our beloved pets, there are certain locations that they may not be appropriate to access. For instance, it is likely undesirable to have them trotting around on your kitchen counters.
There are various techniques to prevent your cat from climbing on surfaces that you wish to keep them off of. One of these methods can be found in your kitchen cupboard – aluminum foil! The noise produced by crumpling foil usually deters cats, causing them to avoid walking on it.
Tape Can Work Too
As previously mentioned, there are various methods to prevent your cats from climbing onto the counter. If using aluminum foil doesn’t work for your cat, don’t lose hope. You could also attempt using double-sided adhesive tape as an alternative.
Alternatively, you could utilize regular masking tape, but it is essential to ensure that the adhesive side is facing upwards. Similar to how you would not want to, your cat also avoids stepping on sticky surfaces.
Creative Shelving
The amount of space required for a cat to explore and exercise varies based on their breed and unique personality, but it is essential for all cats.
In case you are residing in a small space, you might be concerned about whether your cats have enough room. However, you can provide your cats with additional vertical space by incorporating shelving in your home. It would be great if the shelving allows them to have a view!
Add a Brush to the Wall
Using this hack has a number of advantages. Are you concerned about ensuring that your cat receives sufficient brushing? Would they require some scratching while you’re occupied?
Get a cat brush and fix it on a furniture or wall with the bristles pointing outwards. This will serve as a rubbing spot for your cat where they can rub themselves throughout the day. In case your cat seems uninterested initially, sprinkle a little catnip on the brush to grab their attention.
Getting Rid of Ants
As the temperature increases, we may have experienced moments when we are about to change our cat’s remaining breakfast with dinner, but we discover a swarm of ants gathered around the bowl. However, it is useful to know that ants are unable to cross bodies of water.
If you manage to encircle the food with a protective barrier, you can effectively prevent pests from reaching and contaminating it. This can be achieved by using special bowls designed for this purpose, or by simply placing your regular bowl inside a bigger bowl filled with a small amount of water.
Warm Up Their Food
In case your cat is not enjoying its food, you can take a few measures to make it more tempting for them. Essentially, the objective is to enhance the scent of the food to make it more appealing to your feline companion.
In order to accomplish this, it’s advised that you use a microwave to slightly heat up the meal. Keep in mind that the objective is to only warm the food a little bit. Verify that it has cooled down sufficiently prior to giving it to your cat.
Hiding the Litter Box
If you own cats, having a litter box in your home is a necessity. However, you most likely do not wish to constantly gaze at it.
If you’re prepared to give up a cabinet, you can conceal a litter box inside it. To ensure that your cat can reach it at all times without leaving the door ajar, you can take out the middle panel from the door and introduce a pair of curtains.
And Reducing the Smell
Although sight is not the only concern when it comes to litter boxes, the strong odor they emit can be one of the most unpleasant aspects. After all, it is a bathroom.
There are a couple of methods to reduce the smell emitted by your litter box. If you drink tea, you might have some green tea readily available that you could utilize. When replacing the litter, adding a dash of green tea leaves may also aid in eradicating bacteria.
Create Your Own Scoop
To maintain the litter box’s odor-free environment, proper hygiene is crucial. Regular scooping between litter replacements greatly contributes to achieving this goal.
You may already be aware of this, but in case of an emergency, a plastic milk jug can be transformed into a homemade scoop for your cat litter. However, if you wish to take it further, you can carve out sections from the scoop to make a slotted scooper.
Use Citrus
Sometimes, it is not necessary to use tangible objects like tape or foil to prevent your cats from accessing places where they are not supposed to be. For instance, if your cat is scratching your plants, there are alternative measures you can take.
Consider including some orange peels in the pot to deter your cats from being curious about them. Although this may protect your plants, it may not be sufficient to prevent your cats from accessing toxic plants, which are best kept out of their reach altogether.
But Not Too Much
In addition to the advice on using citrus to repel cats from your plants, it’s important to take caution in ensuring that you do not cause any undue anxiety or pressure on the felines.
In case you observe that your cat seems stressed or tends to hide after you clean, it would be wise to inspect the cleaning products you use. Your cat may find the lemon-scented floor cleaner overwhelming since their sense of smell is strong and the sour scent of citrus fruit can be too much for them.
Tackling Accidents
Occasionally, even the most obedient feline may have a mishap. Therefore, it is essential to act promptly and accurately to clean it thoroughly and eliminate the odor of cat urine. Fortunately, if you keep vinegar and baking soda in your pantry, you are fortunate.
To begin, drench the spot using a blend of warm water and vinegar, with a proportion of one part vinegar to three parts warm water. After five minutes, wipe it dry and scatter some baking soda on the same spot to minimize the odor. Wait for an hour and then clean it by vacuuming.
Building a Ladder for Your Cats
As previously discussed, it is evident that cats have a strong tendency to climb. Anyone who owns a cat would quickly observe and acknowledge this trait.
Providing multiple climbing options for your cats is crucial as it can prevent damage to your curtains in the future. To achieve this, you can construct a ladder for your feline pets using a long piece of twine and a plank. Wrap the rope tightly around the plank, ensuring it is properly fastened, and then prop the ladder on a solid surface.
