10 Best Life Hacks for Cat Owners

How to stop a cat from walking on the table

You can always offer an alternative: a window sill, an ottoman or a nurse that is attached to the radiator. After all, cats use the table to inspect their territory from a great height, which is why they climb to all heights.

If your pet doesn’t like the alternative, then regular tape will come to the rescue. Cut strips of tape 20-25 centimeters long and place them on the table, sticky side up. A cat, jumping onto the table, will immediately fall into a trap: the tape will stick to its paws, and the animal will be busy trying to free itself from the adhesive tape.

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Cats love it when their owner strokes and combs them with his own hand. But if a person is busy, the cat can do this on his own, you just need to help him: attach a massage brush within the cat’s reach and he will quickly learn to itch on his own.

How to stop a cat from going to the toilet in the wrong place

First, find out the reason for the cat's rebellion against the toilet in the designated area. Perhaps the animal is not satisfied with the size of the tray, the filler, the location of the tray itself, or the smell in it. If before the cat was completely satisfied with its tray and filler, and suddenly the animal suddenly began to go to the toilet in the wrong place, we advise you to take the animal to the veterinarian. Perhaps the cat is trying to attract the owner’s attention in this way to problems with the stomach or urination (if there is discomfort in the cat’s urinary canals, the litter box begins to be associated with pain, so the animal looks for another place for the toilet).

If no health problems are found, then we recommend laying a soft rag instead of filler or pouring earth/sand into the tray.

Neat place to eat

The place for feeding a dog or cat often looks untidy - food is scattered all over the place, the floor gets dirty, and the appearance of the bowls spoils the interior of the kitchen.

There is a good solution to the problem - to build feeders into furniture, for example, into the bottom of a bedside table. Drill holes the size of the bowls and insert them there. Now no one will cling to the feeder, the food will not fly away and the floor will be clean.

How to make a scratching post in 3 minutes

If you value the upholstery of your sofa, we strongly recommend getting a scratching post. If you don’t want to buy it, then use a thick rope. Tie a rope around the table leg at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from the floor. The distance should be high so that the cat can lift its paws and thus stretch the ligaments. After all, a scratching post not only protects your furniture from sharp claws, but also has health benefits for your pet.

Be sure to introduce the animal to the new object and reward the cat when he uses the scratching post for its intended purpose.

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If it is not possible to purchase a scratching post in a specialized store, you can easily make one yourself; just wrap a piece of rope or strips of thick fabric around the table leg. Murlyka will probably like even this budget option.

How to Reduce Aggression from Cats That Don't Get Along with Each Other

Cats are very jealous of their territory and surrounding space. If you add a new cat to an adult cat who is used to living and “reigning” in an apartment alone, then a conflict cannot be avoided.

In order to reduce the likelihood of cat squabbles, nail additional shelves to the walls. Animals will divide the space between the shelves, there will be more territories, or rather lying places, which means the number of conflicts will quickly disappear.

What is a life hack and why is it needed?

The word “life hack” would undoubtedly appeal to Ellochka Shchukina - it’s foreign, can be pronounced with different intonations and replaces many others. So, a life hack is: advice, instructions, design, recipe, ingenuity, trick, memo, idea, technology, method, tool, experience, technique, etc., as well as the headings - “Do it yourself”, “Note for the housewife” ", "Everyday tricks", "Useful tips", "Crazy hands" ...

Various tricks help to some extent replace cats' natural habitat. For example, a village cat does not need additional exercise equipment - they already surround it.

The village cat does not need special exercise equipment

And the kitten does not need educational toys, because every day he makes new discoveries.

Every day in the village gives the kitten new discoveries

A cat living in an apartment needs special means for climbing and updating its claws, a place for the toilet, all kinds of toys for the development of intelligence, etc. And a caring owner should provide it with all this.

My wife came up with so many things for the cat that sometimes it seems to me that he lives better than me))))
Sviridov
https://www.yaplakal.com/forum13/st/75/topic1201239.html

How to stop your pet from damaging furniture

Cats tear up furniture not because of their own whims, but because they need to sharpen their claws. The owner must trim the animal’s claws in a timely manner or offer the cat an alternative – a scratching post.

If the claws are trimmed, the scratching posts are installed, and the furry bully is still encroaching on the integrity of the furniture, use cardboard.

Cover the tattered sofa corner with cardboard. The cat will begin to dig its claws into it, because it doesn’t matter to him what to tear: cardboard or a sofa corner. Gradually begin to lower the cardboard lower, and then completely to the floor. The cat will get used to the structure and appearance of the cardboard, completely turning its attention to it and forgetting about the sofa upholstery.

