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Your job is to make your cat's life the best it can be, so I'm out here trying to make that job a little bit easier.

So as you can see here, there are pretty much only three possible spots to pet your cat without risking any injury (those freaking claws are SHARP…more on that later). Obviously, this is going to depend on your kitty, and you shouldn't just assume what's safe for most cats will be safe for yours. Always start off gently until you understand their preferences!

Spot at the base of the tail – OMG, yes! Those are some of the best scratches. It seems like there's a magic button there that raises the kitty's butt when you scratch there.

Tail – ehhh, maybe, aka you can try, and they'll definitely let you know if that is acceptable.

Tummy – certain death. Don't you dare go near that spot unless you absolutely know the cat and their petting behaviors.

Whatever you do, though, just please do NOT use the regular nail clippers you have lying around your house. Those are not designed for cat claws and can end up damaging them and causing pain.

Get them from Amazon for $6.99+ (clip the coupon on the product page to get it for $6.50+; available in two colors).

Promising review: "Since this trimmer is so small, it gives you much more freedom when your cat doesn't want to cooperate. Now I can easily hold my cat between my legs with one hand and just start trimming when they don't notice." —Nan

These nail file scratching pads are created by a small business! This simply sticks to furniture or the bottom of the litter box and allows your cat to scratch their nails whenever they please! This is definitely going to be my next purchase….once I can convince my husband to let me buy *another* thing for the cats.

Get it from Kitty Cure on Etsy for $19.95.

Promising review: "I would purchase this item again, as I think it did the job we needed as far as filing our cat's nails down. It does pop up from the bottom somewhat as litter gets underneath it, but that's also because we didn't put much litter on top of it, to ensure she'd scratch it. We just need to make sure to keep the box clean, and we keep placing it back on the bottom. This is a huge help since our cat will NOT let us trim her nails, so this was a lifesaver!" —Mindee Beaver

A lot of the hesitation that comes from cutting their nails is because cats inherently don't like to have their paws touched (refer back to the first chart), so by getting them used to it from the beginning, you'll find you have a much easier time trimming their nails.

Promising review: "Excellent product for 'catifying' our house. Relatively small living space lends itself to building cat-tracks on the walls in various configurations, rather than having cat trees taking up space." —Norm Winterowd

If DIYing isn't really your thing, check out some of these cat scratchers:

A classic cat scratching post ($19.97+ at Amazon; available in two sizes and five colors).

An adorable cactus-shaped one ($25.26+ at Amazon; available in two colors).

Or a wall-mounted one so kitties can activate ~biiiiig stretches~ ($39.99 at Amazon; available in two colors) — I have one of these and can confirm the kitties love being able to reach up high to stretch out their backs. 

One thing I have found helpful to keep my house clean and keep the cats' attention is to have the toys out on a rotating basis. If you give them access to all toys all the time, chances are they will become bored of them. By keeping some hidden away, you can switch them out every so often, and the cats will be more excited to play with them.

Some toys that are a huge hit in my house are:

Crinkle balls ($5.99+ at Amazon; available in three quantities)

Cat nip-infused toys ($2.48+ at Amazon; available in four set sizes)

Cat nip stick balls ($9.98 at Amazon for a pack of three)

Poof balls ($7.99+ at Amazon; available in three quantities)

Collapsable tunnels ($9.99+ at Amazon; available in 24 variations)

Get Temptations treats from Amazon for $8.48+ (available in five quantities), and get the laser pointer from Amazon for $7.98.

Get it from Amazon for $10.97+ (available in four styles).

Promising review: "I was absolutely amazed by how well this brush works on my white cat Pinky. Her fur is luxuriously thick but fine. This brush makes our nightly brushing sessions much more enjoyable and productive. The button that separates the fur from the bristles is the best part of this brush. An added benefit is that my cat loves to rub her face on the bristles. Caution: be careful not to entangle the whiskers!! I highly recommend this product, especially for large cats." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in 18 colors/styles).

Promising review: "This 'brush' is fantastic!! I have four different brushes that claimed it would do what this brush does; however, not one of them compares to this brush. The brush side removed most of my husky's undercoat and has reduced the hair loss significantly. I rarely use the side for matted, knotted hair; when I do, it's used on his hind legs and lower back/bottom area, where the hair is thicker. The brush is gentle on his skin, so he actually now likes and lets me brush him as often as I like or need. The brush is easy to clean, it's sturdy, and is definitely going to hold up over time." —Linda

Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in four colors).