Organizing the Cat Food
A container of cat food that is left open is not very safe from curious cats and their skilled sense of smell. Also, it may invite pests in addition to feline visitors.
Many individuals opt for a plastic container to preserve and securely stock the cat food. Yet, before you decide on using such a container, ponder on using a plastic jug instead. By doing so, it would be easier to dispense the food during feeding times.
Upgrade Your Cat Toys
A lot of people who own cats tend to keep a diverse array of toys available for their feline friends. Among these options, certain items are especially well-liked, such as balls that contain jingling bells.
If you happen to have a cardboard box available, you can transform it into a puzzle toy that will provide your feline friend with hours of entertainment. Simply create openings in the box for the cats to swat the ball around within the box.
A Grassy Bed
There are a lot of risks to letting your cats outdoors. As such, many cat owners decide to keep their pets indoors to keep them safe.
That doesn’t mean you have to forego anything natural for your cats, though, and they might even like a bit of indoor greenery. Grass is easy to grow and allows you to bring a bit of the outdoors inside for your cat. Plus, it makes for a comfortable bed for them.
Another DIY Scratcher
Another cheap thing you can turn into a surprisingly satisfying toy for your cat is actually a toilet brush. Well, all you really need is the brush part of it.
After removing the wand arm, you can bend the stiff-bristled brush into a scratching toy like this one. This way, your pet can play around and brush themselves. Just make sure you’re using new brushes for this hack to keep everything hygienic!
Loosen Hair With Rubber Gloves
Cat hair is one thing that you can’t avoid as a cat owner. If you’ve ever cleaned up after your cat, you know it’s easy for this hair to stick to the furniture.
Even if you run the vacuum over it, you might struggle to get hairs caught in the cushions out. Before you get started, throw on a pair of disposable or even rubber dish gloves and run your hands over the furniture to loosen the pet hair.
Leave Your Carrier Out
Most pet owners dread hauling their carriers out to take their cats somewhere. A lot of them simply hate being in the carrier and grow distressed in its presence.
While it’s tempting to hide your cat’s carrier to avoid stressing them out, you might be doing the opposite! If you leave the carrier out and even make it a cozy spot for your cats to curl up, they’ll have better associations with it than if they only see it before a visit to the vet.
Keeping Them Busy
If there’s one thing that’s abundant in many homes, it’s empty toilet paper rolls. We all run into one eventually, right?
You can recycle these paper tubes into cat toys with a simple DIY. All you have to do is throw a few cat treats in the tube to capture your cat’s interest and fold the ends closed. Now your cat has a puzzle with a tasty reward!
Add a Few Pinecones
If you aren’t a fan of citrus either, there are other ways to keep your cats out of your houseplants.
Much like your countertops, one way to keep your cats off the soil is to make it an unpleasant surface to walk on. Instead of tape, it’s easier to crumble some pinecones on the surface of the soil. This will make it rougher and less tempting for wandering paws.
Keep Dryer Sheets Around
If you need to look sharp or want to wear black, your cat might have you reaching for the lint roller. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find.
When you’re in a pinch or if you just want something more multi-purpose than a lint roller, try the dryer sheets you probably already have in your laundry room. You can either use the dryer sheet in the dryer or wipe down your clothes directly as you walk out of the door.
Have a Variety of Toys
When your cats start to create mischief, there are a few reasons behind it. One common culprit is simply boredom.
You might be confused if you notice that your cat is starting to act out due to boredom even if they have some toys around. Offering more variety will keep them engaged in their toys than the chaos they can create around the home. Try a few of the DIY toys we’ve covered to give your cats some options!
Add a Rubber Mat
You can have the cleanest litter box in the world but you still might find the granules themselves all over the house.
This is thanks to the litter that sticks to your cat’s feet when they leave their litter box. By adding a rubber, gridded mat in front of the litter box, you can help catch the litter on their feet before they trot away across your floor.
A Budget-Friendly Alternative
When you’re buying cat litter often enough, you’ll want to find a cheap but safe alternative when you can. What can you turn to?
One way to save money is to swap out your cat’s traditional litter with options like horse pellets. These are less costly per unit and you can use them almost exactly the same way. All you have to do is add them to your litter box.
Redesigning a Bookshelf
If you have an old bookshelf that you aren’t sure what to do with, you can make it into a space for your cats. There’s no need to pay for an expensive cat tower.
You will need something to cut the shelves with here. From each one, you’ll want to cut a square but don’t cut the shelf fully in half. Instead, you just want to create an opening your cat will fit through.
A Little Reassurance
When you have to head out of the house and leave your cat behind, you can’t really explain to them where you’re going like a child or a partner. Not to mention, your cat misses you when you’re away too.
If you have a cat that gets anxious when you’re gone, they might find comfort in an odd place. This is one time you might want to leave your dirty laundry lying around. Rolling in your scent can comfort a lonely pet.
Make Some Space
When you work at your desk, your cat might not be the emblem of productivity. In fact, they might try to nap on your keyboard or notes as you go.
