5 Useful Life Hacks For Cat Owners

As cat owner, furniture “drenched” in fur isn’t something you’d like to see every day.
Claudia Chia 05 August 2020

Playing paw-rent to Kitty is about to get a whole lot easier with these five simple life hacks:

1. Use Rubber Gloves To Remove Fur  
Tearing out layers of adhesive paper from your lint roller can get pretty frustrating. For a more convenient way to remove fur, put on some rubber gloves (they can be found at supermarkets) and use a sweeping motion to gather the fur. It will form a ball of fur which you can then easily pick up and toss into the bin.

2. Make You Own Cat Cave  
Here’s an awesome tutorial on how to recycle an old t-shirt and cardboard box to create a super cosy cat cave. Thanks YouTube user Chris Poole (who also runs the Cole and Marmalade website)!

Simply place the t-shirt over the cardboard box, and ensure that the opening of the t-shirt is on the same side as the opening of the box. Gather the excess fabric at the back and tie a knot to secure it tightly. Pretty soon, your feline friend will be happily running in and out of his very own cat cave.

3. DIY Deterrent Spray  
Even if you’ve purchased scratching posts for your kitty, he may not always want to make full use of it. This is when a deterrent spray will come in handy. Simply spray a bit of the solution on areas that you don’t want Puss to scratch, and watch it work its magic.

To create your own “anti-scratch” solution, fill a spray bottle with water until it is 3/4 full, then add a few drops of clear dish liquid*, which is a mixing agent for all the ingredients. Next, add 10 drops of eucalyptus and lemon essential oils each. Screw on the lid (spray nozzle) and shake well.  

*To prevent discolouration on furniture fabrics, opt for a colourless one.

4. Wrap Table Legs With Twine  
If your stubborn feline still refuses to scratch at the designated scratching posts, try wrapping your table legs with twine (a type of string) to create your own scratching post, saving your furniture in the process.

5. Keep Off With Tape 
If there are certain surfaces that kitty isn’t allowed to scratch, stick some double-sided tape on them. Your feline pal will soon learn to avoid these areas as the tacky tape is uncomfortable for them to scratch. Problem solved!  

*This article was updated on 5 Aug 2020. It first appeared in PetsMagazine.com.sg on 27 Aug 2016.