Perfect pet projects to show your pet some love

Check out these clever and unusual ideas about how to make your pet happier, healthier and more comfortable, using items you’ll find around the house.

In the summertime, a favourite destination for ants is often a pet’s food bowl. Here’s a simple way to keep them out of your dog or cat’s food: Set the dish in a pan of water.

Not only does it keep the ants out of the pet food, but your pet can take a gulp of water from the pan whenever he or she needs a drink.

Keep the rest of your home clear of ants, too.

Protect your doors from your dog’s claws with a sheet of plastic. Buy thing Plexiglas or plastic at any home centre. Cut the Plexiglas so it fits just inside the door jambs and is 30cm higher than the reach of your dog. Most home centres will cut the Plexiglas for you, but you can also cut it with a utility knife and a straightedge. (If you have a large dog and need plastic above the doorknob, use an 8cm hole saw to make a cutout for the knob.) Mount the Plexiglas to the door with 2cm roundhead wood screws.

Learn how to install a pet door.

Use a plastic storage bin for a dog house. A nice little doghouse that will hold up in the rain can cost $100. But you can make your own for a fraction of the price using a plastic storage bin. Cut a small hole in the bin, flip it over on its lid and stick a dog bed inside it. Your dog will love watching the rain from inside his snug little house, and you’ll save $85!

Or learn how to build your own dog house.

Use a shower cap as a portable water bowl. A long walk with your dog on a hot day will make you and your pet pretty thirsty. Before leaving the house, stuff a plastic shower cap in your pocket. That way, you can give your dog a drink from any handy tap, drinking fountain or your water bottle whenever he or she needs a slurp.

Here are 17 ways to reuse plastic bags.

Help your dog ‘talk’ to you with bells. Here’s an easy way your dog can let you know she needs to go outside without any barking or scratching at the door. Hang some bells from the doorknob and your dog will quickly learn to associate the sound of the bells with the door opening. Soon she’ll nudge them herself. You can speed things along by jiggling the bells and saying ‘Outside? Wanna go outside?’ for a few days every time your dog goes out. Your dog will be able to ‘talk’ to you about going outside even when you’re somewhere else in the house. It’s definitely better than the messy alternative.

Learn 15 everyday habits of great dog owners.

For a calmer and easier bath time, make a dog washing station in your shower. Cover the drain with a hair catcher to prevent fur from clogging it. Cut a hole in a bath mat so it fits over the drain and lay it in the shower to prevent your dog from slipping around. Using a handheld sprayer gives you more control and lets you avoid spraying water into your pet’s ears. Everyone involved will find bath day a whole lot more pleasant. Here’s how to make your own dog washing station.

Don’t miss these 17 fuss-free pet care tips.

Many pet birds love to take baths. Next bath time, try using a new plastic paint tray as a bathtub! The ribs on the bottom of the tray provide traction, and the tray’s slope allow your pets to wade in the shallow water until they’re ready to move into the deep end. Paint trays are cheap and easy to clean, and they also make great turtle pools (but don’t tell your birds).

Learn 5 ways to attract birds to your garden.

Hot summer days are tough on bunnies. Here’s a great way to recycle plastic water bottles and keep your bunnies cool at the same time. Fill the bottles with water, freeze them solid and then set them out in the rabbit hutches. The bunnies love to laze against the bottles as the ice thaws. This works great with puppies, too.

Keep the birds happy! To clean your birdbath, put two cups of vinegar in the bath and fill it to the brim with water. Cover with a bin lid, and let the bath soak overnight. Scrub and rinse well. To attract butterflies to your birdbath and avoid algae, put a layer of builder’s sand in the bottom of the birdbath. Add a pantyhose leg stuffed with oat straw inside to your water for an algae-free birdbath.

How to build a birdhouse.