We all love our pets; they bring joy and happiness into our lives. Most folks think of their pets the same way they would think of their children. They as much a part of the family as anyone else and often we may love them more than actual family members, sorry uncle Bob. Despite how much we love our pets they can often do things which are destructive and damaging to our homes. Let’s take a look at some cool pet hacks for your apartment so you can keep your pets from costing you money down the road.
Chewing and Damage Deterrents
If you’ve ever had something chewed up or damaged because of a pet, then you know how frustrating it can be managing this behavior, especially for puppies. There are ways to deter your pet from playing with items you don’t want to be destroyed or lost. Cats tend to knock things off countertops and into sinks so try putting some double sided tape on the counters for a while to make the countertops an undesirable place for your cat. After a while, they will decide they don’t want to be on your counters. Dogs don’t like bitter tastes so you can use an apple cider vinegar or a commercial spray from a pet store to keep your dog from chewing on things that you’d prefer they left alone.
Hair Removal
Anyone who has ever had a pet knows that cleaning up pet hair is a constant struggle. There are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of hair floating around your home. Damp rubber is a great way to remove hair from just about any surface. Get some rubber gloves and lightly dampen them to remove hair from furniture. To get the hair off the carpet buy a window cleaning squeegee and get it slightly damp. You will be amazed at how well this little trick works for removing pet hair.
Furniture Clawing
Any cat owners out there will attest to this one. Cats love to scratch up furniture. However, dogs often scratch on the carpet and other items as well. One of the best things to do is buy a scratching post for your cats and keep it near the furniture they like to scratch. More often than not the cats will prefer to scratch on the post and not your couch. For dogs you can glue sandpaper to a piece of wood to create a nice scratching surface they will enjoy using.
Food Storage
Pet food bags often rip and tear in places that prevent you from closing the bag up with a relatively airtight seal. Not only does this make the food stale it will also attract pests. Try buying a large airtight plastic container to store your pet food. These will make your life easier and keep your pets happier with food that is fresher and limit the attraction of pests.
Containing Litter
Sometimes you don’t want your guests to see your cats litter box. It’s an unsightly spectacle, and cats enjoy showcasing their skill at relieving themselves. To hide that litter box and your diva cat using it there is a wide range of stylish pieces of little box furniture which tuck away the litter box inside a cabinet while providing other functional uses. These hideaways also help to contain litter that cats tend to spread around.
Boredom
Just like people, dogs and cats can get bored. If you have a dog or cat that likes to be destructive when you’re not at home one reason could be that they are bored. Here’s a great little hack to keep your pet occupied for a few hours when you’re not home. Cut a small hole in the side of a racquetball or tennis ball then fill the ball with treats. This will help keep your pet occupied for hours while you’re at work, so they don’t destroy your plants or your favorite shoes.