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May 30, 2024

30 Things To Make Living With Pets Less Messy

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

A curved shower attachment for dirty dogs, a calming diffuser for destructive cats, and other things to help tone down your pets' messes.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "I wish I purchased this sooner. I have a very hairy double-coated dog, and this gets ALL the shampoo out of his fur. The flow is adjustable, and he will let me spray the top of his head, which he won't let me do with the dog shower attachment at our apartment dog bathing station. The hose is long enough so I can get completely under his belly. I also use this wand to clean the shower walls. I have tried other styles and brands, and this is the best dog shower attachment I have ever purchased. Very easy to install and it looks nice and sleek in the bathroom." —Heather

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in two styles that offer different GPM).

Promising review: "Two months ago we got an 6-month-old puppy who has needed some time to get adjusted. That included more than a few accidents in our living room and on his bed. This machine has made clean up of everything so much simpler and I love that it's deep cleaning and has a nontoxic pet cleaner so that our not-so-little puppy isn't harmed through exposure or smells. Also helpful since my teenage sons like to camp out on the couch with their friends on long weekends and our couch gets that fresh clean smell in an hour." —Kindle Customer

Get it from Amazon for $123.59.

Promising review: "If I could give this product six stars, I would. My husband and I use it almost every day. We have three furry dogs and six fluffy cats, which makes for A LOT of hair. We were using a lint roller before we bought our ChomChom Roller. The lint roller didn't work very well and had to be replaced. We have had our ChomChom Roller for months and it still works just as well as it did when we first got it. We can actually invite our friends over now without worrying about all the pet hair." —Morgan Willis

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

ScratchPad for Dogs is a small biz based in Atlanta offering scratch pads and refills.

Promising review: "Love this scratch pad! We adopted our dog almost a year ago and he's been terrified of clippers and grinders since day one. We've never been able to maintain his nails due to his super reactive anxiety around nail care. That's all changed since we got the Scratch Pad a few weeks ago! He took to it right away and his nails have shown significant improvement in just a few sessions!" —Kira Armajani

Get it from ScratchPad for Dogs on Etsy for $44.95+ (available in two styles and three grit levels).

Promising review: "This stuff is absolutely AMAZING. My wife and I were getting tired of looking at our worn-out cabinets and wood paneling and were very close to paying a professional thousands of dollars to refinish it all, but then we came across this product. Our paneling and cabinets were looking rough. We have two dogs who jumped up and scratched places. We also had an area that was damaged by water spots where our dog bowls were. Several other areas were just worn from heavy traffic.

This stuff was like a magical eraser for water spots, scratches, scuffs, and any other blemish. We simply wiped the product on with a paper towel and let it sit for 20 minutes before wiping it off with a clean towel. Everything looks brand-new. I'm buying a couple more so we can finish our cabinets and wood paneling. We're so glad we found this product." —Kris

Get it from Amazon for $9.97+ (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "I don’t normally write reviews, but I felt this one warranted one! I have a 6-year-old mini dachshund and trimming nails has always been rough!! Screaming and biting (from the dog). I’ve tried other nail grinders and she was terrified of them. I came across this one and thought I’d give it a try. It took only five minutes to do ALL FOUR paws! She held perfectly still and didn’t fight me a single bit!! She even wagged her tail when we were done!! Hallelujah I think we found the tool for us!!!"—Carrie Ward

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available six colors).

Honestly, I could spend all day LOLing at the review photos. And in case you're wondering what this thing is made of that drives cats so wild... it's literally a springy steel wire and rolled up cardboard — that's it. But 26,000+ reviewers LOVE it *and* it's under $4, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Promising review: "This little toy is a miracle! Was skeptical at first since it’s such a simple design but my cat (who usually only plays for a couple of minutes) was obsessed with this toy from the moment I opened the package. Even more, he won’t let it out of his sight and brings it to me so he can play some more. Will be buying a lot more of these in the future!" —Amcooper2006

Get it from Amazon for $3.53.

Promising review: "GET IT!!!!! Wow just wow! Have a three month old puppy who would constantly nip and bite you whether you were sitting or walking. Plus bite the furniture and couches even after long runs and walks. One spray gets her attention, and she stops and goes to get her toys and play with those. All I have to do is show the can most times." —AMC

Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (also available in multipacks).

Promising review: "This stuff is AMAZING! I was a little skeptical because I have some carpet stains I’ve let sit for a while because I didn’t have any cleaner at the time of the accident. The accidents have included coffee spills and poorly cleaned cat barf stains. I ordered this because I didn’t want to spend the money on a carpet cleaning service plus you have to be out of your house too long. This stuff was INCREDIBLE. You just spray a concentrated amount and then scrub the stain away. It worked on every single stain I had and was super quick and easy. 100% recommend if you need a good spot cleaner!" —Kimberly

Get it from Amazon for $6.65+ (available in two sizes and multipacks).

