40 Hacks To Make Having A Four-Legged Companion Easier
As much as we love our pets, there’s a certain level of difficulty that comes with taking care of our companions. Sorry to anyone who doesn’t have a pet, but this is a struggle only those with a pet can relate to as it comes from first-hand experience. That’s why we love seeing all the new gadgets and hacks intended to make having a pet easier and healthier for everyone (humans and their companions). Even if we can’t afford it or have no need, we can’t help but appreciate all the pet-centric inventions on the market.
Whether you’re looking for some ideas or just like “window shopping,” we’ve compiled a list for you with 40 tips and products designed to make living with a pet a breeze.
Get Scratch-Free Doors
Tired of seeing sharp claws scratch your doors, causing stubborn marks? They’re not a pleasant sight, right? Well, all you need to do is go to your nearest home center and get your hands on Plexiglas or a good quality plastic ASAP.
You have to cut the plastic in order to fit the exact with and height of the lower part of the door. Once it’s on, the door is not reachable by your dog and protects the integrity of the door. Once it is there, your dog can scratch all they want.
The Food Is For Pets, Not Ants
Summers are undeniably the time when ants come out of their hiding place and make an appearance. There is no place where they cannot go. One such place where they like to visit quite often is your pet’s food bowl.
We can go ahead and assume that you want your pets to eat the food and not ants. Trust us. You will not get an easier tip than this. All you need is a pan filled with water, elevate the bowl above the water, and the ants won’t want to come anywhere near it.
A Foil Just For Your Couch
Who would have thought that aluminum foils could be used to protect anything else other than your tasty food? Well, here is a shocker for you! You can actually use this handy kitchen tool to keep your cats away from that beautiful couch.
It is pretty simple! Still don’t believe us? Try for yourselves! Take a piece of foil long enough to cover the sitting area of your couch, and then set the cushions accordingly. Cats cannot bear the sound of foil; they will literally jump off the couch once they see it.
A Smart App For Smart Pet
If a unique app is made for pets, you should have it as a pet-lover. Petnet is an app that provides you with all the information you are going to need to provide your pet with a healthy and happy life.
You can schedule your pet’s meals, and it will show the exact amount you should feed them. Furthermore, it gives reminders of when the pet was last fed. And, the app also provides warnings in case your pet needs food or is running low on energy.
Cute Ramp For Those Cutesy Legs
Pet love is undoubtedly the purest form of love there is. And, love makes us do amazing things. Sometimes, it also motivates you to build a specially modified bed with a ramp for your doggies, just to make them sit and sleep comfortably.
This is what reader Doug Swanson did. He designed furniture for his two pets and kept it in front of the window because his doggies enjoyed watching the view. He also attached a storage cabinet with the bed to the unit.
DIY Home Sweet Home
We bet that each one of you has heard of the terms “Doll House” and “Tree House.” But, let’s talk about a full-fledged “Dog House.” Surprisingly, the dog owner itself made this one you are about to see below, and it consists of all sorts of fancy items.
Ahh, the things we do for pets. Corey Hosick made a giant dog house with running water, a feeder, and electrical facilities. If humans need a house, so do pets. Now, go run and make one for your pet as well.
No Bark In The Car
The affection you have for your pets will definitely not allow you to leave that cute little creature in the home alone. But those cute creatures sometimes get on your nerves while you are traveling with them in your car.
That continuous barking is certainly a disturbance while driving. Well, don’t scratch your head now and just close the windows; as soon as they start to bark, they will instantly realize that they will either get the fresh air or be closed up in the car, and we can assure you they always desire the former.
Soft And Fragile Bunnies
Summers are great until that scorching heat starts giving you trouble. There are times when it becomes unbearable for us human beings. We can still switch on the AC or drink some cold water, but if you are raising bunnies, you need to think about them too during this time.
Now that you have thought about it, let’s tell you the most convenient trick there is to keep those bunnies cooled off during the hot months. You have to take a used plastic bottle, fill it with water and then freeze them entirely. After, simply place them inside the shelters.
Convenient Bath Time
However cute dogs might gaze at you with those puppy eyes while you are bathing them, they can be challenging to deal with when you’re cleaning them up, which ultimately results in you wasting your time and energy by not washing them efficiently.
