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!
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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.
If your cat lets you touch its paws, it means that they love and trust you.
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.
Yes, the laser thing can be frustrating for cats because they never get to catch their prey, and there's no accomplishment! Physical toys are better imho.
If you don't let your cat outside, it'll avoid any number of random dangers the world can throw at it.
Cats won't be the reason birds and other animals go extinct look in the mirror
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.
and be sure to lock them in the bathroom before all the boxes come into the house, so they don't go darting out the door.
Talk to your cat. It helps to build a rapport, and he/she will respond to more tones of your voice.
I talk to my cats all the time..you don't to need to be mushy gushy..but if they trust your voice especially if you have to move to a new apartment or go to the vet...it really does help
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!
Our cat sits on my piano and looks out through the window at the tree right in front of it
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.
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.
and if they only get wet food once a day, give it to them at supper time, that way they won't be waking you at 4am for food.
Got feral cats in the backyard? Keep ‘em warm this winter. Provide some food and shelter for feral or stray cats.
Yep, we set up a couple of cat houses in the backyard a few years ago, during a particularly vicious cold snap. We'd already been providing a bit of food for the ferals, and we could deal with the chances of finding a little frozen body. The only downside is that we don't get to watch birds at our feeders anymore, but the regular visits from the kittens more than makes up for it.
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.
Touch it’s ears, paws, and belly frequently to get it acclimated to those areas being handled.
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.
Yeah, definitely not a guarantee they will get along. I had litter-mate brother/ sister pair and they HATED each other- full on cat fights with abscesses. The key is to pair based on personality
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.
My cat swishes her tail, when she wants me to play "throw" that is throw a treat and she will chase it
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.
Plastic rings from milk jugs have been the most popular among my cats for something a bit over 50 years now. I dread moving the refrigerator when we leave...
I often describe moving the sofa and appliances when their toy supply is low as "harvesting".
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Any paper bag is like crack to my cats, they will play with all day, that and cardboard boxes, I have a corner in my apt that at this point looks like a shanty town of boxes and bags, but the cats love it
My Bob loved it when I would put one of those plastic jingle balls in the tub. (firm plastic with a bell inside). He LOVED to bat it up the tub and have it roll back down... Eventually he learned to drag it in the tub himself... in the middle of the night...
Any string, ribbon, cable or tube works for my cat. Best is one set of shoelaces. They are too thick for her to eat (she tried eating only really thin strings and after I stopped her and gave her thicker toys she never tried again), inexpensive, as safe as cotton string can be and easy to find for me because of bright color.
Mine love the leather laces made for boat shoes. Put a good sized knot on one end for gnawing and they'll make up games to play with them! And the laces last for years.
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Cats can eat hair binders. I saw a vet show where a cat had dozens around its intestines. The cat nearly died.
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I have 2 Torties...they get into the Legos and play Lego hockey on the kitchen floor.
flash drives, pens, small plastic bottle caps, and especially that thing you pop out of a milk or juice carton that's underneath the cap
I completely agree with you is it so hard to ask for our cats to just let us have three hair ties out of 100? 😂
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The best cat toy I've ever found was back in the paleolithic era (70s), there was a machine at the local grocery, insert your coin, turn the crank and it delivered one item. One of the machines was loaded with "super bounce balls"--and they lived up to their name. They were also grippy enough that you could throw them with a lot of spin to influence how they bounced--I could throw them so they hit the floor, hit the door, hit the floor then hit the door **again**. We had dozens and periodically took a yardstick (works a lot better than a broom) to recover them from under the sofa and the like. This was before the era of fancy cat toys but I think they would beat most modern toys.
Yeah, I call my cat The Trash Tortie. :) Forget store-bought toys - all she wants to play with are random things that fall on the floor.
My cat ripped apart (while i was watching) the pipe clearner's. First and last time for that. He also eats any kind of string too.
I had a cat that loved those, but would try to eat the cotton on the end of swabs, then cough and choke until it was pulled from their mouth. No swab play at my house after that!
Load More Replies... Hair ties! My cats absolutely love these I can never keep one for myself they all end up on the floor under the couch on the table under the table inside my shoes in my bed under my bed etc.
Give your cat running water. Some cats like flowing water and the filter helps keep the water fresh.
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.
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.
Jackson Galaxy has great tips for how to introduce cats and it really works. He's pretty dorky but his methods are very reliable.
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.
Trim. They're not removing the claws, theyre trimming them. Cats can get their claws stuck in fabric if they're too long, and can injure themselves. They still have claws. They're just trimmed down. They can sharpen them again immediately.
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.
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.
Initially I would spray with water (because they were jumping on the kitchen counter and terrified they might jump on the stove). I would make scoosh noise at the same time as spraying, didn't take long to just make the scoosh noise to prevent jumping.
Place pinecones in potted plants, because they're uncomfortable for your cat to step on and will keep them out.
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.
This really varies from cat to cat and is absolutely not a general rule
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.
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.
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.
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.
I once planted catnip in a neighbour's garden that was a particular pain. He came out to find a lot of his plants flattened.
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.
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.
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.
I once had a lady come into the shelter to adopt. I asked her if she had a scratch post, her response "no, I have a sofa". Give the lady a cat. And she also became a volunteer with us for many years.
Note: this post originally had 120 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Not even finishing this thread, as so far they are all quite obvious to cat owners. To people are are considering getting a cat: do not declaw them. You're essentially cutting off the top knuckles, and they will have arthritis later in life.
Thank you for this. It is so painful for them, they cannot jump, they cannot even use regular litter and if the need ever arises, are utterly defenseless. many countries have made it illegal.
Load More Replies... not a single hack in the list; just a bunch of tips; I know English isn't the first language of the author, but c'mon, where did you get the idea that "tip" and "hack" are synonyms?
most of the tips are incredibly obvious too; I've got a cat and am scrolling through this list hoping to find something I didn't already know
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Yes, this I know. Bouche has toys she loves all over the house. This does not stop her from stealing my stylus every single day. She's not the one with fat fingers.
I'd really like to add something to the list: Feed high-quality quality cat food without sugar or grain, with a high meat content (70%+) and use dried cat food only as a snack/reward. 70% of all cats will get chronic renal failure when they're old because of a poor diet. My cat died last year because of it.
Not even finishing this thread, as so far they are all quite obvious to cat owners. To people are are considering getting a cat: do not declaw them. You're essentially cutting off the top knuckles, and they will have arthritis later in life.
Thank you for this. It is so painful for them, they cannot jump, they cannot even use regular litter and if the need ever arises, are utterly defenseless. many countries have made it illegal.
Load More Replies... not a single hack in the list; just a bunch of tips; I know English isn't the first language of the author, but c'mon, where did you get the idea that "tip" and "hack" are synonyms?
most of the tips are incredibly obvious too; I've got a cat and am scrolling through this list hoping to find something I didn't already know
Load More Replies... Yes, this I know. Bouche has toys she loves all over the house. This does not stop her from stealing my stylus every single day. She's not the one with fat fingers.
I'd really like to add something to the list: Feed high-quality quality cat food without sugar or grain, with a high meat content (70%+) and use dried cat food only as a snack/reward. 70% of all cats will get chronic renal failure when they're old because of a poor diet. My cat died last year because of it.
