Are you a cat parent? We bet you face many challenges dealing with these creatures. There is something mystical about these small felines, which is why ancient Egyptians worshipped them so religiously. Unlike other pets, cats are the house boss since you can’t tame a cat unless you’ve “earned” its trust and validation. And that “earning” process comes with a new set of problems. From feeding to potty training, giving them their own space, or even allowing them to invade yours, having a pet is like having another child.We’re here to make your life a little easier with our easy, quick, and budget-friendly cat hacks! So, if you’re planning to adopt a cat or already have one (or five), here's everything you need to know.
How to Prevent Your Cat from Scratching Furniture
Having a cat means clawed furniture. It is natural for a cat to shred every material it can touch, especially furniture. Save yourself the trouble of investing in nice furniture, and try our simple yet potent DIY Cat Deterrent Spray.
Mix water, essential oils (neem, Lavender), and dish liquid into a spray bottle. Make sure the products are safe for your pet. The fragrance will be annoying enough for the cat to stop scratching your furniture.
The Secret to Eliminating Litter Box Odor
Maintaining the litter box is a laborious part of having a cat. What's worse, the odors seem impossible to suppress. You’d be surprised by how much a cat person spends on products to eliminate those pesky litter box odors.
Here's a secret. Many household items work just the same as those expensive litter box odor control products. All you have to do is add a layer of baking soda to the bottom of the litter box, and voila! Bye bye nasty odors.
It’s Called ‘Cat Weed’, and You Can Grow It Yourself
If you haven't heard of it yet, catnip is a natural herb from the mint family, which cats absolutely adore. The herb produces an euphoric reaction among felines when they lick it. You can purchase dried catnip, but you can also grow it yourself.
Like other herbs, catnip can be grown at home. In order to thrive, the catnip needs full sun. These plants do not care what soil they are in as long as they are well drained, so keep the soil lightly damp but not soggy.
How to Calm a Nervous Cat
Cats rely heavily on their olfactory senses to perceive their environment and adapt. Cats have a fantastic sense of smell, and odors can significantly influence their mood. If your new cat has difficulty adjusting, introduce it to familiar odors.
A pheromone diffuser is used to chemically replicate a cat's natural pheromones, making a new environment familiar to a nervous cat. Thus, helping it to calm down and soothe a tense kitty. It's odorless, so humans and other pets don't smell it.
How to Train Your Cat to Like the Cat Carrier
“The best way to imprison someone is to never let them know they’re imprisoned”, seems like hefty words when it comes to getting your cat comfortable with the Cat Carrier. Cats despise getting inside a small cat carrier.
The best way to get your cat comfortable with a carrier is by leaving it out for them to explore. That way, the next time you plan a trip, your cat will be happy to be inside a familiar carrier.
How to Stop Your Cat From Catching & Killing Birds
Tired of your cat bringing you dead birds and mice as “gifts”? While you might not be able to stop your cat from hunting some poor pigeons, you can come up with ways to warn the prey when your cat is near.
Try getting a collar with a small bell. Not only will it warn its prey, but it will also help you keep track of your cat as it comes and leaves the house. The doves will thank you,too.
Make Cat Food Easy to Serve
Digging for cat food every day is frustrating. You wouldn’t ask your cat to serve itself, so try this easy hack to help you save a little time and effort on serving your cat a meal every day.
Use a large pitcher to serve by filling it with cat food. Pour out the cat food whenever you need to and save yourself the hassle of digging in the box. Make sure the lid’s tight and it isn’t made of glass.
Is Pet Insurance Worth the Cost?
No matter what type of pet you have, considering pet insurance is always a good option. Vet bills are always expensive, so to make sure your fluffy friend’s emergency doesn’t break your bank, get them covered under pet insurance.
While it might seem uncommon, there are a lot of insurance agencies that also provide special plans for your beloved pets. Something you wouldn’t want to use someday, but if worse comes to worst, you’ll have it under control.
Crafting a Simple DIY Cat Window Perch
If your kitty is like the gossiping old lady down the road who likes watching everyone go by in the window, why not make it more comfortable for them? You can make your window basket perch for an adventure-seeking cat.
