Cats are the perfect companions for us humans. Who wouldn’t want a serial cuddler that doesn’t judge you (not too obviously, at least), an endless source of amusement, and a great listener all in one? But some things about our feline friends don’t always make life easy. From the constant shedding to the litter box odors, it can be challenging to keep up with the needs of our furry confidants.

While cats are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves for most of their daily needs, it’s not like they can avoid shedding, keep their litter box clean, or ignore their nature and not scratch the furniture just to please us. Especially if we don’t provide them with a scratcher to do it! As responsible cat owners, we need to learn how to help our kitties through any issues they may have.

If you’re thinking about bringing a new furry friend into your home and could use a little help to take care of a cat, we’re here to give you a paw! We’ve investigated and rounded up tons of cat hacks and tips to learn how to tend to your cat’s every need like a pro, so you can make sure they’re happy in their forever home!

#1

Get them neutered. To ensure all cats have a safe and happy home, one of cats protection’s key aims is to champion neutering as a way to keep the cat population under control.

#2

If your cat lets you touch its paws, it means that they love and trust you.

#3

If you don't let your cat outside, it'll avoid any number of random dangers the world can throw at it.

#4

To end a game of chase with the laser, give your cat a treat to give them a sense of accomplishment and a job well done.

#5

Talk to your cat. It helps to build a rapport, and he/she will respond to more tones of your voice.

#6

When you move to a new place, unpack the litter box first. Then "unpack" the kitty and put her next to the litter box so he/she knows where it is... Cats use the litter box as a "home base" and start exploring from there.

#7

Hang an inexpensive bird feeder outside a window and be sure you have a chair or table near the window so they can sit and watch the birds. It will entertain them every day!

#8

Teaching your cat to come when called is not only handy but could save his life. If he escapes outside, you can call him back home.

#9

It is recommended that you play with your cat for 15 to 20 minutes before bedtime so that they can let out all their excess energy. This pre-bedtime play session will make the cat calmer and help them sleep better through the night.

#10

Touch it’s ears, paws, and belly frequently to get it acclimated to those areas being handled.

#11

Store-bought toys look fun to us humans, but most cats are perfectly happy to swat around things like bottle caps, pipe cleaners, and old playing cards.

#12

From an early age, touch your cat's feet and toes often. If they get used to having their toes handled, it is much easier to cut their nails later.

#13

If you find that your cat has a propensity to sit on your book or keyboard or in front of your monitor as you attempt to use it, place an open box on your desk big enough for your cat. If there’s one thing cats love more than sitting on keyboards, it’s sitting in boxes.

#14

A great way to keep your indoor cat active, particularly if you live in a smaller home, is to put up some shelves or towers for them to climb.

#15

It’s a good idea to get two cats, especially if you’re out of the house during the day. Not only will your cat be less lonely, but they’re also less likely to get destructive if they have someone to play with during the day.

#16

Got feral cats in the backyard? Keep ‘em warm this winter. Provide some food and shelter for feral or stray cats.

#17

Every pet owner should consider pet insurance. Even if you believe you have enough money to cover veterinary costs, pet insurance could still save you thousands of dollars if your pet gets sick or injured.

#18

Safeguard your sofa. Setting up decoy scratching posts, you can give cats a place to mark, stretch, and trim their nails, without damaging your belongings.

#19

When petting a cat, watch the tail. A tip flip is annoyance, a tail thump means get away, and a twitch from the base means you're about two seconds from getting bit. Stop as soon as you see any of these, and your cat will respect you more and tolerate more petting in the future.

#20

Store dry cat food in a plastic pitcher or cereal container. Leaving your cat’s food in the opened bag runs the risk of letting it get stale.

#21

Keeping your cat at home is the safest and least unsettling option when you go on holiday as they’re less likely to be stressed and will be more content in their own environment.

#22

Give your cat running water. Some cats like flowing water and the filter helps keep the water fresh.

#23

If you’re bringing a cat into a home with other pets or another pet into a home that already has a cat, don’t just put them together and hope everything works out. Cats tend to be very territorial, and they also need time to adjust to a new environment.

