Feeling lucky this St. Patrick’s Day? Once you realize how easy it can be to care for your cat, you’ll be feeling luckier than a leprechaun at the end of a rainbow.
While not all cat products that make our lives easier are appealing to cats, I’ve gathered a few of my favorite cat products that make your life easier while still benefiting your cat. These are all either products I use personally or ones my clients have reported worked well. Often, both myself and my clients love them.
An Odor Sealing Litter Bin
Scooping the litter box is an important part of litter box maintenance, though it’s also not the most pleasant task. While the idea of a self cleaning litter box appeals to us, most of the ones available currently aren’t designed with cats in mind. I get a lot of clients with the robotic litter boxes that scare their cat so I recommend you skip them.
To make scooping easier, instead, get a Litter Genie. It’s a pail with a bag inserted into it that you set up next to your litter box. You scoop directly into the pail and then seal it shut so no odor leaks. That keeps your cat’s box clean and your home smelling pleasant. Best of all, you only have to empty it every few weeks depending on how many cats you have. I have one near each litter box and can’t imagine my life without them.
A Washable Rug
If you have a cat not using their litter box, you likely are cleaning cat urine quite frequently. As far as I’m concerned, cleaning cat pee is its own circle of hell so anything that can make your life easier is a good thing.
Enter the machine-washable rug from My Magic Carpet. These rugs are a great way to protect your floor while still blending into your home. They come in colors and patterns to fit in with your home, including a fun patchwork pattern and a lovely dark green circle pattern print. Their rugs are all non-slip and waterproof for extra protection. Plus, even if your cat is currently using their litter box, house soiling can show up as your cat gets older or if they get sick so best to go with an easy-to-clean option.
A Wearable Clicker
I’m a huge fan of clicker training cats because it’s a fun way to build your relationship with your cat. My favorite training tool without question is the Clicino Clicker Ring. Clicino makes it easy to train as the ring just stays on your finger. It’s also a bit quieter than other clickers so it won’t be as likely to spook noise-reactive cats.
I usually wear my clicker ring on my pointer finger so I can easily press it with my thumb. This allows me to use that hand for targeting, giving a treat, or any number of other things I may need to do while training. They come in a wide variety of colors so you can find one that fits your personality… or be like me and just get three of them.
A Litter Collecting Mat
In addition to the washable rug, you can make your life easier by having your litter mat collect any stray litter your cats may track. While no litter mat will completely contain all litter, some can catch a lot of it while still being easy to clean. You also want to make sure it’s something that doesn’t hurt your cat’s paws so they won’t want to step on it to get to the litter box.
I’ve found that honeycomb-patterned mats seem to provide the right balance of functionality and comfort for your cat. I use one in front of each of my litter boxes. The litter falls through the honeycomb pattern and is trapped in the mat. You can then squeeze it and dump it right into the trash. Cleaning the individual honeycombs can be a bit of a challenge, but you won’t need to do that often unless your cat is pooping outside the box or they have giardia as my cats did in the fall. In those cases, I just temporarily removed the mat and replaced it once the parasites were eradicated.
An Automatic Feeder With A Camera
Cats like being fed multiple small meals during the day, but this can be a challenge if you’re working outside the home or you don’t have a set schedule. Plus, cats often learn that you waking up will be associated with breakfast so they’ll try to hasten that process. Automatic feeders are a great solution and I absolutely love the one I have from PetLibro.
That said, the one thing I don’t love about mine is that I got the one without the camera so you may want to seriously consider the upgrade. I’ve had clients get the automatic feeder with the camera and report how fun it is to watch their cats trot over for their meals. Practically, it also gives you a chance to keep an eye on feeding habits, too, while you aren’t there. I don’t use it for every meal as my cats also get wet food, but they get a few smaller meals during the day along with one that happens at 5:30 am when I do not want to be awake.
An Over The Door Cat Tower
I’ve written before about the importance of adding vertical space to your home, but cat towers do take up valuable floor space. A solution for those short on space? Add in more cat things in places you’re probably not using anyway with an over-the-door cat tower. Not only are they practical, but they’re great for renters who may not be able to install cat shelves or make permanent alterations to their homes.
A few companies make them, but the one I have is from K&H Pet Products. Our Chief Purr Officer, Zoloft, loved the over-the-door cat tower while he was around.
K&H also makes a version that has caves for cats to get cozy in along with window-mounted cat perches. We have one of those, too, and our Chief Whisker Officer, Prozac, is often found lounging on it.
Microchip Activated Cat Feeders And Doors
I’m combining my next two magical cat products into one as they’re pretty similar concepts. If you have a conflict between cats or a dog that likes to nibble on your cat’s food, it can be challenging to manage. Enter microchip-activated products.
If your cats are eating each others’ food or if you have cats that require separate diets, a microchip feeder will only open if the cat you select is nearby. It can be programmed to respond to their microchip or you can get a collar attachment.
Alternatively, you can give one cat a separate room or part of the house and feed them there. This is a great idea to allow the victim cat some of their own territory anyway and accomplish two goals at once. A microchip-activated pet door is the best way to do this as you get to decide which cat gets through. The door will only open for the cat or cats you decide are allowed in. You can also program it so it can be activated at different times of the day but not others.
A Glove Brush
While not necessarily a revolutionary concept, I am a huge fan of glove brushes. They turn brushing into petting so can be a great choice for those cats that aren’t fond of being brushed. You can get them for a single hand (left-handed versions are also an option) or get both a left and right set for double petting. You can even get a set with regular brushes to give yourself some options. Plus, they’re effective at removing fur. You won’t have to fight your cat to get them brushed and you’ll prevent hairballs all while your cat purrs away. That’s a win for all involved!
