Sharing your home with a cat is unquestionably one of the greatest things you’ll ever do. But, that doesn’t mean pet parenthood doesn’t come with its own set of challenges.
Whether you’re in a losing battle with cat hair, concerned about cleaning pet messes, or just looking for fun ways to make life easier, more comfortable, or more fun, we’ve rounded up our favorite 16 problem-solving products for cat owners.
We hope you’ll love the products on this list as much as we do! We know your cat will love the box it came in! They were all independently selected by the cat parents on our team. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking them, we may get a small commission. The Catington Post is dedicated to finding the best products for cats and we will never recommend a product that we don’t love.
1. This cat carrier that’s not only stylish, it expands to give your cat room to spread out during long trips.
Review: This was bought for transporting 2 cats from California to Arkansas! We had two hard plastic carriers but decided that maybe with such a long trip the two cats might be comfortable being together for the long car ride. We brought one hard carrier and this soft one. The cats loved being able to curl up next to each other in the expandable carrier. They were super comfortable with three sides opened up and basically slept the whole way! It was a great investment and it was very sturdy when we had to carry them into a hotel room and to the apartment when we finally got to their new home. I would recommend this for any cat that was large and you wanted them to be very comfortable. I would buy it again if I ever needed a cat carrier!
Price: $39.95
2. This hunting cat feeder that was designed by a veterinarian to stop boredom, solve behavior issues, and prevent “scarf and barf” in cats.
Review: Our vet recommended I get these feeders when I reached out to her in a panic because our cat was attacking everything in sight, including us. She explained that the cat has pent up hunting energy and needs to release it productively and in the right sequence (hunt, catch, kill, eat). So I bought the feeders and followed the instructions to start with the trainer. No good. Cat had zero interest. In desperation, I took one of the mice, just the fabric part, and filled it with food. I left it out overnight, and the food got eaten. I figured that was a good first step. After two nights of that, I inserted the plastic parts into all three mice, filled them, and hid them around the house before bedtime. In the morning, all had been found and eaten. Success! Our routine now is that we hide the mice when we go to bed, for overnight hunting, and again before leaving for work, for daytime hunting. We also feed some wet food at dinner time, but only after a play session in order to maintain the natural cat activity cycle. The cat is so much less aggressive, isn’t meowing endlessly in the middle of the night, doesn’t attack the plants or our feet, and generally seems happier. And it’s only been a week and a half. I am truly amazed and grateful for this product!
Price: $14.99
3. This cat teaser with mylar wings that make crinkling sounds cats go crazy for.
Review: Even our fat cat gets moving for this toy! It’s really simple, and can get beat up pretty quick if you don’t put it away, but all 3 of my middle aged cats love it. It’s small, so it’s easy to tuck away. The wings of the toy are cellophane, which my cats love. As soon as they hear it crinkling they come running.
Price: $14.93 (plus shipping)
4. A Bissell Pet Stain Eraser cordless spot cleaner because cats always, without fail, have to run to the rug to throw up.
Review: We have indoor cats, and you know what that means. Up chuck on the carpets. And who knows why they put that red dye in everything related to pet food? But this cleans it right up. No muss. No fuss. I would definitely recommend it.
Price: $94.32
5. This pet stain and odor remover that actually works to eliminate cat urine smell instead of just covering it up.
Review: This product is THE ONE.
Our cat goes through phases where she pees on basically everything, and we’d tried everything to both get her to stop going in the same place and to get rid of the seemingly ever-lasting smell. A few years ago, a friend suggested this one, and while I didn’t get my hopes up, it worked when several other products had not. It’s the only reason we were able to keep our couch, bath mats, and a large portion of my clothes.
Yes, it has its own smell at first, which quickly fades, with a few hours or even an extra rinse in the washer. I’ve found it works best on fabrics that will be going through a washer. I both spray it on the fabrics directly (after diluting it, of course) and sometimes add some to the wash cycle when it’s bigger items (sheets, etc). I forget which clothes got peed on. The smell is completely gone, and I even feel like it’s helped get rid of MY smell and pit stains in older clothes.
The carpet treatment works better than others, but is not perfect. I have a strong sense of smell, and I do feel like that ammonia smell is still noticeable up close. But I do and have recommended this brand to everyone going through a similar situation. I purchase it about once a year because I never know when I’ll need it. It has truly saved me thousands of dollars over the last 6 years, which I would have spent if I’d have to throw everything out.
Price: $18.99
6. This variety pack of alternatives for all you cats out there who don’t like catnip but still want to catch a buzz — there’s hope for you, too!
Review: I use the silvervine to recharge catnip toys and make new ones. One cat could care less about the catnip keef or the silvervine, the rest love it. We put it on their scratching posts and tower, they zip around for a while and then crash.