#24

You can build your own cat tent with some basic items that you'll already have at home. Using wire coat hangers make a frame like a tent, with two hangers crossing each other over the top and place an old t-shirt over the frame.

#25

Build a "catio" so your kitties can experience a taste of the outdoors.

#26

If your cat goes crazy for catnip, consider growing your own. Catnip is relatively easy to grow in pots, and it’ll give you an endless supply of fun. Make sure to keep the pots out of kitty’s reach until you’re ready.

#27

If you have multiple cats and enough room in your home, it’s highly recommended that you have one litter box for every cat, as well as an extra litter box. Many cats don’t like sharing litter boxes, and even if they don’t mind, it’s still good to have extras in case one is occupied, full, or otherwise inaccessible.

#28

If you're tight on space, create a tiny hammock for your cat.

#29

Add green tea to the litter box to reduce odour.

#30

Wean your cat from destroying furniture. Cats do not tolerate the smell of citrus, use this feature for their own purposes. Sprinkle all the favorite surfaces that the cat wants to scratch.

#31

It’s time to stop spraying cats with water! Your cat starts to associate the unpleasant experience with you, and not necessarily his actions with the punishment.

#32

Put blankets and pillows near windows. If your cat likes to watch the world go by out the window, let them do it in comfort. You can also facilitate the perfect nap time by putting blankets and pillows on high perches like tall bookshelves.

#33

Deep clean their collars. They harbour a lot of dirt, grime and bacteria so make sure they're kept fresh and clean.

#34

Make your cats less aggressive toward each other. Separate their resources. Reduce competition between the cats by providing multiple, identical food bowls, beds and litter boxes in different areas of your house.

#35

Providing a cat-friendly climbing alternative not only protects your collectibles, but it affords items which may be destined for the landfill, a new purpose in life.

#36

Never give a cat a treat without it having to work for it. Training your cat has important benefits. You’re stimulating his body and his mind, which helps keep him healthy.

#37

Place pinecones in potted plants, because they're uncomfortable for your cat to step on and will keep them out.

#38

Get a cat tracker. Look for one that is lightweight, small enough to attach, and either makes a noise or has an app that does when you near it.

#39

Leaving treats hidden around the house when leave. It means that cat looks forward to leaving instead of being anxious because he gets to go on a treasure hunt.

#40

Use what’s in your kitchen to reduce litter box odors.Using a little baking soda or deodorizer in your litter box can go a long way to a fresher house.

#41

Use a rubber glove to get the cat hair off your couch.

#42

Cats love houseplants, but they hate citrus. Place a few orange peels either in the pot or around the pot to deter a mischievous cat. It will help stop your cat from both eating your plants and digging in the dirt.

#43

Using wet hands to wipe off cat hair. When you do stroke your pet, the water will actually help the loose hair on your pet stick to your hands.

#44

Avoid letting the cat play with your hands. Letting your cat play wrestle with your hands teaches them that biting and scratching is an acceptable behavior.

#45

Make a window perch for your cat to see what's going on outside.

#46

Spend a few extra moments in the morning or evening brushing down your cat, and you'll have less fur on all your furniture!

#47

When your cat wants attention or just accepts it from you, give it some but stop a bit before it gets bored or annoyed. Usually, it will build a craving for your touch rather than trying to get away. The converse is true also.

#48

Such a simple one but if kitty hated going in the carrier and splays out, turn the carrier so the door is facing the ceiling. Tuck kitty into a ball and drop into carrier butt first.

#49

Use a cat tooth paste that has an enzyme that cleans their teeth and breath. It also helps that its like a soft at treat!

#50

Serve cat food on a shallow plate to prevent speed eating.

#51

To encourage your cat to drink more water is make sure that you place their food bowl away from their water bowl.

#52

Try to vary feeding times. Make it so that your cats are fed when you’re ready to feed them to prevent them hassling you beforehand.

#53

Cover exposed cords with split tubing to keep your cats from chewing through them.

#54

Stop cat food spills with rubber boot mats.

#55

If you have hairball problems, red wheatgrass can help with digestion

#56

Try to stick to wet and dry food balance. This may be particularly useful with cats who require a higher water intake but enjoy eating dry better than canned.