House made of foam rubber

This option is no less interesting, but requires machine sewing skills. But it can be made quite quickly and without much effort. I propose to sew a home that will resemble a real home.

You will need:

sewing machine;
thick fabric;
thick foam rubber;
thick cardboard for the base;
paper for pattern.

Cardboard is used only for the base of the house to make it more stable.

Instructions:

First you need to make a pattern: draw a pentagon - a house with a triangular roof, like in childhood - just take into account the dimensions. Thanks to this, the roof does not have to be cut and sewn on separately; it is integral with the walls. The pattern for the base of the house is a square (40 cm). Approximate dimensions for cutting out walls with a roof: width – 40 cm; wall height – 30 cm; roof height – 25 cm.
Transfer the pattern onto the fabric. From one pattern for the walls you need to cut 4 parts for the outside of the house and 4 parts for the inside of the house. For the base, two separate fabric flaps are cut out.
One of the sides will have a hole for entry. To get an even circle, you can attach a dessert plate and trace it, and then cut it out.
Transfer the pattern onto the foam rubber. From it you need to cut four parts for the walls and one part for the base.
Transfer the bottom pattern onto the cardboard.
Make an allowance of 2 cm and cut out all components of the product.
Time is running out for the typewriter. When sewing the walls together, first place the foam, the fabric on top of it, face up, and the fabric on top, face down.
Sew all sides of the walls except the bottom edge. It will be attached to the base.
Sew the base. First, foam rubber is placed, cardboard is placed on it, and then fabric is applied in the same way.
Turn out the resulting parts. Iron along the seams.
After this, sew all the components to each other. The bottom is sewn last.
Turn the product right side out and straighten it. Ready!

How to make a toy for a cat

Making a cat toy can be a great time spending time with your child, if you have one. You can take a long stick, tie a fishing line or a thick thread to its end, and a decorative feather or ringing bells to the end of the thread. Cats are happy to run after such toys.

You can also place toilet paper rolls in your shoebox. Vertically, of course. Cats get stuck on this game for a long time, sticking their paws into holes, thinking that someone is hidden in them.

Striped tent

The sizes can be arbitrary. The most important thing is that the animal does not feel too cramped in it. A similar structure with a wire frame can be easily moved and placed in another place.

Cozy T-shirt tent

1Make the bottom of the tent from a piece of thick cardboard or plywood. To prevent the cardboard base from bending, glue or tape 2-3 sheets together.

2To make the frame you will need two pieces of thick wire. They will need to be bent into arcs.

3We connect them together so that the ends are located in the same plane. Secure the upper part of the frame, in the area of the crosshairs, with tape.

4To attach the frame to the bottom of the house, we make four holes in the corners of the cardboard or plywood blank. It is necessary to retreat 3.5 cm from the edges.

5After pushing the wire into the holes, its ends must be bent on the back side of the bottom and secured with tape.

6The entrance hole of the house will be the neck of the T-shirt. We turn up the lower part and sleeves. You can simply sew it on by hand, but since the T-shirt will need to be washed periodically, it is better to secure the bottom with pins under the bottom of the house.

7A soft tent for a pet can also be sewn from felt, knitted or other types of fabric. Make a pattern from newspaper, attaching it to a wire frame. When cutting, be sure to leave seam allowances.

Anyone can make such a tent for a cat. All you need is a bright T-shirt, a couple of wire hangers and cardboard.

Materials

So, prepare: a T-shirt, thick square cardboard, two wire hangers, adhesive tape, pins, pliers.

Cut off the ends (hooks) of the hangers.

We make stands from hangers. To ensure density and smoothness, tape the cardboard around the edges.

We make small holes (to hold the wire tightly) in each corner.

We cross the wires and secure the top with tape. Make sure the legs of the stand are touching the corners of the cardboard. Insert them into the holes.

Bend the ends of the wire on the reverse side.

To make it easier to move the tent, cover any protruding bends with tape.

The frame is ready. Make sure the wire posts are symmetrical. If necessary, trim them with pliers.

We cover the frame with a T-shirt, folding it as shown in the photo below. The T-shirt should be pulled tight enough.

Place a soft pillow or blanket inside and present the new thing to your cat!

You can sew a cozy and warm cat bed from an old sweater. Prepare pins, stuffing (eg polyester), pillow, needle, thread and scissors.