Promising review: "I opted to buy the original ChomChom in the hopes of at last having something practical that will help us remove black cat hair from upholstered and carpeted areas of our home. I've used several things over the years, but nothing really worked 'as advertised.' The ChomChom made short, easy work of cat hair removal! No electricity, no big complicated two- or three-part device...just a well-designed, efficient roller that gathers up hair as one rolls it back and forth and deposits it in a closed compartment, easy to clear out for dumping into the trash. Now, if someone could explain to me how one small cat can continually produce and shed so much hair, I'm all ears." —Marilee

IDK about you, but my cats have this *awesome* habit of taking any toy I give them and putting it under something, so I have to spend far too long trying to find them — I genuinely think they do it on purpose, like watching me struggle is more fun than actually playing with the toys. I recently decided to cave (aka I finally convinced my husband) and got these for under our couch. Everywhere else, if they knock something under, they can follow it and pull it back out, but the couch is low enough that they don't fit, so I have to rearrange furniture and try to fish it all out myself, which is a HUGE pain in the butt. These have only been up for a couple of weeks, and they have already made a difference. I no longer have to spend like 20 minutes trying to knock my kitty's favorite ping pong ball out from under the couch basically every single day. This has made my life so much easier and the kitties' lives better because their fave toys are actually floating around where they can reach them instead of disappearing into the abyss after being played with for approximately two minutes.

Added bonus, these blockades are great for keeping the actual cat out from under furniture, because the only thing harder than getting a toy out is getting out a cat who can fight back.

Get it from Amazon for $12.98+ (available in eight sizes).

Promising review: "I was so tired of fishing cat toys out from under the dresser, this product totally eliminates the problem and is basically invisible, look for the light reflection in the photo. Very sturdy, good adhesive. It was a bit difficult to trim with regular all-purpose scissors, so I had to find my heavy-duty pair. Other than that took five minutes to measure and install!!" —Avid Reader and Frequent Buyer

According to Encore Pet Food, cats' instincts tell them it's not safe to drink water that's near a food source, so if you have their food and water together, you will likely notice that your cat isn't drinking enough water. The litter box really goes without saying…you wouldn't want to eat near a dirty toilet, would you?

Wet food is another great source of hydration, but my picky little weirdos don't like it, so soup it is🤷🏼‍♀️

Or, consider getting them a water fountain. Cats are known to prefer drinking running water. Get the fountain from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in three varieties).

According to the ASPCA, some foods that are safe for your kitty include apples, bananas, beef, blueberries, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cheese, chicken, cooked pumpkin, green beans, kiwi, peanut butter (without xylitol), pineapple, popcorn, pork, strawberries, and turkey.

And as you would expect, the ASPCA has a list of foods that you should not feed your cat: onions, garlic, alcohol, avocado, chocolate, coffee, citrus, coconut, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, milk/dairy (SHOCKING, I know, but cats are technically lactose intolerant so it can upset their tummies), nuts, chives, and yeast dough.

If you want to feed your cat a new food, just be sure to double-check before you do to make sure it's on the safe list. If cats are given any of the foods off the dangerous list, it can lead to an upset stomach, anemia, and depending on the quantity, be fatal.

Avoid litter box problems by following these tips by Chewy:

1. Provide cats with uncovered litter boxes ($39.99 at Amazon; available in four colors) — enclosed litter boxes can retain odors and can make a cat feel trapped.

2. Scoop litter at least once a day— cats tend to avoid using dirty litter boxes (aka, you may find them going to the bathroom in places they shouldn't be). I would recommend using a metal litter scoop ($8.50+ at Amazon; available in two sizes and 18 colors), so you don't have to worry about a cheap, plastic one bending when you clean the box.

3. Litter boxes should be at least one and a half times the length of the largest cat — most litter boxes you see are too small. I personally have found that the best way for me to ensure the litter box is long enough (I have abnormally large cats) is to use a storage bin ($34.99 at Amazon) instead of a 'real' litter box.

4. Place boxes in an area with views so cats can identify and escape from potential threats — do not put them in places where the cat can feel trapped.

5. There should be one litter box per cat plus one.

You can also grab a litter-catching mat ($11.89+ at Amazon; available in four sizes and five colors) to help prevent the dreaded build-up of litter granules all over the floor that basically feels like you're walking on a sandy beach 😖.

Mix together equal parts of water and vinegar, cover the spot with the mixture, and let it soak to kill bacteria. For extra care, once that is dried, sprinkle the spot with baking soda and leave for 30–60 minutes to soak up any lingering smells. Then, vacuum the excess away.

Check out more tips on how to remove cat pee odors at One Good Thing.

Get a two-pack of vinegar from Amazon for $17.99.

Or, if your kitty is ~determined~ to work, get them their own computer so they can help pay the bills for allllll the toys you buy them.

Get the cat computer from Amazon for $21.99.

Some people with *brave* cats say this trick doesn't work, so just be sure to test out an area before you unroll your entire container of tin foil.

You can get some tin foil from Amazon for $13.04.

The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.