Cat owners know firsthand about the problem of stripped sofas, unpleasant cat smell, or wool on the dining table. Yes, cats are not only cozy, purring, and petting, but also several problems that not all owners can cope with.
We offer you the top 10 life hacks, after which you will learn how to teach a cat to go to the tray, how to wean it from sharpening its claws on furniture, or how to calm a raging animal.
These are the 10 best life hacks for cat owners
1. How to wean cats from walking on flowers
Cats are more accustomed to walking on the ground because of their nature, they are still animals. But urban cats, locked in apartments, do not have the opportunity to go outside, and therefore get the desired softness for paws in flower pots.
If you want to once and for all wean the animal to walk on the ground in flowers, then pour pebbles, Christmas cones, or dried flower petals into the pot. The cat will become uncomfortable stepping on the ground hidden by rocks, and soon it will stop disturbing your plants.
2. How to calm pets quickly
It is better not to use water or loud noise, which people usually turn to stop a catfight. Both liquid and noise are external stimuli and, most likely, they will provoke cats even more.
Animals understand the language of nature, which means turn on the mother cat and grab the aggressor cat (the one who started the fight) by the scruff of the neck. Let the second cat be removed from the room, and you firmly hold the culprit and push it 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 do not get along, then we recommend buying a sweet treat for pets in veterinary pharmacies or on well-known Chinese sites. It is attached to the wall at the level of the animal’s head. Sweetness needs to be licked, and therefore cats will be busy for a long time, completely ignoring each other.
3. How to make a ladder for your pet
We already wrote above that cats love to climb high places. Sometimes these are chairs, tables, and most often cabinets. Many cats try to climb the cabinet, but it is harder for them to do this as they get older, so we recommend that you help your pet with a ladder.
To do this, take a board or thick plywood, wrap a rope around it. Each turn of the rope will resemble a step ledge, and the cat will easily climb up to the height of the cabinet.
4. How to teach a cat to use a scratching post if it 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 set, then buy catnip at the pharmacy.
Spray it on the scratching post, cats love the smell of mint. You will not drag 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.
5. How to make a toy for a cat
Creating a cat toy can be turned into a great time with your pet if you have one. You can take a long stick, impose a fishing line or thick thread on its end, and at the end of the thread a decorative feather or ringing bells. Cats are happy to rush for such toys.
You can also place toilet paper sleeves in the shoe box. Vertically, of course. Cats “stick” to this game for a long time, putting their paws in holes, thinking that something is hidden in those.
6. How to wean a pet from spoiling furniture
Cats tear down furniture not because of their whims, but because they need to sharpen their claws. The owner must cut off the claws of the animal promptly or offer the cat an alternative scratching post.
If the claws are trimmed, scratching posts are installed, and the furry bully still encroaches on the integrity of the furniture then use cardboard.
Cover the torn sofa corner with cardboard. The cat will start to dig its claws into it because it does not matter what to tear, cardboard, or sofa corner. Gradually begin to lower the cardboard lower, and then completely on the floor. The cat will get used to the structure and appearance of cardboard, completely switching attention to it and forgetting about the sofa upholstery.
7. How to reduce the aggression of cats that don’t get along with each other
Cats are very jealous of their territory and the surrounding space. If a new cat is added to an adult cat that is used to living and “reigning” in an apartment alone, then a conflict cannot be avoided.
To reduce the likelihood of cat squabbles, nail additional shelves along the walls. The animals will divide the space between the shelves, the territory, or rather the lying places will become more, which means that the number of conflicts will quickly come to naught.
8. How to make a scratching post in 3 minutes
If you value the upholstery of your sofa, then we strongly recommend that you get a scratching post. If you do not want to buy it, then use a thick rope harness. Tie the 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 is not only protected your furniture from sharp claws but also good for the health of your pet.
Be sure to introduce the animal to the new object and encourage the cat when it uses the scratching post for its intended purpose.
9. How to wean a cat from going to the toilet in the wrong place
First, find out the reason for the cat’s revolt 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 abruptly began to go to the toilet in the wrong place, we advise you to take the animal to the vet.
Perhaps the cat is trying to attract the owner’s attention in this way to problems with the stomach or urination (with discomfort in the urinary channels, the cat’s tray begins to be associated with pain, so the animal looks for another place for the toilet).
If there are no health problems, then we recommend that you put a soft cloth instead of the filler or pour soil/sand into the tray.
10. How to wean a cat from walking on a table
You can always suggest an alternative: a window sill, an ottoman, or a carer that is attached to the battery. After all, cats use the table to inspect their territory from a great height, which is why they climb all the hills.
If the alternative to your pet did not appeal to you, then ordinary scotch will come to the rescue. Cut strips of scotch tape 20-25 centimeters and spread them on the table with the sticky side up. The cat, jumping on 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.
