Cats love their routines, and any successful pet parent knows that maintaining those routines is one of the keys to a cat's happiness. But that doesn't mean you have to get stuck in a rut or become a pawn to your cat's habits. Looking for tips for cat owners that will make caring for your kitty more fun and easier to manage? Keep reading for some cat life hacks that just might have you purring alongside your furry companion.

Litter Box Hacks

Probably the least pleasant aspect of having a cat is having to deal with the litter box. So it shouldn't be surprising that a number of cat life hacks revolve around making your kitty's toilet easier to live with. Here are a few ideas to try:

• Hide the litter box. Stash your cat's box under an end table, or in a low cabinet with the door removed, and use tension rods to hang easy no-sew curtains that provide easy access for your kitty to do her business out of sight. Another easy option is to replace your cat's regular litter box with a large storage bin with a lid. Cut a hole in the lid that's large enough for her to fit through comfortably, and use fabric and decoupage paste to spruce it up so that it blends with the décor.
• Improve the smell. Add baking soda to kitty litter to help absorb odors and extend the life of the litter. Another trick is to add dry green tea leaves to the litter to help it smell better.
• Keep it clean. Has your pooper scooper seen better days? Convert a plastic milk jug into an impromptu scooper by cutting away the handle and the side of the jug it's on.
• Keep it contained. Cleanmyspace.com recommends replacing a standard litter box mat with a plastic grooved winter boot mat. It catches stray litter, is easy to clean, and doesn't absorb accidents like rubber mats can.

Scratching Hacks

Another challenging thing about cats is their tendency to scratch everything from furniture to carpets to your toes. Try these hacks to help curb your cat's unwanted scratching:

• Make a DIY scratching surface. If your kitty insists on sharpening her claws on the table leg, wrap it with sisal rope to protect the table and provide the cat a sanctioned place to do her scratching. Take it to the next level by wrapping all of the legs on a set of end tables and stacking them to create a scratching, climbing, and napping paradise for your kitty. Another tip your cat will go gaga over: line the bottom of a small basket or a shoe box with corrugated cardboard and place it near a sunny window for all of her scratching, sunbathing, and bird watching pleasure.
• Practice claw control. Trimming your kitty's claws takes minutes and can go a long way toward saving your upholstery. If your cat is too feisty to submit to the clip, your vet or a pet groomer would be happy to do it for a nominal fee. To make the trim last longer and prevent your cat from sharpening her claws while adding a little fashionable flair to her paws, try covering them with soft rubber claw covers, available at most major pet stores.

Cat Hair Hacks

Controlling cat hair is a never-ending battle. Short of shaving your cat or investing in an industrial-strength vacuum cleaner, what can you do? These tips for cat owners may not conquer the hair problem completely, but they can go a long way toward making it less of a headache:

• Try hands-free grooming. LovePetsDIY.com recommends attaching the stiff bristles from two (preferably new) toilet brushes to a board for a hands-free self-grooming and petting station for your cat. The more your kitty goes to the brushes for back scratches, the more of her hair will get collected in the bristles for easy cleanup.
• Make wiping up cat hair a cinch. Wear a rubber dish glove and simply rub your hand over the upholstery to loosen hair and wipe it away. Using a blown-up balloon can have the same effect. I'm sure you remember the static cling that causes your hair to stand straight up when you rub the balloon against your head.
• Vacuum your electronics. Instead of using compressed air to clean cat hair out of your keyboards and electronic devices — scattering it everywhere else in the process — attach the lid of a reusable squeeze ketchup bottle to the end of your vacuum cleaner's hose to fit between the keys and all of those device nooks and crannies.