Looking for a few tips & tricks that cat and dog owners swear by? From simple DIY treats to tackling fur around the house, here are some of the best life hacks that pet lovers have shared…
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1. Protect your furniture
Bitter apple spray is a great deterrent for pups who love to chew up the house. You can make your own using simple ingredients like white vinegar, apple cider vinegar and water.
2. Make frozen dog treats
DIY frozen dog treats are a perfect way to help your dog cool down in the heat. Just mix peanut butter with mashed bananas and water before freezing in an ice cube tray.
3. Remove pet hair
One of the easiest methods for picking up loose dog hair is by using a pair of rubber gloves. Rubbing dryer sheets across furniture fabric also works great.
4. Clean up messy accidents
Baking soda is a life-safer for cleaning up (and deodorizing) urine from carpets. Just pour some over the spot for about 20 minutes and vacuum it up.
5. Keep playtime interesting
Dogs are not immune from losing interest in their toys. An easy way to keep playtime fun is by alternating their toys every few weeks.
6. Teach your dog to catch
If you want to teach your dog to catch, popcorn works great for training. Since dogs are a fan of the snack, there will be more incentive to get it right.
7. Make a DIY dog bed
Got an old sweatshirt laying around? Craft a comfy dog bed.
8. Slow down their eating
Slow down the speed at which your dog wolfs down their food by adding a large plastic ball in their bowl.
9. Distract them during nail trimming
Some dogs get freaked out when their nails are being trimmed. An easy way to distract them is with peanut butter.
10. Keep ants out of pet bowls
A line of chalk around a food bowl will prevent ants from getting in.
1. Encourage better habits
Does your cat love to walk across the dining room table while you’re eating? Use masking tape – sticky side up – to discourage the habit. You can also cover any surface with aluminum foil — cats hate the feel and sound of it!
2. Make a DIY pizza box toy
Cut out a few holes at the top of an empty pizza box and toss in a ping pong. Another DIY toy can be made from an empty toilet roll — just fold the cardboard inwards on both ends and stuff it with a treat. Egg cartons also work great as feeder puzzles.
3. Protect indoor plants
Discourage your cat from destroying indoor plants by adding dried flowers or aluminum paper to the soil. If they love to munch on plants, spray the greenery with a solution of cayenne pepper and water.
4. Reduce litter box odour
Add green tea leaves into the bottom of your cat’s litter tray to suppress bacteria growth and prevent nasty odours from taking over your home.
5. Protect your furniture
If your cat has a favorite piece of furniture they love to claw into, wrap the legs tightly in cheap twine for a DIY scratch post.
6. Avoid laptop distractions
No cat can resist walking across a warm laptop keyboard, but you can help avoid this distraction by placing a box nearby on your desk.
7. Encourage more water intake
Cats don’t like to eat near their water bowl, so remember to place their food bowl in a different place. They also prefer running water so it’s a good idea to invest in a kitty water fountain.
8. Get rid of cat urine odour
Add mouthwash to baking soda and apply it to the stain area to get rid of cat urine odours.
9. Build a self-petting station
Cats love a good back scratching so build them a self-petting station using toilet bowl brushes.
10. Stop fussy eaters
Cats have taste preferences but if they’re choosing not to eat , the problem could be with the bowl and not the food brand. Try using a wide dish instead — cats don’t like having their whiskers confined while eating.