Check this out in action on TikTok!

Promising review: "I really didn’t expect this to work. We’ve had short-haired cats for years and I had a rubber upholstery brush that never seemed to do anything. Well, we recently got a dog — a black Great Pyrenees mix. There is fur everywhere. Our downstairs is all hard flooring with area rugs and I hate lugging my Shark vacuum every couple of days but just daily sweeping with a regular broom wasn’t cutting it.

I decided to take a chance on this broom and I am so happy I did. It takes some elbow grease but it gets the fur off the area rug in my living room... Not only is it great for getting the fur off rugs, but it’s also even better on the hard floors. My regular broom catches some of the hair (which I then have to clean off by hand) but much of it just swirls away in the breeze the sweeping creates. This broom actually collects even the tiny stray hairs and deposits them in the dust pile without me having to get my hands dirty (literally)." —Sarah R.

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Meowy Janes is a small business based in New Egypt, New Jersey that specializes in catnip and catnip alternatives. Matatabi is a plant is native to the mountains Japan and China, and is more popular than catnip in East Asia!

Promising review: "The second I put a stick down our kitty was obsessed! Our cat loves 'chewing' so these are a great fit for him. All natural, great packaging, and quick shipping! Thank you." —kr323

Get it from Amazon for $10.21 or Meowy Janes on Etsy for $11.85.

Promising review: "We have a large house and two neutered inside ginger fur-boys and one of them forgets from time to time where he's supposed to do his business. It recently got much worse when we were given two kittens by a neighborhood stray. This new (now neutered) boy and girl immediately come in when we open the door and are playful and loving but they live outside in our shed (and heated cat house). The problem is that their scent is prompting our forgetful boy to start marking in the two rooms the kittens come in to play. Anyway, long story longer, we placed one Feliway diffuser in the worst area and we are one week without incident anywhere. That prompted me to buy two more units just to cover the other areas the kittens play in."—DLM

Get it from Amazon for $26.97.

Promising review: "I’ve been using this for a few weeks, and I love it. It cleans the salt off my dogs’ paws so easily. When it’s super dirty and the streets are covered in salt, I’ll refresh the water supply. I add a few drops of their doggie shampoo, and it works great. I have four dogs in NYC. I have to wash their feet after every walk because the streets are so filthy. It would take me about 10–15 minutes to clean their paws with a spray bottle and towel. Now, it takes about five minutes. And the towel doesn’t end up filthy. The dirt gets caught in the cup. Plus the dogs seem to like it. The silicone bristles must feel good. A huge thumbs-up!" —Sandra

Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in three sizes, eight colors, and with or without lid).

Promising review: "So, at the risk of sounding like the half-deranged canine mom that I am....whatever Riley likes, I like. Now we have used other dog wipes in the past but just as my pal Elton likes to sing... they just don’t hold 'like candle in the wind' to this brand. Yes, I recommend them as they are very gentle on my fur love’s skin and the scent is not overwhelming. Riley prefers wet trash smell so convincing him to let me wipe him down after park visits can sometimes be a challenge. Thankfully this mom-of-one-canine can rise to the challenge." —April

Get a pack of 25 from Amazon for $6.69+ (available in two scents and a pack of 100).

Promising review: "My cat, despite getting bathed frequently, still manages to smell like a combination of mouth, belly button lint, and floor. I bathed her with this tonight and she smells like a spring baby. I can't stop huffing her soft head. I didn't think it was possible to love her any more, but I'm a changed man. This stuff rocks." —Bippy

Get it from Amazon for $10.14.

Promising review: "No more wet floors!!! I purchased two of these to use as a mat for our cats' water bowls. Previously I used a small towel, but realized the water my cats were sloshing out…. was harming my wood floor. These mats were perfect. I have one on a wood floor and one on a carpeted area. For some reason, my cats like to put their paws into the bowl and swirl their water around. Now, if kitty wants to slosh… the mat catches anything that gets outside of the bowl. No more air drying my floors after a mishap. I'm very happy." —AngelaG

Get it from Amazon for $9.97+ (available in five sizes and 27 colors).

Rocco & Roxie Supply Company is a family-owned small business established in 2013 that specializes in pet odor eliminators, pet toys, pet snacks, and pet accessories.