Just hang it beside the window using solid decorative ropes or use two pieces of shelf brackets and a thin piece of plywood to support the weight of the basket and cat. Your cat will love this little hangout place.
Easy DIY Cat Hammock
It shouldn’t surprise you when your cat confesses their love for a hammock. We don’t know if you can make a hammock for your use, but we sure know that getting one for your cat is easy!
Just use a flexible piece of cloth, some Velcro straps, and a chair or a table in the room to create the perfect napping spot for your pet. Make sure there arent any delicate or fragile objects near by.
Why Not Make an Indoor Grass Lounge for Your Cat?
Making a grass bed for your cat is easy. Not only is it a bed that grows itself, but your cat would prefer a bed of luscious green grass over an expensive cushion. And we are talking natural grass, not plastic.
You can also look up cat-friendly plants and use them so your cat can munch on a little snack every now and then. The entire process will require a much lesser amount of money and is overall preferable by all cats.
Your Cat Loves Staring Out the Window? Try This
If your cat is an introvert who enjoys staring at the world perched by the window, why not make it more comfortable? Your cat will love it if you arrange cozy pillows and blankets by the windows to help it nap.
Not only will it keep your kitty well-rested, but it will also give you extra moments of peace around the house while your cat dozes off. A win-win for both you and your cat! We wish the cat did the same for us.
Clever DIY Kitty Litter Box Solution
Another absolute lifesaver in kitty litter is this sift you can make with just about anything in your house. It takes away all the headache from the entire process of playing the treasure hunt from the litter box.
Punch holes in a smaller box or tin tray and put it into a larger litter box. Once your kitty does its business, you can sift through all the litter, and only the disposable items will be left behind!
A Tip for Keeping Your Cat Out of a Specific Room
If you want a certain area of your house free from your cat, these easy DIY Kitty Deterrent barricades will do the trick. All you need is some tin foil and/or sticky tape—cover random areas of the room with it.
Cats hate the crinkly noise of the foils or random objects sticking to their paws or fur. Thus, the more an area has some of these, the more likely it is for a cat to avoid that area.
Expert Tips for Cat Grooming
Looking after your cat and grooming them regularly can wage war. If your cat sheds, brushing them every day can be a struggle. Instead, make some minor changes around the house and make THEM do the majority of the work.
Install a couple of brushes in the hallways, doors, and walls; your cat will scrub itself past the brush. Not only will this save you a lot of manual labor, but it’ll get things done as the cat likes.
DIY Cat Scratcher
Training your cat to stop scratching your precious furniture is always a challenge. It is unlikely that you’ll suppress their natural scratching urges. Even if you use the cat deterrent spray, dedicate an area where the cat can scratch.
Using an old doormat or old blankets can be great recycled scratchers. Not only will it repurpose them, but it’ll also save a fortune that you’ll have otherwise invested in a scratcher. You can glue the doormat to a wall, thus creating an excellent scratch.
Curiosity Satisfied: Tips for Calming Your Cat
Cat parents working from home during the Covid lockdowns probably had it worst since working peacefully with a lurking cat is impossible. When you place a large screen emitting curious lights, your cat will be drawn and hinder your work.
A countermeasure could be getting your cat its own toy laptop or even a curious box-shaped one. So, while your cat is busy working their shift on their toy laptop, you can quickly attend meetings and meet deadlines.
Keeping Your Couch Fur-Free
No matter how often you brush your kitty, if you have a shedding kind, you WILL find a lot of fur on your furniture, bed, couch, kitchen, and even coffee! Clearing it off the furniture is extremely difficult.
Avoid using unnecessary elbow grease and use this fantastic hack. When you clean fur off the couch, use a pair of rubber gloves to wipe it off. You’ll be surprised to see how easily all that fur comes off.
The Best Way to Protect Your Furniture from Cat Damage
Despite creating a designated scratching area, the cat still might avoid that spot and continue scratching the new furniture in the house because...cat. If so, you might consider wrapping your furniture legs with twine. It might even look good.
This will help protect your furniture by taking on most of the damage from the cat’s paws. Try mixing and matching various colors to look decorative and match your furniture. If your cat keeps scratching it, spray some of that deterrent on it.
