32 Must

Mar 15, 2024

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.

If you're still bending down to scoop poop, we kinda feel bad for you.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "WOW! Honestly, I was a little skeptical of the promise of these pads, but I bought them just to try out. THEY WORKED AMAZINGLY WELL! Seriously. I have some stains that are 1.5–2 years old. I've tried everything to get them out. I put these pads on the stains (two to cover the spot), let sit for about an hour, pulled them up, and the stain was gone. I truly couldn't believe it. The pad was yellow. Somehow the old urine was soaked up into the pad. My carpet looks like new. I couldn't recommend these any higher for what I wanted and what I got. Wish I could give this more than five stars." —Matt

Get a pack of 20 from Amazon for $30.24.

Promising review: "My cat Gambino Bambino would let you brush him bald!!! He loves to be groomed and comes running whenever the brush comes out. Though we love to accommodate, I know he wanted more. He was constantly rubbing his cheeks and ears on the corner of our walls to get even more scratching. I finally came across this product and knew he would love it! It took a little convincing but once he got a hang of it he’s been loving it! We have one in the living room, one in the kitchen, one at the top of the stairs and one in the guest room! He is having a great time!!! Very easy to put together and place on the wall." —T. Mangiaracina

Get it from Amazon for $4.99.

Promising review: "Absolutely the best product. It saved my itchy goldendoodle! We tried changing food, Benadryl, medicated shampoo, fish oil, everything you can imagine... nothing worked long-term. He was itching his face so badly he would make himself bleed. Had sores and scabs all over his face and neck. I bought these because they had good reviews and I was desperate. It changed his life! He no longer scratches AT ALL! His coat looks great and all of his sores are healed. He’s the happiest he’s been which makes me a very happy momma. He is also very picky and never eats treats... he eats these every time so that’s an added bonus!" —Darcie Nation

Get 90 chews from Amazon for $19.97+ (available in five styles).

Promising review: "Where has this been all my cat-loving life? Sticky rollers work fine for clothes, but this is the only product that has ever COMPLETELY removed all the cat hair from my bed. I have a long-haired 20-pound tabby and if you run your hands up his back a few times and fling the hair everywhere, it looks like it's snowing — he never stops shedding no matter what I do. After using the ChomChom, I can put on a black dress and roll around on my bed and not get a single hair on me. It's absolutely amazing. Everyone is getting one for Christmas, even if they don't have a pet. I don't care, it's THAT good." —Stephanie

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

Promising review: "I bought this broom based on the tons of great reviews and I am not disappointed. I love this broom! It is lightweight but sturdy. I have used it on tile floors and carpet and it does a great job of getting the pet hair, lint, and dirt. I like this so much better than our traditional push broom. It is very easy to clean after use just using my hand, unlike our old broom. It also has a telescoping handle so that you can adjust it to whatever height you need. There is also a squeegee for doing the house windows and the car windows. I highly recommend it." —Joyce V

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Check out my colleague's FURemover Evriholder broom review for more deets and some very satisfying photos of the globs of hair she removed from her carpet.

Promising review: "I have a whole room filled with cat toys that my cat is not interested in. It's funny how the least expensive cat toy I have makes him go crazy. He plays with this until he's panting like a dog and I have never seen him jump so high. I'm certain this toy will help him lose his belly. He loves it! I highly recommend it!" —Kwoo

Get it from Amazon for $3.53.

Promising review: "One of my puppers is a super athlete who lives to go for walks and on runs. She is about 9 now and the vet gave her a stellar bill of health save one thing: her pads were getting really rough and worn from paved trails and city walks, and this may be uncomfortable, especially as summer comes and pavement heats up. I was skeptical about any kind of balm as I figured that it would leave a mess on my floors or one/both dogs would just lick it off their feet. No problems whatsoever, and after a single application, both dogs' pads are really soft and supple. Hopefully the dogs can feel the difference. I can surely see it and feel it. Also, the balm smells like oatmeal cookies, so bonus for that." —LRL

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

Promising review: "I have lacrosse players and dogs and this stuff is amazing. My yard looked like an abandoned lot before this and it literally 'grew anywhere' just like it said. The bag I planted last year actually came back strong this year so I put more down and it is working like a dream!" —chchmom

Get it from Amazon for $13.27+ (available in five sizes).