#57

Calm your cat down. The most common situations that trigger the need to help calm a cat are run-ins with other cats, unfamiliar people, dogs, noises, new environments, car rides, visits to the veterinarian, and even handling. Try to keep the noises low around your cat, especially when she may be getting stressed due to an unfamiliar environment or person.

#58

Rubber brooms are a wonderful tool in removing stubborn hair from carpets and floors.

#59

When you need to take either to the vet, leave the kitty carrier out for a few days before. The carrier will become less intimidating when it is a treat-bearing part of the daily scenery at home.

#60

Clicker train daily for a couple minutes. It calms down a wound up spindly wily feline soul so that everyone can blissfully sleep all night long.

#61

Put tin foil around areas where you don’t want your cat to go. Cats hate the crinkly feel and sound of tinfoil.

#62

Harsh cleaning chemicals can be harmful to cats so try using home-made solutions when you need to clean up cat pee. Vinegar is excellent at killing bacteria, so put it to work.

#63

Don't scold the cat. Pets often have no idea what just happened or why you’re yelling at them.

#64

Empty milk cartons can be used to create a kitty litter scoop.

#65

Never disagree with them. Make them passively want to do what you want them to. Similarly - if they're wired to behave some way... yield unless it's a problem.

#66

Attach a brush to the wall. This way your cat can brush themselves.

#67

Make your own cat scratcher with what you have around the house. Or get a carpet sample for free.

#68

Use dryer sheets to remove cat hair from clothes. It removes hair and leaves behind a fresh scent.

#69

Make them a bed of grass. A grass bed, much like a box, provides a safe space for your cat to hide and feel secure.

#70

Make a condo for your cats. They are great for houses with children or dogs because they will give the cat a place to hide in.

#71

Don't bathe your cat. In addition, with their barbed tongues, they are usually capable of keeping their own coats clean without any help from their humans.

#72

If you need to bathe your cat, do it in the sink as opposed to the bathtub.

#73

If your cat has trouble with hairballs, use kitty grass, which will provide fiber.

#74

Hide the litter box inside a chest or cabinet.

#75

Make food-dish shelves to keep your cat's food out of reach from the dog.

#76

Cleaning out your litter box can be painstaking and messy. A litter that clumps will make scooping easier, however, as it’ll be obvious where you need to scoop and whether you’ve gotten it all.

#77

Entertain them for hours with a home-made cat puzzle.

#78

Draw a circle around your pet's food bowl with chalk to keep ants away.

#79

Ice cubes frozen alongside a few kitty-tidbits is, a great toy that will also help keep your cat nice and cool on hot summer days.

#80

If you tried and failed to train them, transition from free feeding to meal times can be the solution. No need to decrease how much you feed them, still works if the meals are frequent.

#81

Invest in a pheromone diffuser. The diffuser will emit an odorless vapor that’s meant to imitate feline facial pheromones, thus calming your cat down.

#82

Make sure toys are put away at bedtime. You can ensure their midnight shenanigans don’t interrupt your sleep by putting away all the noisy cat toys before bed.

#83

Put double-sided tape on surfaces where you don’t want your cat to jump up on. Cat soon learn to avoid these areas as they'll think there will be something sticky on it.

#84

Use a real tree as a stylish cat scratching and climbing post.

#85

Use the door buddy to give your cat some space. The Door Buddy is an adjustable door strap that mounts on your door and door frame and holds any door in your house open wide enough so your cat can get inside the room.

#86

Flushable cat litter is awesome. Flushable cat litter is made from biodegradable materials that break down in the environment. It will not harden when mixed with water and is supposed to be safe to flush down the toilet.

#87

Cats are more attached to places than people. If you move, don't be surprised if your cat wanders off to find its way home. Prevent this by having a kitty paradise ready in your new abode: lots of obviously available food and water, toys, litter, and interesting kitty places to explore.

#88

Teach your cat to comb itself. Use a small, soft-bristled brush or a fine-toothed comb and, while you hold the kitten, gently touch him with the brush or comb. Let him sniff it but don't let him attack it; you don't want him to think fighting the grooming tools is acceptable. Gently brush or comb the kitten a few times and then let him go.