Revealing the Most Effective Way to Remove Cat Fur
If you’re an experienced cat owner, you know that a lint roller is a must-have. The amount of fur a cat sheds regularly is scary, and you need something to clean it quickly and easily. Besides lint rollers, there’s something even better.
Consider investing in dryer sheets if you don’t have some lying around in your house. Rubbing them directly over the “fur-infested” clothing will not only remove the fur but also infuse a nice scent to your clothes.
A Handy Tip for Both Cat Owners and Baby Parents
If you make the silly mistake of leaving a toy near a cat before bed, be prepared to be woken up by shenanigans at midnight, just when it’ll be the last thing you want. This applies to babies, as well.
Cats couldn’t care less about your sleep when they feel the urge to play in the middle of the night. Your best bet is to hide all the noisy cat toys and leave the ones that’ll silently pacify your cat.
Using Shallow Food Trays
Tired of finding cat food everywhere? While it might take some time to teach your cat some proper table manners, it will only take 5 minutes to get a food tray for your cat that is a bit shallower.
Not only will it force your cat to eat slowly and not spread its food everywhere on the floor, but it will also prevent over-eating and throwing up. This saves you a lot of time that you’d have spent on cleaning.
A Helpful Hack for Preventing Your Cat From Getting Lost
A basic trick to teach a pet cat is to train them to come to you when called. Not the fanciest trick there is, but more than just basic cat training, this trick can save your cat’s life someday.
Cats getting lost isn’t a new topic for us; frequently enough, these curious furballs wander off too far from their homes and get lost. A well-trained cat can be recalled quickly and thus can be found faster.
Transforming IKEA Doll Beds into Adorable Cat Bunk Beds
A Redditor shared their “Cat Bunk Beds,” which is exactly what it sounds like. Just like the bunk beds you’d expect to see at a dorm, but for cats! Not only is the concept creative, but it also saves space.
The best part? You don’t have to purchase one from stores; you can make one yourself if you can hammer down a couple of pieces of wood. You can also turn an old IKEA doll bed into one.
Safeguarding Your Houseplants from Your Cat
It is a nightmare for a person if they love cats and gardening. Mischievous cats would move heaven and earth to ruin the plants you spent months grooming. Sometimes it looks as if they are ruining your favorite plant on purpose.
To deter your cats from your precious plants, consider placing some citrus peels in the vicinity because cats hate the scent. Just a hint is enough to deter them away from that place. We, however, love the citrusy smell.
Putting an End to Nighttime Disturbments: A Cat Owner's Tip
For nights you don’t want to be woken because of your hyperactive cat running around like a Formula 1 car, you should spend at least 15 minutes playing, giving them a good workout so they are tired and sleepy.
This will help your cat expend all the excess energy and go to bed without a fuss. Thus, giving you probably an hour or more of a sound sleep when you need it the most for the next day.
How to Bath Your Cat Without Traumatizing Them
If there’s something that most cats hate (besides mice and dogs and the citrusy smell), it is water. If your cat doesn’t enjoy a little splish splash occasionally, bathing them can be an absolute disaster for both of you.
Avoid bathing your cat in huge tubs since the water is too much and can be intimidating. Instead, look for a smaller container like a baby tub or a basin. Your cat is less likely to get frightened there.
Cat Grass They Can Eat
Cats love to nibble on your house plants, ruining the hard work you put into looking after the garden. However, if a cat wants to eat plants, why not give it its grass? Is there a special grass for cats?
Cat grass is kitty-friendly and is pretty easy to grow indoors. You can grow some at home conveniently so your cat knows there’s a plant that it can munch on without trouble.
DIY Cat Food Tray
We've already seen 2 great tips for feeding your cat, and this is perhaps the best: If finding tiny bits of food all over the floor persists, maybe its time you consider placing your cat’s food bowl on a large tray.
Not only does it make everything look more organized, but any food your cat spills can be easily recollected later, and instead of sweeping it away with dirt, you can feed it to them again.
Delighting Your Cat with This IKEA Hack
Are you looking to renovate your house to accommodate your cat better? Then this might be just the hack you've been looking for. It is an amusement park for cats, and amused they will be.