Meowy Janes is a wonderfully named small business based in New Egypt, New Jersey. It specializes in catnip and catnip alternatives.

BuzzFeed editor Chelsea Stuart loves these...or...her cats do!

"I recently tried some of these out with my cats and they were a hit! TBH they've never really been super into catnip — they'll play with it but they don't go wild — so I was excited to see they were into these. They bat them around, rub their faces all over them, and ultimately, when they're done, hide them under a chair or in their cat condo so they can come back to them later."

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 7–9 chews from Amazon for $10.21 and Meowy Janes on Etsy for $11.85.

Promising review: "Works like a charm! I recently found myself a cat mama of an abandoned week-old kitten. I bought this knowing she needed just something to cuddle up to in her bed. Turns out it basically hypnotizes her to sleep. She crawls to it, kneads it, and eventually her meows turn to silence. I wish the purring lasted longer but for $10 it is a lifesaver. She's pooped on it a couple times so I've had to throw it in the washer and dryer minus the battery pack. It's held up great." —S Leytem

Get it from Amazon for $9.58.

Promising review: "My dog has had chronic ear infections for years now. Every other month or so she’d get an infection and $200 later we’d have meds from the vet who confirmed what we already knew. I finally decided to give an unprescribed treatment a try and it worked AMAZINGLY. Followed the instructions for a week, and her ear is completely healed! Much easier to pay $20 as opposed to $200 when you get the same results! I highly recommend." —Fromal16

Get it from Amazon for $23.79.

Promising review: "The glove is super comfortable and using it couldn’t be more foolproof: just put it on and run your hands through your pet’s fur. That’s it! The silicone grooves pick up so much fur with ease. Like, my dog looks close to hairless. HOW is he shedding so much!?!? After a few runs, I found that I would have to remove fur from the glove before continuing (you can pick up the fur with your other hand or run the glove under some water — either works) but it’s no biggie. The silicone actually makes it really easy to keep this clean. We got Rockie when he was 5 and he’d been riddled with skin issues and allergies, so I was pretty nervous to use anything that could potentially aggravate his conditions. However! Not only does this *not* bother his skin, but he…loves this. A lot. He starts snoring after exactly two run-throughs on his back. Also, his coat looks SO shiny after each use! TL;DR: this is one of those inexpensive add-ons that any pet owner should have on hand." —AnaMaria Glavan

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

Promising review: "Love this litter! Finally a litter with no odor! We have two cats; they're sisters. We have two litter boxes in a 2,500-square-foot, 150-year-old house. Before switching to Dr Elsey's litter I could smell those litter boxes no matter where I was in the house, no matter what brand the litter was, and we tried at least a dozen of the top name brand litters! Dr Elsey's litter clumps well and is lightweight. My one kitty is very particular/fussy about her litter. We changed just one litter box, to this litter at first, because we still had some of the previously purchased litter left. The fussy kitty would no longer use the litter box with the old litter in it. Dr Elsey's litter is very clean and not dusty. And the price for this litter is very competitive. I would easily give this litter a 10-star rating." —Diane Zillich

Get an 18-pound bag from Amazon for $11.69.

Promising review: "With three dogs, two small and one large, scooping the yard is a never-ending job. But with the Arm & Hammer swivel bin and rake, there is no more bending to pick up the doggy droppings. I am able to easily use the rake to push the droppings into the bag covered bin. When I am done cleaning up the yard, I just simply remove the plastic bag from the scoop, tie it off, and dispose. I do spray the rake off with the hose sprayer and then clip the rake onto the scooper for easy storage. I really like this handy scooper. It makes a very icky job much easier to handle." —Kelly Eldred

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

Rocco & Roxie is a family-owned small business named after the Magleby family's pets Rocco, a Labradoodle, and Roxie, a former shelter tabby cat. They make a variety of pet supplies, including cleaners, treats, grooming tools, accessories, and toys.

Promising review: "I have six elderly cats, and a few of them oftentimes leave smelly pee puddles to register their disdain at whatever cats get 'peed off' about. It's not a litter box problem and, although I've caught one or two of them doing it, I can't blame them all. This product works great on fresh messes as well as dried ones. After blotting up fresh pee pods, I saturate the area with Rocco & Roxie's odor remover and let dry. For dried stinky stuff, I just saturate the area and let it dry. It has a pleasant odor and completely eliminates the ammonia odor. Believe me, I've tried all kinds of products, and this one works the best. I buy gallons now just to have on hand. It's better than smelling that awful pee!" —mona mia

Get it from Amazon for $19.97 (or Subscribe & Save for $18.97/month).