There is no need to worry because we have got you completely covered. All you need to do is set up a washing station in your shower. In addition, you have to install a hair catcher to restrict the dog’s fur from collecting inside the drain.
Special Filter To Restrict The Clogging
It is understandable to get clogged drains after giving a shower to dogs. But then it results in one extra step where you have to clear that drain. You can use this special sponge to help get rid of those stubborn hairs once and for all.
Just place the sponge directly over the draining area, and it will automatically work as a filter. The important thing is that it only catches the fur and lets the water pass through the drain effortlessly. It’s a simple trick that works wonders.
A Doghouse For Those Rainy Days
Want to protect your dog from those rainy days but don’t want to invest in an expensive waterproof doghouse. Leave that headache to us, because whatever problem you have, we have a cheap but effective solution for you.
Surprisingly, you can make this one yourself. Take a plastic storage basket, and cut a hole in it like a door so your dog can easily get inside. Flip it and place a fluffy bed or blanket inside it. That’s all it takes!
That’s Not Your Food
We completely understand that keeping two pets under one roof, especially a dog and a cat is no cakewalk. The real problem starts when dogs cannot keep their hands off the cat’s food bowl. Stop this food fight with a trouble-free trick.
Dedicate a room in your house to your cat that has a door. Then, get a hook and loop fasteners, and put them on the back of the door and on the front of the trim. Once hooked up, it will hold the door slightly ajar so the dog can’t get to it.
Save Time, Use A Plastic Instead
It might be a shocker as to how much time you save if you put a stop to extra work and use a shortcut. For example, it gets tiring when you have to wash that litter box of your pets over and over again, just for it to get dirty in two seconds.
Don’t do the extra work. Just use an extra-large plastic bag to line the litter box. Then, place the litter on the plastic. When your cat is done with its business, and you need to replace the litter, do precisely as we do with a trashcan. Clever, right?
A Convenient Pet Food Dispenser
With all these fancy food dispensers trending these days, we can see why having a pet is actually getting easier with each passing year, granted how much space these items save us and how convenient they are to use. So, why not get one for your pets?
There are plenty to choose from. We recommend one that fits on the wall that you can pack the container with pet foods. Keep a bowl below the hole like in the picture, open the lid, and you are good to go. It has two separate containers. You are sorted if you have two pets.
Have A Dog And A Spot On Lawn Together
Listen to us next time you witness a colorless grass spot on your flawless lawn. No, don’t scream at your dog. Instead, follow these easy steps. We know it takes hard work to achieve that pristine lawn you put so much time and effort into.
The next time you go gardening, take limes with you. They neutralize the acid in the soil. Use lots of water to dilute the urine. We know that’s the most irritating thing your dog does. Follow these steps and your lawn will be shining green.
No More Splashing Water
Dogs enjoy having fun in their own way, but that fun sometimes leads to you doing the extra work to clean up. One of those many cute habits includes them jumping into the bowl of water that was actually meant for drinking.
To make sure that they drink it and not splash it, you should try using that spare bundt cake pan that you never use. Put a stake into the middle by making a hole, and that’s it! Now, your pet will just have enough space to drink, and you won’t have to deal with splashing anymore.
Never Spot Litter Again
Having a pet is the best thing in the world, and there is no doubt about that, but keeping pets comes with responsibilities. The most hectic one is consistently cleaning your house and finding what you know no one wants to ever find lying around.
The pet owners undeniably loved this unusual but effective invention of a precisely designed robot to act as an automatic litter box. You don’t have to do a thing now or even lift a finger. Leave it all to the litter robot.
Keep Their Fitness In Check
We know, we know. You all love it when your dogs are all chubby and cute. But, that also has serious health consequences, and no one in their wildest nightmare would ever want that for their beloved pets, obviously.
First and foremost, remove all those high-calorie dog food items that you have in your kitchen and replace them with these fantastic low-calorie rice cakes. Although you might consider them tasteless, dogs often love them, and these pet treats come highly recommended.
Keep An Eye On Your Pets 24/7
It is a scary feeling, right, to leave your precious pets at home and not be able to watch them all the time. Guess what, now you can. Not only can you see them, but you can also play with them without being physically present.
No! We are not kidding. With this Playdate toy ball which comes with a built-in camera, you can play with your pets in addition to keeping an eye on them from anywhere. You can keep an eye on them with your mobile phone.
