Let’s face it – pets can be clever. Whether your pets scratch the carpet or dig holes under the fence, these 5 products are bound to assist in keeping you sane and your house in a better state.
The below products have been independently selected and reviewed by BKB. As an FYI, BKB may receive a share of sales from the links on this page.
1. PetSafe Scat Mat
These “scat mats” were referred to us by our trainer for our dog, Bob who has some serious separation anxiety. Even with access to the inside and outside, he would scratch at the doors. Bob is BIG – an 80lb Husky/Malamute mix – known for separation anxiety. After trying so many different things (pheromone sprays, thunder shirt, soooo much training, marrow bones, treat puzzles…you name it) we had a consult with a trainer who recommended we put these scat mats at the doorways.
Traditionally, these mats are to keep animals off of furniture, however this trainer assured us we can use them anywhere, including doorways. And we can 100% say that YES, these mats work (for us) perfectly! As many people in the reviews have said, all it took was one step on the mat which was set to the lowest voltage, and Bob has yet to step foot near the doors again. We don’t even turn them on anymore. The great thing about these is that they have the option to shock, make a sound, or do both. It emits a warning beep before a shock is discharged, giving the animals a heads up to back off. I tested the mat myself, and though it delivers an uncomfortable shock, it’s nothing too extreme. And as I said previously, you can adjust the levels of voltage – low/medium/high. For Bob, he’s a sensitive boy and really only needed the lowest setting once. Then we switched to the beep, and now all he needs is to see it roll out to know not to go near the door.
Get your PetSafe ScatMat Indoor Training Mat in various sizes for your couches, doorways, countertops or anywhere else you’d like to keep your pets away from.
2. No Dig Fence Reinforcement
These “no dig” fence reinforcements can actually be used in a variety of ways. For our big doggo, we use them to reinforce the integrity of the base of our fence, ensuring that he can’t dig under and escape. These are easy to install, especially if you have a rubber mallet. They slip easily into the ground (if your soil isn’t too compact or rocky) and what I love about this particular brand is that they interlock to become even stronger as a collective unit. This pack of 10 will cover just over 10ft of fencing.
Alternatively, you can use them as a low fence for smaller animals to prevent them from jumping over or escaping. Connect them together to make a small animal pen, or keep them in a straight line to keep them from getting from one side to another.
Get your Samamixx Animal Barrier Fence here!
3. FlexLatch Cat Door Holder Latch
For those of us who have both cats and dogs living together in harmony (hah!), this door holding latch is AMAZING at keeping the dog away from the litter box and food. The last thing you want to do at the end of the day is clean up a double mess from the litter box – inside and out. The all-you-can-eat buffet is now closed, permanently! This latch is perfect because it requires zero installation. You loop it over the handle on one side, and slide the pin into place in your already existing lock slot. That’s it! It allows for 4 inches of room – no more, no less. For us, that’s perfect because our dog is big. I read in the comments that some people got crafty with foam padding around the door handle to reduce that gap a bit for smaller dogs.
Not only does it keep our doggo out of the litter box, but it also allows our cats to eat in peace. Not much else to say about this item, except that it provides a bit of baby safety as well if you have little ones in your life. Preventing the door from closing entirely on their little fingers, and keeping them away from the litter box and animal food as well, especially if they’re going through the crawling/exploring phase. And I’ll say it again…zero install!! No stickers, no nails, no screws. Amazing!
Get your FlexLatch Cat Door Holder Latch on Amazon today.
4. Cat Carpet Protector
Cats are infamous for digging into carpet like there’s no tomorrow. Our two cats have a few preferred spots in the house that they go after extra hard – specifically our doorways (to our office and bedroom). I think it’s because they can’t decide if they want to be in or out, so they just throw their little cat fits and scratch the carpets. My husband and I just about lost our minds letting them in/out, yelling at them to stop, trimming their nails, etc. You know how it goes. Yes, a scat mat would be an amazing option in this scenario, but with two little humans in our house, we really didn’t want an excessive amount of shock distributing mats just lying around the house, so we purchased something similar – just without the shock.
These cat carpet protectors are just like the plastic you put down under an office chair. Spiky on one side to ensure it stays in place, and nice and slippery on top. This particular roll comes in 8 ft and can be cut to size for any spot in your house. As I said before, these sit in the doorways because that’s where they love to scratch. Is this a permanent solution? Probably not. Does it work? Yes. Do the cats find other places to scratch? Eh…yes and no. The spots we have these are spots that they get annoyed at – so they claw for attention, not because it feels good. We do have some other “feel good scratcher” items in the house that they go to for those moments.
Get your roll of Cat Carpet Protector on Amazon.
5. Wyze Cam V3
This camera is amazing! We learned about this camera from our sister-in-law who had gotten this to keep an eye on her doggo while they were away. Their dog also had separation anxiety, and this was a way to keep an eye and also communicate with him while they were away. This camera has served us well – it has great visual quality with both daytime and night vision and can be an indoor OR outdoor camera. You can speak through the camera if you need to and it comes out clear on the other end. Sound and picture are very close to being “real time” by fractions of seconds. It identifies pets and will alert you to “pet motion detection.”
We actually now use this in our toddler’s room as our monitor. AND you don’t have to pay a subscription to view the feed. If you want to be able to look back on events, then yes, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee, but it is $20 for the year, which is almost unheard of! As a bonus, it requires minimal install – the camera has a magnet mount, and it comes with a metal disc with a sticker on the back. You don’t have to screw it in if you don’t expect there to be much wear/tear. It’s easy to travel with as well – easy to connect to wifi and easy to share with other members of the family.
This camera truly is multi purpose, and can be used in a variety of ways for any situation. For the amazing price that it is (about $35), you will not be disappointed.
Get your Wyze Cam V3 on Amazon, and check out their other products here.
Buttons Knows Best 