Pets are the joys of their owners’ lives … you know, when
they’re sleeping all curled up and adorable on the chair. But when those little
guys are awake, they can be serious mischief makers.
Renting with pets brings their owners a lot of day-to-day
nuisances, including litter all over the floor, scratches up and down the
hardwood and all over the furniture, and general disarray that comes from sheer
boredom after being home alone all day.
But some of these small issues have pretty simple solutions.
Take a look at these easy life hacks that will keep both you and your pet happy
in your pet-friendly apartment:
Pet Deterrent
If you’ve ever lost a phone charger or piece of jewelry
because your pet used it as a chew toy, I understand your frustration
completely. But there are ways to deter your dogs and cats from messing with
things that don’t belong to them.
Dogs will avoid anything rubbed with Bitter Apple Spray,
which you can buy at the pet store. As for cats, they instinctively avoid
citrus, so if you use a citrus-scented cleaner they’ll likely stay off that
surface.
If you’re hoping to keep your kitty off counters and other
surfaces, try laying down tin foil or lining the counter or table with tape,
sticky side up. Both methods are safe, and you can use them to teach cats to
stay off.
Pet Hair Removal
Growing up, my family and I opened our home up to hundreds
of foster cats and one foster dog, so believe me when I say I have experience
with pet hair being everywhere. And sometimes vacuums and lint rollers just
don’t cut it.
A couple of common life hacks for pet hair
removal involve stuff you may already have laying around your apartment.
If you’re struggling to get hair off the furniture, for instance, put on your rubber
gloves, get them slightly damp and run your hands along the hairy furniture.
The damp rubber picks up hair like a charm.
And if you’re renting with pets in a carpeted apartment, use
a squeegee, like the kind you use to clean your shower, to pick up fur from the
carpet.
Scratching Post
One of the most common complaints that pet owners have is
that their apartment and possessions suffer from scratches when
they’re renting with pets. Both dogs and cats like to scratch to mark territory
and because it feels good to them, so give them something they’re allowed to
scratch up.
If you don’t have room for a scratching post, make your own
using coarse sandpaper glued onto a wide piece of wood. If your cat or dog
likes to stand up and scratch, try hanging it on a wall close to the
ground.
Pet Food Storage
When it comes to pet food, the sooner you can get rid of the
bulky and annoying large paper bags of dry kibbles and bits, the better. Many
people use sealed plastic trash cans kept in a kitchen cabinet or closet to
store pet food because they keep dry food fresh, and they’re easy to scoop food
from. Plastic cereal containers are much smaller, but they also work great to
easily store dry food and pour it into your pet’s food bowl at mealtimes.
Litter Box
When little Maxine the Cat has questionable litter box
etiquette, it can leave an unsightly mess that you definitely don’t want guests
to see. There are some awesome furniture options out there for hiding litter
boxes (Check out Ikea!), but there are also ways you can spend a little less
money to hide the mess.
I’ve seen pet owners put the cat’s box under a side table,
then attach curtains around the edges of the table to hide it—it’s a pretty
touch that can easily complement your decor and hide the messy box.
And if Maxine gets a little overzealous about kicking the
litter to cover up her business, you may want to try a covered litter box
that’s facing a wall. The cover will keep most of the litter from flying
everywhere, and the wall will keep the little bit that gets out of the door in
an isolated area instead of all over your floor.
Doggie Boredom
If you want to cure your dog’s daytime boredom, leave Fido
with an activity that will keep him occupied for hours. One of the
more brilliant DIY life hacks is to cut about a 2-inch slice into a tennis
ball, then fill it with small treats and short strips of fabric.
Your pup will spend hours trying to get to the treats inside
the ball, and he’ll likely leave your plants, trash and/or other exciting
apartment features alone. A similar idea for the warmer months is to fill up a
dog Kong toy with a little bit of peanut butter, then put it in the freezer for
a few hours. Your dog will love trying to get all of the frozen peanut butter
out of the toy.