Multi Usable Duct Tape
You will be pleasantly surprised to know how helpful duct tape can be. It has not one but many uses. Now, let’s talk about the biggest concern most pet owners have: getting rid of all the stubborn pet hair.
Don’t stress out; we got you. You can use the stickiness of the tape for cleaning out those hairs. Take a paint roller and cover it with the tape keeping the sticky side out. Tada! Here you have it! A self-made pet hair removal tool.
Keep Your Furniture Safe
There are times when pets are the most obedient creatures in the world, and there are times when they don’t want to listen to you. Well, when they make a home out of your favorite piece of furniture, you might have a hard time making them listen to you when you tell them to move it.
Want to save your precious furniture? Rush to your nearest home center store and get carpet protectors. Then, cut them into the size of your sofa and place them with the spiky side up. Their favorite spot will turn into a place they avoid in a second.
Is That A Shower Cap?
People love to take their dogs on walks with them. It’s important for the dog’s health and well-being. And, when they get thirsty, you are left with no other choice but to make them drink somehow somewhere. Interestingly, now you have a choice.
One simple trick that you can do is take a plastic shower cap and a bottle while going for a walk. Whenever your furry one gets thirsty, just pour water in that cap. This way, your pet will be drinking cleaner water in a safe and easy way.
Just Jiggle Those Bells
The best thing about dogs is that they are incredibly fast learners. And, all of the pet owners out there should use that to their advantage. If you are tired of them barking while you are in a meeting, this next tip is for you.
Just hang a long bell to your doorknob. Yes! It’s that simple. Make them communicate to you via jiggling those bells. Whenever they shake the bells, you react to that and give them what they need, and they will get the hang of it in no time.
An Ideal Cat Toy
Cats as pets can be mischievous sometimes. They love when the full attention is on them. Like, little babies, you have to make sure they are distracted some way or another. It is obviously not possible to be around them 24/7, though.
Therefore, PetSafe has got a perfect toy to keep your cat busy. This particular cat toy has an in-built laser, which is the main element that keeps your cat playing its little tail off. Trust us. This is what you need for your cuddly cat.
A Vacuum Cleaner For Your Dogs
Doesn’t it get troublesome at times when you have to clean your dogs with a brush and then use a vacuum to clean the fur from the sofa? This vacuum cleaner is specially designed for grooming the stubborn hairs off your dog.
The vacuum comes with a unique attachment meant to be used securely on your dog’s body. This cleans up all that extra fur, and you do not have to invest any spare time in the lengthy process of brushing your pet.
No Bad Smell Or Pet Stains Anymore
Seeing pet stains on your beautiful furniture is definitely not a pleasant sight. And, especially when a guest comes to visit, it is somewhat embarrassing as well. Moreover, the odor may linger, making it even more difficult to bear.
Did you know that enzymes and pet stains go hand in hand? Yes! You read that right. Just spray a tiny amount of it on the stain, and it works like magic. Within a few days, the stain will vanish like it never existed.
C’mon Doggo Fetch It
We know that the real love and attention you give to your dogs lie depends on how much time and effort you put into physically playing with them. But honestly, there are days when we are super busy to give them what they deserve. People nowadays have so many things on their day-to-day list.
Now many things are automatic because of our busy lives, and this includes specific dog toys. iFetch has created their ball launcher especially designed for dogs of small to medium size. Now, even if you’re not present, your pets can keep themselves entertained.
No More Pet Smells
Pets love to play outside, and we don’t blame them. Every time they come back inside the house covered with something they should have clearly left out, it might cause an unwanted odor. It gets annoying no matter how much you love your pet.
What AtmosKlear does is eliminate the odor rather than cover it, which is way better in solving the root of the problems. You can directly spray it on your pet, and that is it. Since it does not have its own smell, it is used to remove the odor entirely.
A Clean Birdbath
Happy birds are the prettiest, aren’t they? You can easily keep that healthy happiness alive by giving them a hygienic bath. And, you don’t even need to buy a lot of items. Grab some regular white vinegar, and you are good to go.
First, prepare a bath. After that, take two cups of vinegar, put it in the water, mix it well. Fill it to the brim, and let it soak overnight. In the morning, rinse it well. Voila! A hygienic bath for the chirping birds is ready.