They really just want to spend time with you and they can be really determined. Rather than trying to fight them for the space, it’s sometimes easier to concede some space to them. Add a little box for them to rest in and you’ll likely coexist easier.
DIY Puzzle Toys
This one is surprisingly simple. All you need are some toys your cat already has, some treats, and a reusable container big enough to hold them.
All you have to do is cut holes in the lid and place the toys and treats inside. However, if you just take a knife to the lid, those jagged edges might hurt your cat’s paws. You’ll need to use heat to soften them to a better shape.
Grow Your Own Catnip
If there’s one thing that almost all cats can’t resist, it’s catnip. This treat is tasty and rewarding to your cats and makes for an exciting treat for them.
When you want to offer your cats this treat anytime they want, you’ll want to consider growing some yourself. Even if you don’t have a particularly green thumb, it’s not too hard to handle and you can give it to your cats as is or prepare it as a dried treat.
Catnip Toy
There are toys you can buy that are full of catnip. They’re made this way to keep your cat engaged even after the initial novelty wears off.
An old pair of baby socks and a simple sewing kit is all you need here. First, it’s best to dry the catnip if it isn’t already. Then, just fill the sock and sew it shut. If you aren’t confident in your sewing skills, try just tying the sock in a knot!
Play with Paws
This is a hack that’s better if you can start it when you get your cat. Even still, it’s an easier one to execute with certain cats than others.
When you play with your cat, don’t harass them but try to touch their feet as much as they’ll allow. The goal here is to get your cat used to you handling their feet. This will pay off later when you’re trying to clip their nails.
Use Their Love of Boxes
Cats love a place to hide and curl up. In place of a den in the wild, most cats turn to cat houses in their home. You can make your own, too.
All you have to do is grab a box and cut out a door to allow them to come in and out. For maximum comfort, add a blanket or pet bed to make the bottom softer. Now, you have a cat house with none of the cost!
Give Them a Window Seat
There are plenty of things that can keep your cat busy throughout the day. Some of those things don’t take any extra effort from you.
If you have a cat you’ve caught chattering at the birds in the morning or people watching as pedestrians walk by, give them a window seat to hang out in. This will give them a place to rest and a free source of entertainment.
Add a Bird Feeder
Speaking of cats who enjoy bird watching, there is a simple hack that you can use to benefit both parties in this situation.
Adding a birdfeeder outside of your window is a great way to support the local wildlife. It’ll also attract birds near your window that your cat can watch to their content. Since there’s a window between them, you don’t have to worry about any birds getting hurt with this hack either.
Benefits of a Shallow Plate
While we love these little guys and how clever they can be, some seem to struggle with their technique at dinnertime.
Some cats will even chow down their food so fast, it’s only minutes later that they throw it back up. To avoid this, try switching out your deeper dish for a wider, shallower plate at feeding time. As an added bonus, it helps with whisker fatigue.
Brush Them Daily
If you want your cats to shed less, there’s not much you can do to stop the process — it’s natural and necessary.
On the other hand, there are ways that you can make sure less of this fur ends up on your clothes and caught in your carpet. If you take time each day to brush your cat, you’ll catch more of this shedded hair at the source and it’s always good to tend to your cat’s coat.
Staying Hydrated
Some cats don’t visit the water fountain as much as they should. So, anything you can do to promote better hydration is great for their health.
There are a few ways that you can do this. Wet food is a great way to go and you can even add extra water. If your cat prefers dry food, you can add a bit of water to that as well for a hydrating “soup” as needed.
Another Tip
You might also find your cat will drink more water if you switch out their water bowl for a running water fountain. These options are actually great because your cat is more naturally drawn to running water.
As a result, they’re more likely to drink more water from a running source like a fountain than a bowl of still water next to their food. This can also help if you have a cat that loves to steal faucet water!
Create Plenty of Accessible Spaces
Does your cat seem more stressed out when you throw a dinner party? This is because cats aren’t always eager to meet new people, especially in large groups.
To help alleviate this stress, make sure they have plenty of accessible spaces to hide around the house. Don’t put them all in the living room because if you’re entertaining — they may not want to be in there. Use shelves, DIY houses, and even boxes to create these spaces.
Another Way to Get Rid of Hair
If you do your hair with hairspray, you can actually find another use for this household product to help you out.
Spraying a towel with hair spray and wiping down the fabric covered in cat hair, you can pick up the pet hair with ease. Then, all you have to do is wash the towel. This method should pick up any loose lint, too.
Tackling Bathtime
Cats don’t need baths as often as dogs. However, whether it’s a mischief-born mess, a litter box mishap, or health issue, cats occasionally need help from their humans. With their claws out, though, bath time can be a painful hassle.
The bathtub can be really intimidating to a cat, so one way to help make it less stressful for them and less painful for you is to bathe them in a sink instead.
Play Before Bed
Your sleep schedule might not line up perfectly with your cat’s. Still, you might not want to be awakened throughout the night by them. An excellent way to enrich them and tire them out is to take some time to play with them before bed.
If you try to work 20 minutes or so into your routine each night to play with your cats, you’ll have a better chance of getting a full night’s sleep. Plus, it’s a good way to bond with your cat.