Main source material

We sew up the neckline, sew a transverse line between the sleeves (this way we separate the back of the future bed).

We fill the back and sides with polyester.

Sew the cuffs.

We put the pillow inside.

Sew up the hole and fasten the sleeves to the base with pins.

Sew and remove the pins.

You can brag about the end result!

If you have a cat “Matroskin” at home, make him such a tent. And then for sure she and your minke will be like two boots.

Make a great tent for your pet using a T-shirt and two pieces of wire or a cut-out cardboard frame. Pull a T-shirt over the frame, its collar will become the entrance to the home, and the sleeves will become windows. The protruding wire must be covered with tape. The bottom is made of two pieces of cardboard or plywood.

How to make a house for a cat. Fast and easy!

Here’s a way to turn an old suitcase into a stylish bed, which has become so popular lately. For this, logically, you need the suitcase itself.

Remove the lid from the suitcase.

We cover with masking tape and newspaper those places that we will not paint.

If there is a metal plate with a logo or something similar, you can lubricate it with Vaseline in advance so that you can easily remove the paint later. You need to paint it with spray paint. Follow safety precautions and carry out this operation in the fresh air to avoid intoxication.

Then we select fabric and finishing materials.

We sew a cover to suit the size of the suitcase and stuff it. You can use any padding: foam rubber (solid layer or pieces), padding polyester, holofiber.

We fill the case and try it on.

You can leave the suitcase as is, or you can attach the legs. You can take them from any old and unusable furniture, you can purchase them or make them yourself if you are proficient in turning. We paint the legs with any paint.

Apply glue.

And we rejoice at the result together with our four-legged friend!

How to train a cat to use a scratching post if he ignores it

If you have installed a scratching post, but the animal stubbornly ignores the new object in the apartment, paying all its attention to the upholstery of the kitchen unit, then buy catnip at the pharmacy.

Spray the spray on the scratching post; cats love the smell of mint. You will not pull your pet away from the scratching post until the smell disappears. During this time, the animal will get used to the scratching post and understand why it was installed in the apartment.

Two-story building

A full two-story house can also be an excellent design for a cat's home. A minimum of drawing skills, good imagination and cardboard boxes will definitely come in handy in this matter. And a few more details - a knife (or scissors), a ruler, a pencil.

First of all, we cut out the door and windows, then we construct the roof. Glue it to the frame and you can decorate!

How to make a ladder for your pet

We have already written above that cats love to climb to high places. Sometimes these are chairs, sometimes tables, and most often - cabinets. Many cats try to climb onto the cabinet, but as they age it becomes more difficult for them to do this, so we recommend helping your pet with a ladder.

To do this, take a board or thick plywood and wrap a rope around it. Each turn of the rope will resemble the ledge of a step, along which the cat can easily climb to the height of the cabinet.

Cat play area

At the beginning of construction, a box of suitable dimensions is made. The entrance to the interior can have any shape and form. The assembled box is attached to the base of the complex. The pipes are attached to the house using angles and screws.

The next level of the gaming complex is represented by a couch. To make it interesting for the animal to move around its home, you can install a ladder on the side or inside the building, securing it with corners.

The upper level is designed in the form of a gable roof installed on 4 pipes.

Note!

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After collecting the entire complex, you can begin decorating.

All pipes should be wrapped with suitable ropes; beds and other floors can be covered with carpet sheets. All cuts and walls of openings must be covered with furniture slats to ensure safe movement for the animal inside the complex.

How to quickly calm your pets

Water and loud noise, which people usually resort to to stop cats from fighting, are best avoided. Both liquid and noise are external irritants and, most likely, they will provoke cats even more.

Animals understand the language of nature, which means turn on the mother cat in you and grab the aggressor cat (the one that started the fight) by the scruff of the neck. Let the second cat be removed from the room, and you hold the culprit tightly and press him to the floor.

The cat will gradually calm down, when you feel that the animal has relaxed, you can praise it and let it go.

If cats often don’t get along, we recommend purchasing a sweet treat for your pets at veterinary pharmacies or well-known Chinese websites. It is mounted on the wall at the level of the animal's head. The sweetness needs to be licked, and therefore the cats will be busy for a long time, completely not paying attention to each other.

