Pets – FoodWatcher

27 of Our Favorite Food-Themed Pet Toys, Accessories & Decor

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

When I adopted my two cats almost ten years ago, I didn’t realize just…

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

When I adopted my two cats almost ten years ago, I didn't realize just how many options there'd be for the types of toys, treats, and home accessories available for them. Gone are the days of the limited selection I had known from shopping for pet toys as a child. I had a handful of pets growing up (a couple of dogs, a rabbit, and even baby ducks at one point—I grew up in Arkansas) but the options my parents gave us when picking out gifts for our loved buds typically fit within a couple of aisles in the nearest Walmart, PetSmart, or PetCo. Now, you can spend hours online searching to find the perfect gift for your pets.

How to Eliminate Pet Odors in Your Home

I share my home with two adorable dogs and a precious kitty, and while there are many great things about having a multi-pet household—endless snuggles, never feeling lonely, constant entertainment—one of the downsides is that pet odors can take over quickly. Between wet dog funk and litter box odors, I have to stay on top of cleaning to prevent my house from smelling like animals all the time.

If you’re looking for ways to get rid of pet smells, there are a few easy steps—and several game-changing products—that you should incorporate into your regular cleaning routine. Here’s how to keep your home smelling fresh and clean, no matter how many animals you share it with.

How to Keep Your Cats Off the Kitchen Counter, Once & For All

After several years of model behavior, one of my cats recently discovered that very tasty food like shredded chicken is often left on the kitchen counter at dinnertime. Now, it seems like I can’t turn my back without Henry sneakily jumping on the count…

After several years of model behavior, one of my cats recently discovered that very tasty food like shredded chicken is often left on the kitchen counter at dinnertime. Now, it seems like I can’t turn my back without Henry sneakily jumping on the counter to grab a bite.

Henry isn’t the first feline who prefers the kitchen counter over the best cat trees. Over time, I’ve found several tactics to keep my kitties with four paws on the floor. If you’re looking for ways to keep cats off the counter, here are the strategies that have worked for me (and thus, my dearest Henry).

Under-$10 Pet Staples My Dog Absolutely Loves

We’ve teamed up with Walmart to help you pamper your pooch. Order online or via their app to shop your go-to pet supplies, groceries, and other household items, then select delivery or in-store pickup for a seamless shopping experience.

Not too long…

Not too long ago, my boyfriend and I brought home the best—and most time-consuming—addition to our apartment: a spunky, cuddly French bulldog named Oswald. Nicknamed Ozzie, this little pup with the biggest personality is both hilariously stubborn and eager-to-please, and in turn, we love to spoil him with all his favorite things, like rawhide-free chews, toys, and baby carrots.

How to Keep Your Pets from Destroying the Christmas Tree

The last time I was on TikTok—a land of many treasures—I came across a trend where people chase their cats around with the Christmas tree before putting it up. The idea is that the cat will be scared of the tree and stay away from it. It’s kind of mean, but cats can be total Grinches, so I get it. However, I'm not one to chase my four-legged kiddos around with a giant tree, so I'll do almost everything else to keep them from destroying the holidays.

If you have a cat or dog (or, like me, multiples of each), you’re probably all too familiar with the precarious dynamic between pets and Christmas trees. Cats love to climb them (A tree! Inside! How fun!) and use them for parkour stunts while dogs love to rustle around underneath and frequently view ornaments as toys. Needless to say, none of these antics are particularly safe, which is why many pet parents look for ways to keep their furry friends away from the tree during the holiday season—a task easier said than done.

How to Clean Pet Urine (Ugh) From Any Surface at Home

We had a bit of a kerfuffle a few weeks after moving into our new house. You see, it has an unfinished basement, and my cat decided he’d rather pee on the floor down there than in his litter box. Whether he was protesting the move or just felt more outdoorsy doing his business on the dirty concrete floor, I’ll never know. What I do know, however, is that once he started peeing on the floor, it was extremely hard to get him to stop.

Eventually, we ended up locking him out of the basement all together, and I was left with the grueling task of getting the permeating smell of cat urine out of the basement. Since the floor is concrete, the liquid had soaked in pretty good, and in my crusade to banish the smell, I found quite a few useful tips on how to get pet urine out of various surfaces in your home, from carpets and furniture to clothing. (I bookmarked them for later, because I never know what mischief my furry friends are going to get up to.)

8 Best Dog Beds, According to Their Humans

Dog beds are one of the most important things for a happy pup—after treats, of course. They provide comfort, coziness, and orthopedic support (especially for large breeds like Great Danes) so your goodest boys and girls can sleep and lounge in style.

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But while treats are mostly universally loved, finding the right dog bed can be a bit of a gamble. You—and your dog—won't know if it's the right size or offers the right amount of support without a few test runs. That's why we turned to our team for their absolute favorite dog beds—some humans even loved the same beds (spoiler: the super-popular Best Friends by Sheri), so you know these are legit.

22 Pawsome Gift Ideas for the Dog Lover in Your Life

When it comes to picking a gift for someone who loves dogs, your options are truly endless—and that rings true for dog owners and admirers alike. I should know: I was obsessed with dogs for the first 28 years of my life before I (finally) got my own pu…

Now, I’m one of those dog owners who has a lot of stuff (I blame it on Joey—my rescue mutt has a penchant for eating his toys), and I in turn love gifting my favorite doggie essentials and accessories to other puppy parents. While it’s safe to assume that your dog-owner friends already have their own “life’s better with a bichon frise” magnet, there are plenty of other things you can gift that they may not have already bought for themselves.

11 Very Cute Home Accessories Every Cat Lover Should Own

If you ask me, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating your love for cats. My cat, Nugget, has been my faithful companion for close to six years now, and I can’t imagine life without him. (And before you label me a “cat person,” just know that I also ha…

Luckily for all us cat lovers, there are a whole lot of chic home accessories out there with fun feline motifs. Whether you’re looking for cat wallpaper to decorate your office or a sweet kitty teapot for the kitchen, we’ve got you covered.

9 Couches Your Cat Can’t Immediately Destroy

If you ever visit my house, you’ll notice that the armrests of most sofas and chairs are strategically covered with throw blankets. This isn’t a fashion statement—it’s to deter my mischievous cats from sinking their claws into the fabric.

Any cat owne…

If you ever visit my house, you'll notice that the armrests of most sofas and chairs are strategically covered with throw blankets. This isn’t a fashion statement—it’s to deter my mischievous cats from sinking their claws into the fabric.

Any cat owner will tell you that all the scratching posts in the world won’t make a difference if your feline prefers scratching your furniture. However, the good news is that certain fabrics are usually less appealing to kitties because they’re not as easy to sink claws into (for this reason, loose weaves are a hard no in our space).