Promising review: "Y’all! This stuff is AMAZING! I sprayed the carpet thoroughly to where it was pretty saturated and let it sit overnight. I woke up the next morning and the carpet was mostly dry I’m assuming from the ceiling fan air so I didn’t have to lay any towels down to soak up any excess moisture. Let me just say I was EXTREMELY impressed. The carpet was brighter, smelled fresher and it wasn’t stiff how other carpet cleaners tend to leave your carpet!

The thing I was most impressed by though was that the dark spots on our carpet were completely gone and this was without having to do any scrubbing! I literally sprayed the carpet the night before and I woke up to a cleaner, like-new carpet the next morning! I’m extremely extremely impressed and will be ordering the gallon size to do the entire carpet." —Ieshia M.

Get it from Amazon for $19.97+ (available in two sizes).

It links to iPhones, Androids, and Alexa so you can make sure your pets get their food whether you're miles and miles away or just busy in the next room.

Promising review: "Works great, and I cannot recommend this enough! My cats throw up if they eat too much, so it is great being able to feed them very small amounts (1/8 cup) per feeding, up to 12 times per day. I upgraded to this WiFi model from the non-Wi-fi model and it is quite nice having the option to feed them with a click of a button on my phone. I also bought the splitter adapter that will make it work for two cats. This is a great and inexpensive alternative to buying a second feeder for almost $200. My cats used to fight over the one food bowl, but now that I can have two separate bowls there is no more fighting!" –Beachbum

Get it from Amazon for $129.95 (available with feeders for one or two pets).

Promising review: "Now my dog wants to be outside ALL the time!! Our dearly departed buddy Dex never needed anything to tell us he needed to go out. He came over, barked once, and we went out. But our new Boston Terrier puppy Buster was just sitting by the door in silence til he peed! We felt horrible, he kept not getting treats, we needed a solution! So we got him a doorbell to let us know 'hey! Mom and Dad, I need to go out!'

It took less than 48 hours of bell ringing to get the gist. We actually took off the top set and put it on an old leash and put it on the outside so he could tell us when to come in. He just sits outside and sunbathes in his glorious faux grass dog yard. He rings the bells when he wants to potty, he rings the bells to sunbathe, he rings them to just make us get exercise haha! Best invention ever!"—Michelle

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in seven colors).

Promising review: "What an amazing product! I have tried EVERYTHING to get rid of the dirt, grime, and pet accidents, but this is the only thing I've had success with! The area near my bathroom vanity was DISGUSTING. It is a high traffic area, as my husband and I use our his and hers sinks every day. Our puppy also likes that area as her 'accident' spot, even though we have puppy pads all over the house.

The second photo (above) is after just ONE pass using my Bissell carpet cleaner. I used six ounces of the Carpet Miracle, and filled the rest of the reservoir with piping hot water. The red spot you see left is hair dye (oops). I am positive that it will come out with another pass or two. The fragrance is not strong or overpowering in my opinion. I also used this in my entryway, and it yielded incredible results there, too. I highly recommend this product, and will be ordering more soon!" —Melissa

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two sizes).

Psst — if you're looking for a decent, affordable vacuum you can use with this carpet cleaner, Hoover's PowerDash Pet is $95.95 on Amazon!

Promising review: "We have a two-story house, and we used to allow our dogs to go upstairs anytime they wanted. We have carpet upstairs and wood floor downstairs, and sometimes one of our dogs will go upstairs at night when everyone is asleep and have an accident (pee or poo). So we decided to buy a pet gate, so we can stop them from going upstairs at night. At least if they have accident downstairs it's easier to clean up because of the wood floor. The gate works very well, and it’s very easy to install and to operate."—Samuel Z.

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "I should have discovered this years ago. Trying to give my dogs baths was a pain because of the hair that inevitably went (and blocked) the drain! I tried several different items that were supposed to 'catch hair' which was a waste of time and money. This thing is exactly what I needed! I tried it moments after I received it and it worked like a charm! Both dogs got a bath and I did not have to unclog the tub drain or pour chemicals down to unclog the drain. Best money I have spent in a long time! If you have pets BUY THIS!" —Todd L. Owens

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in six colors).

Here's why BuzzFeed editor Chelsea Stuart loves this:

"I recently bought this after seeing it in many a BuzzFeed post (thanks, shopping colleagues!) and it is so worth it. My cats shed like it is their freaking job and I just can't keep up with it. One of them loves their regular brush but I have to empty it every two seconds and the other is terrified at just the sight of it. With this, I can just pretend I'm going in for a normal ol' petting session and they enjoy it!"

