20 life hacks that will make life easier for cat owners

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Cats are incredible delicacies. Attach their favorite “candy” to the wall, and your cat will be busy for a very long time until they run out of their favorite jelly treat, which can be purchased at any pet store.

How to calm a cat | © neko.co.kr / Instagram

If the fur of an angry cat is slightly moistened with water, he will quickly calm down, because he will be busy licking his damaged fur coat. Cats really don't like to feel moisture.

How to stop a cat from walking on the table

You can always offer an alternative: a window sill, an ottoman or a nurse that is attached to the radiator. After all, cats use the table to inspect their territory from a great height, which is why they climb to all heights.

If your pet doesn’t like the alternative, then regular tape will come to the rescue. Cut strips of tape 20-25 centimeters long and place them on the table, sticky side up. A cat, jumping onto 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.

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Cats love it when their owner strokes and combs them with his own hand. But if a person is busy, the cat can do this on his own, you just need to help him: attach a massage brush within the cat’s reach and he will quickly learn to itch on his own.

Lifehack for homeless cats

Not everyone is as lucky with an owner as your cat. Some are forced to live on the streets, endure cold and hunger. It is especially bad for stray cats during the cold season. But they can be helped.

Homeless animals will be grateful for any care

If you have boxes of different sizes, make a temporary house. Place bedding in a small box and place it in a larger one, and fill the gap between them with crumpled paper, rags, foam, sawdust or straw. These materials retain heat well. Perhaps such a house will save a cat's life.

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If it is not possible to purchase a scratching post in a specialized store, you can easily make one yourself; just wrap a piece of rope or strips of thick fabric around the table leg. Murlyka will probably like even this budget option.

How to stop a cat from going to the toilet in the wrong place

First, find out the reason for the cat's rebellion 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 suddenly began to go to the toilet in the wrong place, we advise you to take the animal to the veterinarian. Perhaps the cat is trying to attract the owner’s attention in this way to problems with the stomach or urination (if there is discomfort in the cat’s urinary canals, the litter box begins to be associated with pain, so the animal looks for another place for the toilet).

If no health problems are found, then we recommend laying a soft rag instead of filler or pouring earth/sand into the tray.

Woodworking

1. Working with basic parts. There are two main parts - a rectangle 55x40 cm and a square 30x30 cm. Use a jigsaw to cut out parts of these sizes from wood. Make three round holes in the rectangle - two on one side, and one on the opposite, with a diameter of 3 cm (see drawing). That is, the holes should be similar to the diameter of the wooden sticks that will hold the entire structure. Make holes up to about half the thickness of the wood, they should not go through. Look at the photos and videos in our article and you will understand how to make them. In the square, make one hole in the middle in the same way. Sand the parts with sandpaper.

2. Making the upper parts. These parts will be at the “top” of a kind of “tree” in the gaming complex. Cut a circle with a diameter of about 40 cm on a piece of wood. Make the same second circle. In the middle of each piece, cut a hole as indicated above - up to half the thickness of the wood.

3. Manufacturing of rods. The wooden sticks you have prepared will hold the entire structure. But they need to be cut to the appropriate length. The length of the shortest rod is 85 cm, the tallest stick is 173 cm, and the other two should be 120 cm each. Prepare wooden sticks of these sizes. Use a file or jigsaw. You will then place these parts into the holes of the main parts of the house.

4. Processing the middle parts of the house. The main pieces will be the top of the cat house, with other pieces of wood in between. They can be made in the form of rectangles or other shapes. You also need to make holes in them on the sides or on one side. It all depends on your house project.

Instructions for making a cardboard house

The tower made of corrugated cardboard looks very unusual. The structure of the building is a lot of cardboard disks glued together. For construction you will need:

multilayer corrugated cardboard, thickness 6 mm;
stationery knife and scissors;
pencils;
compass;
PVA glue and brush.

Calculations are approximate and are not mandatory. Depending on the desired size and shape of the structure, they can be adjusted. The height and width of the house must correspond to the parameters of the animal.

For the base of the tower you will need:

Cut a disk with a radius of 21.5 cm.
Cut out 6 more of the same disks, but with a hole inside (measure 4 cm from the edge).
Place the discs on the base.

Then you need to cut out 8 groups of 5 disks of a certain size from corrugated cardboard. The radii of the disks are as follows:

18 cm;
18.5 cm;
19 cm;
19.5 cm;
20 cm;
20.5 cm;
21 cm;
21.5 cm.

Now you need to assemble a pyramid of disks on the base and decide on the location and size of the entrance to the house. To do this, you need to mark the boundaries of the opening on each disk and carefully cut it out. It is important to maintain the correct angle of inclination.

Once the doorway is cut out, the final stage of building the tower can begin. First, we put all the parts together and check the correctness of the design; if necessary, we correct any shortcomings. The appearance of the tower will depend on the accuracy of the work performed. Once you are sure that everything is done correctly, you can begin gluing the disks together.

After this, you should let the house dry thoroughly. After drying, all that remains is to put a soft mattress in the tower and call the furry owner.

