Cat 'Hacks', tips and DIY that I've actually tried
In no particular order:
1. Use a Water Bottle
Sammy seems to think that any cup that he can fit his face into must be his water bowl, so far the only beverage he hasn't tried to drink was a whisky-coke. So barring us including whisky in all of our drinks (although some days it feels like a good option), using water bottles around the house is the only way we don't get a mouth full of cat hair every time we take a sip.
2. Get your IKEA on
IKEA is a wonderland of cheap re-purposable furniture. There are about a billion examples of revamped IKEA projects for cats online. Recently I made (and posted about) a LACK table cat tree that Cleo and Sammy have actually been using. I'm also dying to try this Gosig hideaway bed but I need to find a substitute for the Gosig basket.
Cats are finicky little buggers so if you can make something on the cheap you won't feel so bad when they ignore it for weeks.
3. Toilet paper tube everything
Ideas here
My cats loooove toilet paper tubes, whether I just toss them on the ground or try to get creative, they go nuts over them. Be forewarned though, if you buy cheap TP (like us) the rolls might not be sturdy enough for some of the projects like the treat ball (I made one successful attempt at this for Cleo but Sammy's failed with our cheaper brand TP), but they'll do just fine for things like the treat puzzle.
4. Kitty Tent
Instructions here
This is by far one of the most successful projects I made for the cats. In fact Cleo and Sammy started fighting over the first tent I made so often that I made a second. Now they fight over both.
5. Supplement your litter
Recently we started tearing up all of our junk mail and old newspapers to add to the litter box and cut down on litter usage (and costs). I could never get on board with just newspaper as litter because it never seems totally clean but by mixing I feel like we get the best of both worlds.
6. Plastic Bags
Like toilet paper rolls, my cats go nuts for plastic bags. Cleo in particular loves to eat them (¬_¬). The hitch with plastic, is the suffocation hazard so be sure to tape down any free edges before giving it to your cats and always keep an eye out for tearing. You can check out some examples here.
If you're concerned about your cats playing with plastic, my cats also love playing with paper bags although they do tend to be less slippery than plastic so they don't slide around as well.
7. Tupperware Puzzle Game
I've seen this one a few times on Buzzfeed. We keep our plastic to-go containers so we didn't even have to cut a tupperware that we purchased. The best part about this game is that you can always switch out the toys that you put inside to keep your cats interested.
8. Double sided tape
For cats who love to scratch and jump on places where they shouldn't be, this is a great solution. Just put the tape, with the sticky side exposed, wherever you don't want your cats to jump or scratch and after the first or second attempt they avoid it completely. This was the ONLY way we could get Cleo to stop running behind the TV. And it was extremely helpful in training her to use the scratching posts. We put the post next to the couch where she liked to scratch and tape on either side. Now her post is taking a beating instead of our sofa.
9. Alter your Feeding Dish
10. Get off your butt
Fortunately for us couch potatoes, cats share our love of lying around, unfortunately they also enjoy running around like maniacs and getting into and destroying everything they possibly can, usually when you're in the middle of a good book or your favorite tv show. But getting up both to play with your cats or chase them off the table is crucial to your later peace of mind.
11. Accept what you can't change
1. Use a Water Bottle
Sammy seems to think that any cup that he can fit his face into must be his water bowl, so far the only beverage he hasn't tried to drink was a whisky-coke. So barring us including whisky in all of our drinks (although some days it feels like a good option), using water bottles around the house is the only way we don't get a mouth full of cat hair every time we take a sip.
2. Get your IKEA on
IKEA is a wonderland of cheap re-purposable furniture. There are about a billion examples of revamped IKEA projects for cats online. Recently I made (and posted about) a LACK table cat tree that Cleo and Sammy have actually been using. I'm also dying to try this Gosig hideaway bed but I need to find a substitute for the Gosig basket.
Cats are finicky little buggers so if you can make something on the cheap you won't feel so bad when they ignore it for weeks.
3. Toilet paper tube everything
Ideas here
My cats loooove toilet paper tubes, whether I just toss them on the ground or try to get creative, they go nuts over them. Be forewarned though, if you buy cheap TP (like us) the rolls might not be sturdy enough for some of the projects like the treat ball (I made one successful attempt at this for Cleo but Sammy's failed with our cheaper brand TP), but they'll do just fine for things like the treat puzzle.
4. Kitty Tent
 |  |
This is by far one of the most successful projects I made for the cats. In fact Cleo and Sammy started fighting over the first tent I made so often that I made a second. Now they fight over both.
5. Supplement your litter
Recently we started tearing up all of our junk mail and old newspapers to add to the litter box and cut down on litter usage (and costs). I could never get on board with just newspaper as litter because it never seems totally clean but by mixing I feel like we get the best of both worlds.
6. Plastic Bags
Like toilet paper rolls, my cats go nuts for plastic bags. Cleo in particular loves to eat them (¬_¬). The hitch with plastic, is the suffocation hazard so be sure to tape down any free edges before giving it to your cats and always keep an eye out for tearing. You can check out some examples here.
If you're concerned about your cats playing with plastic, my cats also love playing with paper bags although they do tend to be less slippery than plastic so they don't slide around as well.
7. Tupperware Puzzle Game
I've seen this one a few times on Buzzfeed. We keep our plastic to-go containers so we didn't even have to cut a tupperware that we purchased. The best part about this game is that you can always switch out the toys that you put inside to keep your cats interested.
8. Double sided tape
For cats who love to scratch and jump on places where they shouldn't be, this is a great solution. Just put the tape, with the sticky side exposed, wherever you don't want your cats to jump or scratch and after the first or second attempt they avoid it completely. This was the ONLY way we could get Cleo to stop running behind the TV. And it was extremely helpful in training her to use the scratching posts. We put the post next to the couch where she liked to scratch and tape on either side. Now her post is taking a beating instead of our sofa.
9. Alter your Feeding Dish
This may seem obvious, but when you've been woken up with a face full of fur at 6 am you're not always thinking clearly. If your cat thinks that his/her half filled bowl is empty, try putting something under one side to tilt it, then the food shifts by itself and voila, no more empty bowl.
10. Get off your butt
Fortunately for us couch potatoes, cats share our love of lying around, unfortunately they also enjoy running around like maniacs and getting into and destroying everything they possibly can, usually when you're in the middle of a good book or your favorite tv show. But getting up both to play with your cats or chase them off the table is crucial to your later peace of mind.
11. Accept what you can't change
At the end of the day, cats will be cats. They're stubborn little creatures with their own unique personalities. If their agenda doesn't always suit yours, sometimes you just have to roll with it.
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