Hacks for pet parents

Hacks for pet parents / Getty Images

It doesn't matter whether your kids have two legs or four, parenting can be hard work. Keeping the house clean while making sure your babies are safe and entertained - and keeping things affordable - is no small feat. But it does get easier. With each new child, new season and new peer, lessons are learned, new products discovered and tips shared. Here are some hacks we personally rely on to make pet parenting easier.

>>> Add green tea leaves to your cat litter to lower the stink factor. Green tea is a natural deodorant and antibacterial agent. Dr. John Lindsay with Main St. Pet Wellness Center says green tea isn't toxic to cats, though he personally uses baking soda.

>>> To keep your cat from scratching up all your furniture - while keeping your décor stylish - wrap thick twine or rope around the bottom of your furniture legs.

>>> Or, to help stop them from scratching it at all, wrap it in tin foil or apply double-sided tape. Cats hate the texture of both, Lindsay says. Pheromone diffusers like Feliway should also curb this behavior by calming your cat.

>>> To keep his dogs off of furniture, Lindsay calls on the Tattle Tale Dog & Cat Training Vibration Alarm. The device emits a high-pitched sound once it senses vibrations on motionless surfaces like couches and counter tops.

>>> A wooden pallet, crib mattress and fitted sheet make a trendy DIY dog (or cat) bed.

>>> To help rid your furniture of pet hair (for a minute, at least), put on rubber gloves and run your hands across the surface. To get it out of carpets, use a dry squeegee.

>>> Tennis balls aren't just for catch. Add one to your dog's bowl to slow down a fast eater.

>>> Or, cut a sizable hole in a tennis ball and stuff it with treats to be dispensed throughout the day while your dog or cat plays with it. Entice them by letting them watch you add the treats.

>>> If your dog is a chewer, braid some canvas or fabric (an old T-shirt cut into strips would do), thread it through a tennis ball and then knot both ends.

>>> Prevent all those balls from ending up underneath your couch by hiding pool noodles under your living room furniture.

>>> Have outdoor pets? Draw a circle around their porch food bowl using chalk. Ants won't cross it, as it interferes with their scent-following skills. How else did you think they all marched in a line or found their way home?

>>> If your dog isn't fond of bathtime, distract them with some peanut butter. Glob some onto a plastic spoon and let it dangle from your mouth, or, if you're uncoordinated like us, simply wipe some on the shower wall. If you do master the spoon trick, it works during nail trims as well.

>>> To protect your pup's paws from extreme temperatures and road salt, wipe some Musher's Secret Paw Protection Wax - or Vaseline - on them before heading out. Just be sure to wash it off when you get back so they don't lick it off.

>>> If your walks are mostly to the yard or your dog lives outside, leave the poop scooping to local company Doggy Doos, "Chattanooga's only poo-fessional pet waste management company."

>>> And, consider investing in a Safe Behind Bars Adjustable Harness to be sure your pet doesn't escape through the fence.

>>> For longer walks (and more headstrong dogs), a front-clip harness will keep your pet from pulling. Wirecutter, an independent review site operated by The New York Times, suggests the Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart Dog Walking Harness out of the 14 the staff tested.

>>> Should Fido somehow manage to escape and get lost, leaving a well-worn article of clothing with your scent at the last place he was seen could help him find his way back. For a more assured outcome, Lindsay recommends microchipping. "I think every pet should get one," he says.