A BowTie Tracker With Bluetooth
This bowtie tracker with inbuilt Bluetooth is something you should grab right now. It will help you with the tracking of the daily movement and activity of your dogs. It will automatically send the update to your phone in no time.
It is not at all an average daily-activity tracker. What makes it unique is that it provides you with vital information based on certain crucial factors. For instance, it considers your dog’s breed, size, as well as their age.
Don’t Let The Dishes Fly
Aren’t there times when you go outside to fill your pet’s bowl just to find that the dish has already been blown away by the wind? You see that it landed somewhere on the lawn or the road, in no condition to be used again.
You can always buy an expensive bowl from the store. But, why spend extra money when you can make one at home. Take any plastic bucket, fill it with sand, then put another bucket on the top, which will be used as the water dish.
Anti-Chewable Electrical Cords
Even if you provide them with enough food and fancy treats, most of the dogs just love to chew on those electrical wires running through the house. Not only does it destroy the connections, but it is also hazardous.
A simple way to keep them away from those electrical wires is by putting the wire entirely inside a split flexible plastic conduit which you will find at any home center store. Try this and see your dog slowly backing away from those cords.
Treat And Toy All In One
An active dog is one that everyone enjoys. There is no doubt about that. Everyone uses a basic toy ball to play with their dog. Sometimes, we need to get a little creative with our pets to keep that energy alive.
Sbarkdogs has brought this amazing toy ball for your pet under which you can keep treats for your dogs. It comes with a timer, which can be set accordingly. For a limited time, treats will keep falling as your dog enjoys the game.
Dispensing Camera For Your Pets
When you’re not at home, you might worry that your pets are not able to receive their food on time. Also, there is added tension that you are not a hundred percent sure whether your pets are safe or not.
All your problems just have one solution, and it’s called Petzi Treat Launcher. It is basically an automatic food dispenser that also comes with a camera and audio system. So, whenever you miss your pet, you can easily see and talk to them.
Cover Those Claw Scratches
Are you fed up with seeing your expensive and fancy furniture getting destroyed by all those claw marks? Well, there is something you can do about it. No no! The solution is definitely not tying your dog up. It is actually very simple.
You just have to get your hands on some stain and varnish and then apply it to the area where there are scratches. It will quickly cover those marks. You can also use gel stain to match the existing color of the furniture.
Big Dogs Needs Big Dishes
It must hurt to see your grown doggie straining their neck while eating from their little bowl. It is almost practical as well as understandable that a big dog will obviously need a big bowl for themselves once they’re fully grown.
Now, either you can buy those from stores or make one at home yourself and save that extra penny. Take an old bucket, turn it upside down and make a hole the size of your dog’s bowl in the bottom of the bucket so that it fits nicely inside it.
Automatic Door For Doggos
Pets cannot stay silent in the house all day long. They have to go outside to jump and run around here and there. It is only logical that you always have to get up to open and close the main door, which can be a nuisance sometimes.
To resolve this issue, you only have to get your hands on this digital door. It comes with a smart key that goes around your pet’s neck, and when he tries to go out, the key will detect where they are and will unlock the door.
A Potty Training Treat Dispenser System
If making a pet owner’s life easy was ever a product, it would be this one. You will never have to step into your pets’ stuff anymore. Just get this potty training treat dispenser, and you are sorted for life.
And, in the meanwhile, your pet will be trained to poop where they are supposed to. Put the treats into the dispenser and place it in front of the training pad, the automatic sensor will detect everything, and it will work smoothly.
Bath Tray For Those Baby Birds
Birds might look innocent, but sometimes they are really notorious. Just like human babies, they love to play with water. Many baby birds love to take baths, but they are so little that it can become troublesome if you’re not careful.
Here is a safe way to bathe those little birdies. Just take a small paint tray with ribs on the bottom, it will act as a slope, and the bird will gradually dip in the water, not abruptly. Also, it is way cheaper and convenient to use.
Sticky Sheets To The Rescue
It is common to face problems due to the shedding of your pet’s hair, but if it is a lot, you can definitely get irritated by seeing the fur all over your place, and when the guest visits, it’s a nightmare.
To keep the bed and couch clean from all those hairs, you just have to grab a Sticky Sheet. It works just like waxing. The difference is rather than putting it on your body, you put it on your furniture. Moreover, it’s reusable.