Selection of materials

All materials that can be used to make houses with your own hands are divided into several categories:

To make the frame, you can use plywood or chipboard. The main condition for the material used is the absence of a pungent odor - this will scare away the pet. To make a base for a bed, you can use straw or regular plastic.
For upholstery, you can use soft plush or carpet. These materials can be used to sew bedding or pillows for cats. It is recommended to use padding polyester or foam rubber as a filler. Artificial fillers are available for sale - they are found in the form of granules that retain heat.
Connecting fasteners can be made of metal pipes. They will not only increase the period of operation of the house, but will also make it much more sustainable. Glue, but odorless, or nails can be used as fastenings. A stapler is often used. For softer designs, you can use weaving from newspaper tubes.

The simplest and most affordable option for a house is cardboard. Decorating such a product will not be difficult - just buy gift wrapping paper, which can be found in any souvenir shop

How to stop cats from walking on flowers

Cats are more accustomed to walking on the ground because of their nature; they are animals after all. But city cats, locked in apartments, do not have the opportunity to go outside, and therefore get the desired softness for their paws in flower pots.

If you want to wean your animal off walking on the ground in flowers once and for all, then pour pebbles, Christmas tree cones or dried flower petals into the pot. It will become uncomfortable for the cat to step on the ground hidden by the stones, and soon he will stop disturbing your plants.

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Arch for combing

Cats need to have their fur brushed periodically. You can make your own scratcher for your pet.

You will need the following materials:

two dish brushes;
square piece of foam;
glue.

If your dish brushes have plastic handles, then this part needs to be removed. We won't need it. Heat the metal at the base of the handle and you can easily remove it.

Bend two pipe cleaners in such a way that you get an arch. The brushes at the top should close together. Stick the metal parts of the pipe cleaners into the foam and secure with glue.

The cat will walk through the arch of brushes and groom its own fur. This device will make caring for your pet easier.

Cleaning ideas

For furry pets

The main problem that worries the owners of a fluffy kitten or adult cat is the hair that is literally found all over the house. To minimize its amount, your pet will need to be systematically combed. Veterinarians recommend doing this at least 2 times a week. In addition to the usual combs, you can use a furminator, which more effectively removes excess hair. If combing doesn’t help and wool still gets stuck in the folds of the furniture, you can make a vacuum cleaner attachment with your own hands. To do this, you will need to take a nozzle with a thin cap, for example, from a ketchup bottle, and connect it to the vacuum cleaner pipe.

Rubber gloves will also help get rid of hair on clothes or furniture. You will need to moisten them a little with water and gently wipe the surface.

For non-furry animals

Frequent water procedures are a preventive measure against contamination of the apartment.
If a person gets a Sphynx, the problem with excess fur disappears. However, another appears. Since this breed of cat is hairless, the animal sweats a lot and can stain surrounding objects with secretions. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to bathe your pet frequently. In this case, this should be done with cosmetics that contain only natural ingredients.

Wardrobe items will also help to cope with excessive sweating. Clothes for animals are quite expensive, so not every pet owner decides to make such a purchase. However, this problem can be solved with improvised means. The owner will need to arm himself with unnecessary thick tights and check whether the pant leg is wide enough to pull it over the cat. If everything is in order, you will need to cut a piece of the tights to the required length and carefully make holes for the paws. To prevent dressing from being inconvenient for the animal, the created item of clothing can be cut at the top and a button sewn on.

Vacation ideas

There are many life hacks for cats that will not only make their life easier, but make it more varied and fun. To prevent the animal from damaging the furniture, you should have a scratching post in the house. Some of them are quite expensive, so it is better to create it yourself. Owners will need to follow the following algorithm of actions:

The wall structure will save the wallpaper and the nerves of the owners.

Arm yourself with an unnecessary carpet or rug, a small piece of plywood or cardboard and fasteners.
Carefully cut the fleecy material into pieces of the required width and length.
Glue to plywood.
Using fasteners, secure it to the wall, which is often subject to vandalism by cats.

You can also build a house for your pet at home. One of the easiest options is to use an unwanted T-shirt. First of all, you will need to build a wire frame in the form of a pyramid, after which you will need to pull the wardrobe item onto it so that the collar serves as an entrance for the cat. A shelter for an animal is also made from hoods from warm jackets. You should sew them along the lines that used to be adjacent to the collar. This house is mobile, you can take it with you on trips.

Cats are very active, so they will appreciate various toys. You can use the eggs that are inside the Kinder Surprise. You can put beads or any objects inside them that make a sound and attract the cat. However, the downside of such a toy is that the pet loses it quite quickly. To prevent this from happening, you should connect several eggs together. This can be done using a preheated thick needle, which will make holes in the eggs, and a lace that holds the toys together.