How to make a scratching post in 3 minutes

If you value the upholstery of your sofa, we strongly recommend getting a scratching post. If you don’t want to buy it, then use a thick rope. Tie a 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 not only protects your furniture from sharp claws, but also has health benefits for your pet.

Be sure to introduce the animal to the new object and reward the cat when he uses the scratching post for its intended purpose.

Hanging cat house and shelves - original composition

Such an unusual project will become a real highlight in your home. Now the cat house imitates a hanging shelf, and real small bookshelves serve as steps for it.

We build the house from ordinary wood plywood, cutting out a doorway and a small window in the shape of a cat's face.

But the most creative element of the composition is the cable bridge! It is made from cut strips of birch plywood and grommets connected to a cable. We buy it at a hardware store. Cable ties and fastening clips are also useful. We use a laser cutter for cutting.

The final touch is rugs on the roof of the house and on the steps-shelves. We fasten them with construction glue.

Care Tips

A hidden cat litter box will not spoil the appearance of the room.
To keep the cat litter box from being conspicuous, you can successfully hide it. If there is a cabinet in the bathroom, you need to take out its bottom drawer and place a toilet there for the animal, hang a small curtain. When your pet prefers to relieve itself in the hallway, you can disguise the tray as a flower pot. The plant in it will be artificial, but the beauty of the interior will not suffer from this. You will need to make a small hole in the pot where you need to place the cat litter.

How to Reduce Aggression from Cats That Don't Get Along with Each Other

Cats are very jealous of their territory and surrounding space. If you add a new cat to an adult cat who is used to living and “reigning” in an apartment alone, then a conflict cannot be avoided.

In order to reduce the likelihood of cat squabbles, nail additional shelves to the walls. Animals will divide the space between the shelves, there will be more territories, or rather lying places, which means the number of conflicts will quickly disappear.

Toilet paper case

Toilet paper is another tender passion of cats. If your pet is “sick” of this love, persuasion and punishment will have no effect. Isolation is a completely different matter! Not a cat roll, which is often impossible when placing a tray in the toilet room, but a cat roll! A plastic case attached to the wall will protect kilometers of paper from misuse.

Transforming an old sweater

You can sew a cozy and warm cat bed from an old sweater. Prepare pins, stuffing (eg polyester), pillow, needle, thread and scissors.

Main source material

We sew up the neckline, sew a transverse line between the sleeves (this way we separate the back of the future bed).

We fill the back and sides with polyester.

Sew the cuffs.

We put the pillow inside.

Sew up the hole and fasten the sleeves to the base with pins.

Sew and remove the pins.

You can brag about the end result!

How to train a cat to use a scratching post if he 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 unit, then buy catnip at the pharmacy.

Spray the spray on the scratching post; cats love the smell of mint. You will not pull 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.

How to stop your pet from damaging furniture

Cats tear up furniture not because of their own whims, but because they need to sharpen their claws. The owner must trim the animal’s claws in a timely manner or offer the cat an alternative – a scratching post.

If the claws are trimmed, the scratching posts are installed, and the furry bully is still encroaching on the integrity of the furniture, use cardboard.

Cover the tattered sofa corner with cardboard. The cat will begin to dig its claws into it, because it doesn’t matter to him what to tear: cardboard or a sofa corner. Gradually begin to lower the cardboard lower, and then completely to the floor. The cat will get used to the structure and appearance of the cardboard, completely turning its attention to it and forgetting about the sofa upholstery.

Step-by-step production of a complex for two cats

When an owner has two cats, it is necessary to build a house for them taking into account their behavior, and so that they do not interfere with each other. The behavior of cats can be different: some cats are friends and easily get along on the same site, and there are times when one of them dominates. In this case, we can assume that one of them will want to take the most comfortable and highest place. If the cats are not friends, then it is better to separate the platforms, but if they are friends, then you can build one common, but large platform at the very top of the structure.

Materials and finished house

For this design, plywood up to 12 mm thick is suitable, as well as pillars made of wooden beams measuring 50 by 70 mm and at least 4 meters long. You will also need a jute-based carpet, about 2 and a half square meters, and a rope up to 20 meters long. Corners with a side of 15 by 20 mm for the house and 40 by 45 mm for attaching platforms are suitable as fasteners. For fastening to the wall, you can use a pair of large corners, measuring 50 by 50 mm.

Fastening the main elements

The basis is a structure consisting of 3 pillars of different heights: 220 cm, 120 cm and 80 cm. The pillars are securely attached to the base, which is a plywood sheet. These load-bearing elements are placed so that the longest one is as close to the wall as possible in order to securely secure the entire structure. The placement of the posts is marked directly on the plywood sheet using a pencil. The posts can be secured using long nails driven into the back of the sheet, but first holes of the appropriate diameter are drilled for them. For reliability, the pillars are fastened with metal corners of the appropriate size.