Promising review: "My dog's molars were turning black and he had a ton of build up on his canines. In the photo (above), just imagine everywhere you see slight yellow, instead covered in black and brown gunk and hard plaque. His gums were beginning to look inflamed. And, of course, his breath could kill a horse. After one week of constant use (a cap full for every bowl of water) you could see an obvious difference in tooth color. I was blown away. (Why can’t human mouthwash do such a good job on our teeth?) After three weeks, his molars were almost completely clean. After a couple months of use, the plaque on his canines was soft enough to brush some of it off, which was totally impossible before. Plaque covered the canine approximately 70%. Obviously that's no longer the case. Idk what insane solvent this is made of, but it keeps his gross mouth clean as a whistle. Now I don’t have to worry about my picky princess mutt losing his teeth because he can’t be bothered to chew anything." —BaconPancakes

Get it from Amazon for $9.77+ (available in three sizes and two styles).

Promising review: "My smaller dog unfortunately has pretty bad breath (not your typical dog breath, much worse). Brushing her teeth regularly helps somewhat alleviate the problem, as do dental foams and rinses, but nothing has worked as noticeably as this powder. She has no issues eating it (although, she'd eat anything) and it lasts a while considering that she only goes through one teaspoon a day. I would definitely recommend giving it a try if nothing else is working and medical reasons have been ruled out." —DG

Get it from Amazon for $20.91.

ScratchPad for Dogs is a small biz based in Atlanta.

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 $46.95+ (available in four styles and three grit levels).

Promising review: "My cockapoo had tear staining as a pup but as an adult he just gets that goop in the corner of his inner eyes. Sometimes I don’t catch the goop fast enough and it hardens in his muzzle. Even when I do, the goop is slimy and difficult to remove even with dog wipes. This tool is a miracle! Small, light weight and a good value for the price. Just one comb through and I got the sticky wet goop. A few more comb throughs and I found eye gunk that was buried in his muzzle. Most importantly, this comb removed the debris without causing any discomfort to my pooch. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it! Just look at the pictures." —Joanna

Get them from Amazon for $5.95.

Promising review: "AMAZING!!! My baby has wrinkles on top of wrinkles. This product has saved him! He was rubbing his face so hard on things to scratch in between his wrinkles that his whole face would break out and get irritated and his tail pocket gets so yeasty, red, and irritated. I put this product in every little crevice he has. It is soooo amazing!! We don’t ever travel without it! I will forever buy this product. Lifesaver!" —Heather Erin

Get it from Amazon for $18.70.

Promising review: "This product is great. My puppy is a digger and we have red clay type dirt. It gets her paws clean fast and easily. So much better than having to get a bath every time she digs." —Mandi Bultman

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in three sizes, eight colors, and with or without a lid).

Promising review: "We have an overweight cat that has trouble grooming her back. She was so full of dandruff and greasy fur that I hated petting her. We took her to the vet, and he thought it was allergies. We tried prednisone for a while, and it was clear she was less itchy, but the dandruff remained. The vet suggested different food, so we switched to a different flavor (different ingredients) in the same line, and there was no change. Our poor girl looked miserable. We decided to try a bath, but she's 13 years old so we knew she wouldn't enjoy it. While looking for a shampoo for her, I came across this product and decided to try it before torturing her with a bath. After the first application there was a huge difference! After the second application, her dandruff is GONE. We spray her down and then brush her. She is so soft and shiny! She finally looks healthy, and feels good to pet." —Amber Steele

Get it from Amazon for $7.49 (or Subscribe & Save for $7.12/month).

Promising review: "So we rescued a new dog and she had a few accidents in the house and this has been a lifesaver to say the least. It has removed every stain and cleaned every spot where she had the accident or spilled anything. It worked amazingly. I highly recommend this to everyone! A must have for every house with pets and kids." —Jyllian Long

Get it from Amazon for $123.59.