#89

Wean your cat from destroying plants. When you're not home-or you're otherwise occupied-consider putting plants on shelves, behind a closed door, or otherwise out of reach of curious cats.

#90

If your cat has ruined your screen door or window, there’s a fix for that. Buy tape repair kits for screens that have a mesh pattern.

#91

Brushing your cat regularly with a soft brush can definitely help, and you should aim for a once-a-day grooming session for longhaired breeds, or a weekly one for shorthaired cats.

#92

Tuck a wand toy into a pocket or tie a piece of fleece onto a belt loop when cleaning. It's close enough to random movements that cat loves to chase.

#93

Cats are happy with "fetch". Use an old crisp packet folded in to a triangle, throw it once and they're playing alone for a while then.

#94

Never close any door and block the cat in any room of the house, it's cat territory.

#95

Start brushing its teeth now. It’s hard to start this on grown adult cats.

#96

For play - do not use your hand or wiggly fingers. They will associate that then with prey and want to bite and attack.

#97

Wrap furniture legs in twine. Even with a designated scratching area, some cats can’t resist taking their claws to the furniture.

#98

Give them a two-syllable name. Cats tend to only respond to shorter names, so stick to one or two syllables, preferably ending in an “ee” sound.

#99

Trim your cat’s claws or get them claw covers. Many cat owners seem to not worry about this, but it’s a good idea to lend your cat a hand with claw care. Learn to trim your cat’s claws or, if that’s too much, buy claw covers that a vet or groomer can help you learn to put on.

#100

To remove the cat hair, especially from furniture, place duct tape over it. When you remove the duct tape, the hair will come up with it.

#101

Prevent your cat from unrolling the toilet paper with citrus.

#102

Build a DIY vented litter box. If you're handy with DIY and you're sick of the smell of cat turd in your home, this project is for you!

#103

Wean your cat from going to the toilet in the wrong place. Perhaps this is the most common reason why cats begin to ignore the tray. If you decide to replace the filler, your cat is an innovation not approved, return to their seats.

#104

Wean your cat from walking on the table. Note which side cat usually jumps on the table. Put there a large tray so that he looked over the edge of the tabletop. Now, if the cat tries to climb up on the table, it will fall.

#105

If you can't find your cat (hiding somewhere in the house) put some food in its bowl and shake so it makes sound. Your cat will come running.

#106

When cat is sick and need to take meds use to pound the pills into powder, mix it with a little bit of water into a paste and smother it all over cats mouth with a basting brush.

#107

Give your cat a bell. Bells on collars seem to reduce the amount of prey caught by about half, which could be enough to no longer pose a threat to ecosystems.

#108

Create a peek-a-boo cat bed. Simply buy two material cat baskets then stitch them together. If you can't find any with a dip then simply cut out a half circle on each bed before stitching up.

#109

If you want a cheap, natural flea repellant to keep fleas off your pet and out of your home but aren't keen on using chemical-based flea collars and sprays, vinegar is an option.

#110

Use old plastic Easter eggs to create fun puzzle toys for your cat.

#111

Create a fun and inexpensive game for your cat using an old cardboard box and a ball.

#112

If you have a computer plugged into a power strip get cablebox. Cats like to lie in warm places, power strips are warm, they will eventually step on the switch and make you lose all your work.

#113

When stroking a cat, you should use the knuckle of the first finger and press down softly on a circular motion on the cat's head. Because some cat's generally don't like being stroked all the way down/across the back.

#114

Cat eats more grass when is about to cough up a hairball.

#115

Some cats can't get high on catnip. If this is the case, try black olives.

#116

Empty coke boxes hot-glued together stacked and side by side. Just cut windows and doors where ever you want. Very cheap playhouse.

#117

You must buy a Litter Locker. It's the easiest way to keep your house smelling clean.

#118

Don't feed your cats milk or tuna fish. The oil (or water) from a can of tuna fish, when drizzled on some dry kibble, is very good for cats in moderation.

#119

Crystalline litter is very absorbent, low order, and doesn't need to be changed as often.

#120

Never buy cat food from grocery stores, those things are poison. Cats are natural carnivores that usually consume more than 95% meat.