helpful hints

Did you know that light-colored animals can get sunburn, too? Guard against this by dabbing a bit of SPF 15 sunscreen on your pet’s nose and the tips of his ears.

If you’ve bought a new brand of food and your dog doesn’t want to eat it, put a piece of beef jerky in the bag and reseal it. By the next day, the smell will have worn off on the food, making it seem much more appetizing.

When shopping for pet food, make sure to compare prices at the pet store to those at your grocery store. A recent study found that pet food tends to cost more at stores that are full of people who are already buying pet products!

If there’s a specific piece of furniture you don’t want your cat on, or place you don’t want him to go, you know how hard it is to enforce this rule. If your yelling doesn’t seem to be much of a deterrent to your favorite feline, try this instead: In a spray bottle, mix together 1 cup of water with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Place in a spray bottle and test in an inconspicuous area of your furniture to make sure it won’t stain. Cats hate the smell, and don’t want it on their paws. Repeat every few days until they find somewhere else to scratch permanently.

If you have a new puppy, and he’s been chewing through chair and table legs, head to your local vitamin or health food store and ask for some clove oil. Oil of cloves smells great to us but terrible to dogs. Wipe it on the legs of anything wooden, and they’ll stay away.

If your cat or dog likes chewing on electrical cords, unplug the electronics, then rub the cords with a wedge of lemon. Once they’ve dried, you can plug them back in. Animals hate the taste of lemon and will steer clear.

Many dog trainers say that the key to discouraging bad behavior (like incessant barking) is to startle your dog. An easy way to do this is to fill an old toilet paper tube with uncooked rice or beans, then tape aluminum foil over each end. Shake the tube and the noise will be enough to surprise him out of his bad behavior.

Keep your pets’ playthings clean and free from bacteria and germs by tossing them into the dishwasher alone (without dishes) once a month. But hold the detergent: Just turn the temp to hot and the heat plus the water pressure will completely sanitize plastic or rubber toys. And not only will a quick wash help ensure that Fido stays healthy, it’ll prolong the life of the toys and keep your floors, carpets, and furniture clean, too.

If your cat’s litter box smells like, well, a litter box, rinse it out and add a half-inch of white vinegar in the box. Let it stand for half an hour, then swish it around, rinse, and dry the box.

Get rid of pet hair on upholstery by using dry rubber gloves. Instead of using them while washing dishes, pull them on and rub your hands over the couch (or whatever else needs de-furring) to pull up the hair. The surface of the gloves creates tension with the surface of the furniture, and the fur will roll off in hunks you can easily throw away.

Did you know that saltwater gets rid of fleas? If you live near the ocean, let your dog swim in it to naturally get rid of fleas.

If your pet hates baths, try this “bright” idea. Next to where your dog or cat sleeps, place some Christmas lights, or a lamp without a lampshade, and underneath it a bowl of soapy water. (Be sure to set it far enough away from your pet so that he or she can’t knock either over.) The fleas will be attracted to the heat from the light and jump toward it, most often landing directly in the bowl of soapy water. Repeat this treatment every night for a week, or until the fleas are gone.

If you have trouble getting your cat to swallow pills, try rubbing them in butter first. It will make them taste better to your cat, and they’ll slide right down his throat.

Never have to throw away an ant-infested bowl of pet food again! If ants keep sneaking into your pet’s food, you should know this tip: Ants can’t swim! Place the bowl of dog or cat food into a shallow bowl filled with water.

If your cat or dog has horrible breath, try adding some fresh chopped parsley to his food. It counteracts the bad breath smell, so you can cuddle closer.