Price: $25.75
7. This easy-to-clean, budget-friendly water fountain that encourages cats to drink more water and stay hydrated.
Review: Like most of you, I did a lot of research before buying my first cat fountain. I noticed that the biggest complaint people had was how difficult they were to clean. Second was how quickly they’d burn through the motors. I’ve had the Catit Flower Fountain for a year now and still love it as much as the day I bought it. It’s really easy to clean (I clean and change the water out once a week) and I’ve had zero motor issues. Plus, it was one of the cheapest fountains available and it’s pretty darn cute. My two cats love it – I can’t recommend it enough. Don’t waste your money on those high priced fountains. Try this one! Believe me, you’ll thank me for it.
Price: $27.99
8. This Top-Entry Litter Box for cats who kick litter out of the box and manage to somehow get it all over the house…no more cat litter in your bed!
Review: I had tried everything – “catch” mats, heavier litter, high walled litter boxes, you name it. But no matter what I tried, my cats would fling litter in ways that had me questioning physics.
Fast forward to the first 5 minutes with the Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan – the simple style had my cats in awe. The 3 of them, driven by healthy bowel movements and a strong, primal urge to squeeze into every box ever, held a battle royale for who could soil this magnificent creation first. Indiana (Jones) won, and with chimp-like dexterity tried his best to toss feces and litter about the room.
Exhausted from exertion, and sitting defeated in a haze of litter smoke, he conceded defeat and climbed out of the box.
A few litter sprinkles managed to make their way to the top of the Petmste, but none made their way to the floor.
My girlfriend is literally buying 2 more of these as I type this. Highly recommend.
Price: $19.75
9. And speaking of the litter box, this game-changing Litter Lifter that literally glides through litter and easily scoops out ALL the clumps (even those pesky little ones).
Review: Frustrated with our basic per store litter scooper, I went out in search on Amazon for the best litter scooper! I was tired of those little pieces of gunk being left behind in the litter. I thought that I needed a scooper with a really fine mesh or something to catch them all. And I almost got something like that – until I researched litter scoopers on a cat lovers forum. They were all crazy for this one! I couldn’t understand why, until I learned why the Litter Lifter is the best scooper out there. It’s because of the design of the scooper itself, not how close or far apart the tines are. This one, the plastic tines have a triangular shape, directing the litter off to one side or the other when scooping instead of the litter getting stuck on top of a flat tine. With a regular scooper, the waste gets stuck on the flat tine, you shake to get the litter to go through, and then all those little pieces get shaken off back into the cat box. The Litter Lifter – there is NO shaking! It slides through the litter like water and picks up every last bit of waste. I never though I would love a litter scoop – but here we are! This is worth every penny.
Price: $7.99
10. These natural, safe, hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, vegan, extra-large, pH balanced, fragrance free, and most of all effective cleansing wipes made just for cats (okay, dogs, too) so you can wipe away dirt and dander and keep those kitties clean!
Review: These wipes have been helpful for keeping my eleven-year old Maine Coon’s coat fresh between his self-washings, which have become a little less frequent as he gets older. They do not have an overpowering fragrance, which is most important, as cats consider any odor on their coats, other than their own pheromones, to be a punishment–and that includes ‘natural’ scents like essential oils–they can be torturous to an animal with something like 5000 times the olfactory ability of a human! The lack of any strong odor is the first basic quality of a wipe I look for, and one that makes it a product knowledgeable about and trustworthy for my pet. They are also not overly saturated: wipes shouldn’t be any wetter than a cat’s tongue, if you want your cat to enjoy rather than endure them. Thanks Jax and Cali, for a kind, pet-friendly product!
Price: $5.95
11. This Automatic Feeder that will deliver a meal to your cat for you when you’re not home to do it, because we all know cats hate when their feeding schedule gets messed up! It will even order more food for you from Amazon when it gets low. Technology!
Review: I liked the fact that the feeder has a mechanism that seems to work all the time and not really need much more than occasional cleaning, and keeping it full of dry food. We use it to feed two 15 pound black cats whose world is our house because they don’t ever go outside except briefly on our deck while we watch. These two cats have always eaten from the same bowl so we don’t have any use for the available splitter. The fact that multiple feeding times can be set and modified via the app on a phone is really convenient. That allows us to make adjustments to the amount of food at 6 different feeding times. We can add more but haven’t needed to. By setting one time 15 minutes after the first one of the day the dominant cat eats then, and then 15 minutes later the other one comes in while his food is falling. If there is not much food left after that, a 3rd feeding time is adjusted to drop a smaller amount about 2 hours later. That cycle is repeated in the afternoon. By observing how much food is left in the bowl after each set of 3 feedings we adjust for changes in their habits. It is all available to us no matter where we are on the phone. If we are away we can ask the person taking care of them to let us know how things are going, and adjust the feedings from wherever we are. As for problems, we have not had any so far, and we have had this feeder about 5 months. It’s by far the best one we have had. Of course it helps to have very intelligent cats who get along most of the time.
Price: $169.95
12. This all-natural, gentle, and effective cat shampoo bar that’s purrfectly safe for the sensitive skin of cats and kittens. If your cat has skin issues, you’ll love the way this shampoo soothes flakiness and regenerates soft skin and silky fur.