Marking

Using the same method, holes are marked in the platforms through which the pillars should pass. It is better to make the holes slightly larger than the size of the posts, since they are still attached using corners. If the holes turn out to be somewhat smaller, then they will then have to be further processed either with a file, or a jigsaw, or sandpaper.

Fastening platforms

Before attaching the platform, it should be tried on and, if necessary, adjusted to size. It is desirable that the platform, and all other elements, be fixed strictly horizontally. To do this, you can use a building level. For reliability, the platform is attached using corners. After this, all platforms are covered with carpet, and this must also be done reliably, otherwise the animals will tear it away from the base.

House assembly

The body of the house is assembled from 4 rectangular pieces of plywood, which serve as the walls of the house, and a hole should be cut in one of the rectangles so that the cat can crawl through it. For the floor and roof, another rectangular section is cut out. To connect all the elements of the house, it is enough to use small metal corners and self-tapping screws. The fasteners must be such that none of the elements, especially the sharp ones, come out, although many of the fastener elements will be located under the skin.

Ship assembly

The most important thing is not to forget to upholster the house from the inside, after which you can fasten the roof, which is also sheathed with the same material. The finished house is attached to the planned location using the same metal corners as in the case of platforms.

Wrapping ropes around poles

The last stage is wrapping the poles with ropes, which will serve as scratching posts for the animals. In addition, design elements for animals will be more attractive. Before wrapping the rope around the pole, it is secured with a bracket. Staples are also used for intermediate fastening of ropes, as well as for final fastening. The rope should be wound tightly, otherwise it will loosen over time. To prevent this from happening, each turn or several are compacted at once with a hammer.

Wrapping poles with ropes

Building a cat house with your own hands does not take much time and can take no more than half a day, although more complex designs take much longer. In the following video you can see how a similar structure is assembled.

How I built a cat house with my own hands. The cat is SHOCKED! /How To Make a Cat House

How to make a ladder for your pet

We have already written above that cats love to climb to high places. Sometimes these are chairs, sometimes tables, and most often - cabinets. Many cats try to climb onto the cabinet, but as they age it becomes more difficult for them to do this, so we recommend helping your pet with a ladder.

To do this, take a board or thick plywood and wrap a rope around it. Each turn of the rope will resemble the ledge of a step, along which the cat can easily climb to the height of the cabinet.

Two-story building

A full two-story house can also be an excellent design for a cat's home. A minimum of drawing skills, good imagination and cardboard boxes will definitely come in handy in this matter. And a few more details - a knife (or scissors), a ruler, a pencil.

First of all, we cut out the door and windows, then we construct the roof. Glue it to the frame and you can decorate!

Safety for the Emotional

When traveling in a car, a dog does not always behave calmly and at ease; more often than not, it spins, gets excited and behaves very actively. This behavior distracts you from driving the car.

What can be done? Attach a leash between the seat belts (or handles for rear passengers) and attach the collar to it. Peace and tranquility guaranteed!

Selection of materials

All materials that can be used to make houses with your own hands are divided into several categories:

To make the frame, you can use plywood or chipboard. The main condition for the material used is the absence of a pungent odor - this will scare away the pet. To make a base for a bed, you can use straw or regular plastic.
For upholstery, you can use soft plush or carpet. These materials can be used to sew bedding or pillows for cats. It is recommended to use padding polyester or foam rubber as a filler. Artificial fillers are available for sale - they are found in the form of granules that retain heat.
Connecting fasteners can be made of metal pipes. They will not only increase the period of operation of the house, but will also make it much more sustainable. Glue, but odorless, or nails can be used as fastenings. A stapler is often used. For softer designs, you can use weaving from newspaper tubes.

The simplest and most affordable option for a house is cardboard. Decorating such a product will not be difficult - just buy gift wrapping paper, which can be found in any souvenir shop

Vacation ideas

There are many life hacks for cats that will not only make their life easier, but make it more varied and fun. To prevent the animal from damaging the furniture, you should have a scratching post in the house. Some of them are quite expensive, so it is better to create it yourself. Owners will need to follow the following algorithm of actions:

The wall structure will save the wallpaper and the nerves of the owners.

Arm yourself with an unnecessary carpet or rug, a small piece of plywood or cardboard and fasteners.
Carefully cut the fleecy material into pieces of the required width and length.
Glue to plywood.
Using fasteners, secure it to the wall, which is often subject to vandalism by cats.

You can also build a house for your pet at home. One of the easiest options is to use an unwanted T-shirt. First of all, you will need to build a wire frame in the form of a pyramid, after which you will need to pull the wardrobe item onto it so that the collar serves as an entrance for the cat. A shelter for an animal is also made from hoods from warm jackets. You should sew them along the lines that used to be adjacent to the collar. This house is mobile, you can take it with you on trips.

Cats are very active, so they will appreciate various toys. You can use the eggs that are inside the Kinder Surprise. You can put beads or any objects inside them that make a sound and attract the cat. However, the downside of such a toy is that the pet loses it quite quickly. To prevent this from happening, you should connect several eggs together. This can be done using a preheated thick needle, which will make holes in the eggs, and a lace that holds the toys together.

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