All you need is a Lack shelf, two decorative brackets, and an Ådum shag carpet. Cover the self with carpet, and this would be an excellent surface for a cat to loiter around. Not only that, but it’ll look decorative, thus benefitting your cat and you!
Irresistible DIY Cat Toy
If your cat has been bored with its toys lately, this can easily amuse your cat. You will need a bowl of water, placed on a wide towel, some ping pong balls, and your phone set to "Video".
All you need to do is drop two or three ping pong balls in a water tray. When your cat paws one of the balls, it splashes around the water. The rapid, wavy motions are just enough what you would need to amuse your cat.
Say Goodbye to Buying Cat Litter Scoops
If your kitty litter scoop has been worn out and you’re considering buying a new one, try this. You don’t need to pay for cat litter scoops ever again in your life with this hack. The odds are you already have it.
If you have an empty milk jug, turn it into a kitty litter scoop so you can reuse it well and save a lot of bucks on those expensive kitty litter devices. If you are an almond milk person, call a dairy friend.
Large Cat in a Small Apartment? Read This
If you live in a cramped apartment but can’t help but adopt a cat or two, positioning their litter box will likely be a problem. You probably don't want it in the living room or near the dining room.
You can buy a large decorative box big enough to allow your cat to do its business peacefully without compromising the décor of your house. If the wood or material can suppress the foul odor, you just hit the jackpot!
Mastering Claw Management for Your Cat
Every cat owner needs to ensure that they keep their cat’s nails trimmed for personal safety. Hyperactive cats tend to claw everyone even when they aren’t being violent; this can cause injuries that can sometimes raise serious concerns.
Ensuring that your cat practices appropriate claw control and including countermeasures to bring things under control when they get out of hand should be the owner’s responsibility and priority.
Cats Don’t Know the Price
There’s no need to purchase a $100 toy from a fancy pet shop. You can give your cat the most random object in the house and it will be the same as the pricey toy you treat your cat to.
Cats don’t know if a toy is expensive or not. Just hand them over a rubber ducky, and they’ll play with that too! Make sure that the toy isn’t a choking hazard for your kitty and you’re all set.
Vacuuming Cat Fur: Doing It Right
Many pet owners make the mistake of using compressed air to clean up fur from their electronic devices or tiny corners in the house. This technique's sudden burst of concentrated air scatters the cat’s fur, making it even harder to clean.
Instead, you should try to vacuum out the fur so that no “post-cleaning” comes with the task, and you can quickly get rid of tangled hair hiding in the tiny corners. Of course, to have a clean home, you'll need to repeat it daily.
Washing Your Cat Without Getting Clawed to Death
If you don’t want to be clawed to death while bathing your cat, follow our advice. If your cat despises the water, the best thing you can do is be gentle and not force your cat during a bath.
If possible, ask a family member or friend to help you out. Four hands are always better than two while bathing a feline. Use cat-friendly products, and remember to ease your cat through the entire process.
Window Screen Tape: Every Cat Owner's Necessity
Scratching habits can ruin your prized possessions. You turned away for one minute now your screen door has a huge hole ripped out by your cat. While the damage dealt is irreversible, it isn’t very complicated to conceal it.
Window screen tape is a convenient accessory if you want to fix that huge hole ripped open in the screen door or window by your cat. It doesn’t cost a fortune and is certainly quite effective in covering up for your cat’s hyperactivity.
The Magic of an Empty Cardboard Box
If your cat is used to interrupting you while you’re working, it is probably because your cat is feeling bored. The most basic thing you can hand over to your cat at such time is an empty cardboard box.
Something is amusing about an empty cardboard box for a cat that it cannot help itself but play with it. So, while you focus on your work, your cat will be too busy hanging in its “Chill Box” without interrupting your productivity.
Crafting a DIY Flea Trap for Your Home
If your cat invites fleas around your house, you can use some candles to make a Flea Trap that’ll handle all the flea-infested areas in your room. How do you do it, and more importantly- when?
Just place a lighted candle in the areas most infested with fleas and leave it overnight; the light from the candle will attract the fleas, while the hot wax will trap and kill them. Simple and easy, this trick requires almost zero labor.