Promising review: "This glove is perfect for our one kitty who hates to be brushed. Our family recently added kitty number three, a big beautiful long-haired Maine Coon who despises being brushed or bathed. It was such a struggle as fine cat hair started taking over our life. Honestly, I did not think this grooming glove would work, but let me just say it is wonderful. Our kitty Nicki just loves the feeling it gives him, and we love the astounding amount of kitty hair that is now in the glove and not on every surface in our home. Thank you wonderful seller. We LOVE this glove." —Colleen5991

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

Like a vacuum, you'll have to empty it every now and then. It's fairly compact, so you can keep it tucked away in a closet or against a wall in your kitchen without it being too obnoxious.

Promising review: "The Eye-Vac is awesome. My cat and dog keep my hardwoods so furred-up that I think I still have carpet sometimes. The ever-present fur clouds demand constant sweeping, pulling it off the broom and scooping it up and pulling the fur off the broom again. Arghhh! Now, I just sweep it up to the Eye-Vac and poof, it's gone, broom cleaned and I'm done. A huuuge advantage is that my husband is old and can't bend to manage the dust pan business. With the Eye-Vac, he can easily sweep up to the vac and poof, gone and done. Now, I don't have to do it all the time." —Karole

Get it from Amazon for $199 (available in two colors).

Good Vibes All Purpose Cleaner is a Black woman-owned small business founded by Ymani Efunyale. After her own son suffered an asthma attack after accidentally ingesting a so-called "natural cleaner," Ymani went to work creating her own highly effective, eco-friendly cleaners, which has grown into the business she has today.

Promising review: "I am a believer! I ordered the sampler because I was indecisive about what fragrance to purchase and I’m happy that I did because I love them all. The cleaning power is unmatched. I previously used a “Mrs” a “Pine” and a “Fab” — this cleaner hands down beat them all. It got stains out of my couch, cleaned a cat poop stain, milk from my toddler and removed stains from my walls." —Casandra

Get it from Good Vibes All Purpose Cleaner for $12.50+ (available in two sizes; Shop Pay, Google Pay, PayPal available).

Promising review: "If you’re on the fence about buying these, please don’t be! I almost didn’t buy these because they seemed too good to be true and boy was I wrong! I have four dogs, two are unaltered 70+ lb males. Long gone are the days where you pick up a dripping pee pads or the smell never really goes away. You can even lay these face down on liquid and it will soak it all up and turn it to gel in about 30 seconds. During a rain storm we found out we had a leak in our RV and used these for that too! They are completely worth the money and I will be buying this brand only from now on!"—Annabeth Hartford

Get a pack of 14 pads from Amazon for $6.48+ (available in four sizes, two styles, and multipacks).

Promising review: "These work great for pet hair on beds, furniture, pet beds, dog kennels, area rugs, cars, pretty much anything you can think of! My black lab sleeps in my bed that has a white quilt comforter and this makes it super easy to just roll across every morning when making the bed. The sheets are easy to tear off and don’t unravel when rolling." —Ashley D.

Get it from Amazon for $23.80 (refills available).

Promising review: "Love it. Super easy to assemble, came with all the hardware I needed including the screwdriver. No off-putting chemical smells and everything seems sturdy enough that he’d have to be trying to break it. I’ll definitely be using this brand of bird toy again!" —Morgan

Get it from Amazon for $12.49+ (available in four styles).

Promising review: "This pad is a life changer for us. We have hardwood floors and two cats, and I have constantly been vacuuming cat litter. The litter box is in the small laundry room, and we’ve placed the large pad so that the cats must walk on it when leaving the box. I literally have no mess at all now, and I’ve had it for about three weeks. The cats don’t mind walking on the pad, and we don't mind picking it up and dumping the collected litter back into the box. Easy-peasy. I wish I had known about this years ago. It’s saving us hours of work, and I enjoy the cats even more now that I don’t constantly see litter on our floors."—Sharon

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).

Promising review: "I've been training dogs for nearly 30 years, have tried every product on the market, and seen dogs medicated for so many emotional unbalances. I've tried many products and have noted that even medication can have no affect on a dog's condition. In my ongoing quest for products that help dogs to relax, I bumped into this cube on a dare: a friend popped one in my bag and said JUST TRY IT! So I did: I went home and powered it up while I was editing one of my books. I found it quite relaxing, but nothing and I mean nothing prepared me for what I saw when I turned around! My two kids, and four dogs were lolling about blissfully on the couch. The rest is history! I recommend these cubes to my clients and use them in my house (with both dogs and children) to signal naps and quiet time. I suggest them whenever my clients dogs have emotional upsets — expressed with excessive barking or destructive chewing, or to calm phobias like storm and separation anxiety. This little box and now her latest acoustic collar have improved the lives of some many dogs! Thank you!" —Sarah Hodgson, IAABC, author

Get it from Amazon for $59.99.

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.