SPECIFICALLY FOR CATS: Formulated especially for a cat’s sensitive skin, the all-natural shampoo bar is mild and gentle and contains NO Tea Tree Oil as it can be harmful to cats. Lavender Oil adds a subtle scent.
EASE ITCHING AND DRY SKIN: Each bar contains nutrient-rich moisturizing ingredients like Almond and Hemp Oils which penetrate deeply to hydrate skin, relieving itchiness and promoting a soft, healthy, beautiful, clean coat.
EASY AND ECONOMICAL: A perfect alternative to liquid shampoo, the shampoo bar means no more spills, no more dripping and wasted shampoo going down the drain. At 3.5 oz, it fits comfortably in your hand.
PET-SAFE INGREDIENTS: 100% biodegradable and 100% non-detergent, our shampoo is free of sulfates and GMOs, it’s hypoallergenic and safe for all kittens and adult cats.
HANDMADE IN CORNISH, NH USA: Small batch formulated, and hand-cut, this shampoo bar is safe even for a kitten’s delicate and sensitive skin. Your “kitty’s” health and wellbeing is very important to us, we have cats too!
Price: $8.99
13. These award-winning Grooming Gloves that help you gently detangle, de-shed, bathe, or massage your cat while keeping your hands and nails clean and free from dirt and oil. Now grooming can be enjoyable for both of you!
I have two feline daughters, one is a black shorthair and the other is a medium-haired tortie. The tortie is notorious for how much she hates being brushed, and we have been lucky that she hasn’t suffered from mats in her hair. Unfortunately, living in this climate, she sheds profusely during the summer. Since she and her sister are littermates, they are extremely close and groom each other. Naturally, come summer time, this means we have two cats struggling with hairballs from all the excessive hair.
Both of the cats are very snuggley and love getting pets, scritches, and belly rubs; I surmised that perhaps the only reason they didn’t like being brushed was because the motion didn’t feel natural to how I normally love on them. The logical solution was to try a gloved brush, but I was reluctant because I have such tiny hands. However, when I saw that HandsOn offered different sizes, I decided it was worth a try since nothing else had been successful.
To my relief, both cats have responded positively. (The tortie actually laid down to let me brush her, hence the larger amount of collected hair.) Most cat owners know to do this anyway, but I would advise allowing them the chance to investigate the glove and to use an open, upturned hand at first. It gives them the control in the new experience and gives them time to associate you with this new sensation. (I actually plan on placing the gloves under my pillow or wrap them inside of something that smells heavily of my scent to help them make that association faster, since it probably smells like the factory to them.)
A bit of advice to perspective buyers: order your normal glove size.
Price: $24.99
14. These lickable purée cat treats that cats absolutely cannot resist. They’re ideal for enticing picky cats to eat, mixing with medications, or as a high-reward treat for training. (We call them cat crack!)
Review: I bought this originally for my senior cat who is dying of gastrointestinal lymphoma, but it has turned out as a treat for all the cats in the house. When the lymphoma kitty struggles to find his appetite for his normal food, I open a packet and squeeze it on top and he scarfs down all his food in a heartbeat. Another cat had teeth extracted with a resulting jaw abscess and this was all he could stand to eat for days and he did so happily. The third kitty has no health problems, she just loves this as a treat.
Price: $17.96 for a 5 pack sampler
15. This automatic cat toy that will lets your cat chase the red dot, leaving you free to do other important things, like scoop his litter, make his food, and wash his bedding.
Review: I have bought several hundred dollars worth of toys for my very picky indoor cat in hopes of finding one that he will play with, but have not had much luck. I, recently, bought this toy for him, and he loves it! Finally I have found a product that keeps his attention whilst entertaining him and giving him a bit of exercise. I am so pleased that I purchased this for him. I particularly like the feature where the laser will turn on automatically for a few minutes every hour; however, I can turn it off any time I wish. The toy makes a slight sound which is quiet and not bothersome at all. Also, the price is right. When this toy arrived, it was easy to set up. I needed 3 AAA batteries and a small Phillips head screwdriver to open the battery compartment. Then, hours of fun! I am a happy owner with a happy cat. Great purchase!!
Price: $21.95
16. If you or your cat suffer from separation anxiety, then you need this luxury Wi-Fi Camera that has 2-way audio, HD video recording, night-vision, and built-in Vet Chat
Review: I get separation anxiety when I leave my beloved cat alone for a long period of time. With the PetCube Camera, I can check in on her whenever I feel the need to. This one features auto-adjusting night vision and a two-way mic to speak to your pet…..at the same time, your pet can “talk” right back to you. The set-up is fast, easy, and idiot-proof. The unit itself was designed to attach to anything or just set it up on a flat surface. It’s really discreet and blends into the background. You can set the unit to make a chime noise when you activate the camera. There are several other options that you can work with giving you great peace of mind knowing that -even though your pet is home alone, you can easily check in on them without going back home.
Another bonus: share your camera with any friend or family member so they can check in on your fur baby as well.
Price: $39.99
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