Promising review: "WE FOUND IT! A play ball that can stand up to our 14-week-old part black Lab, part shark. We have tried several toys that would stand up to the extremely sharp teeth. Nothing has worked for over 15 minutes of intensive play time. We heard about this ball from a fellow puppy owner and ordered immediately. Added bonus: She is exhausted after chasing this thing around, so naptime comes quickly." —james Bennett

Get it from Amazon for $14.88.

Promising review: "I don’t usually bother to review but this was so much nicer than I expected! Larger, well made, WOW! I hate to admit senility. I love my dog. Imagine forgetting if I fed her or not? I don’t want her overfed or overweight. This is the best thing! I stuck it to the top of her food storage. Now no question. A++++ Seriously such better quality and size than I expected!!!" —Suzy

Get it from Amazon for $11.95 (also available in a cat version).

It also comes with three replacement filters and a mat.

Promising review: "My cat likes to drink out of the toilet. I bought her a $60 stainless-steel teardrop fountain which she never used (not to mention how loud it is). I tried closing the toilet to force her to drink out of it, but then she resorted to meowing next to the sink. So I asked my sister, who is a vet, what I should do. She suggested a flower fountain since cats are more inclined to drink out of them. This thing is amazing. It is DEAD silent with the flower cap on, and without it it has a nice waterfall sound. My cat, even with the toilet bowl open, consistently chooses to drink from this. It’s been a lifesaver. I honestly do not have a single bad thing to say about this." —Minno Durkin

Get it from Amazon for $25.99 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "I have an American Staffordshire/Huskey mix and he's about 65 pounds and almost 2 years old. He is very strong and fast and sometimes needs to get some of his excess energy out with some chewing. I don't get regular or ground up and reformed rawhide just because he eats this too easily and I'm worried about him getting an intestinal blockage. This, though, is great because he can chew like mad but it wears down so much more slowly. Because the manufacturer recommends replacing after a certain amount of wear, I've gone to Subscribe and Save so I can get these monthly." —Kathy Jacobs

Get it from Amazon for $10+ (available in four sizes and three flavors).

The toy balls interlock so you can attach them for bigger dogs and to keep playtime fresh.

Up Dog Toys is a family-founded small business.

Promising review: "My corgi LOVES it. He gets his breakfast in it every day. When he used to get it in the bowl, he would finish it in about 30 seconds. Now he rolls the Odin around for about 10 minutes to get his breakfast and he really looks forward to this. When he finishes, we've made a game of finding Odin. I never know where it will have landed when the last piece of food came out and he has to show me. If you have a dog that loves games and could use the mental stimulation I recommend this. We've had ours for about eight months and it is in the same condition as when new. I do pick it up after breakfast to wash it so he does not have it all the time." —Julia Shaw

Get it from Amazon for $22.95 (available in five colors).

Each kit comes with a diffuser and refill. This diffuser emits pheromones, which triggers a cat's endocrine system to release calming chemicals. Cats naturally produce these same pheromones, so you don't have to worry about your cat getting into potentially toxic ingredients.

Promising review: "I can't believe how well this worked! We have a malamute puppy, very high energy, and he doesn't like it when my husband leaves the house. He calmed right down. I'm so amazed. I'm ordering refills now. P.S. it smells really good too!!!" —Jeana

Get it from Amazon for $15.90.

Promising review: "We have two Great Dane puppies that get a burst of energy every day around 6 p.m. They run full speed through the house. We send them outside to play but it still doesn’t make them tired. We bought the calming treats and started giving them to the puppies around 6 p.m. and by 6:30 they were laying on the couch sleeping." —Smokey

Get it from Amazon for $32.97 (available in four flavors).

Promising review: "My little dog loves this dog puzzle! He has very high energy and even with two 30-minute walks every day he can play for hours. We got several different types of dog puzzles and this one is definitely one of the favorites. I hide several small treats in the mat to engage him for 10+ minutes. Out of all the puzzle this was the easiest for him to pick up on but has yet to get bored of it. He knows when I bring it out it means treats!" —Jessica

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

Promising review: "I have an auditory processing disorder and that makes squeak toys very difficult for me. I always had to be very careful as to what toys my good girl could have. This has solved all the problems! The only sound I can hear is the air being pushed out and she goes nuts for it! Best of both worlds! If only all dog toys were like this!" —V. F.

Get it from Amazon for $13.80+ (available in two sizes and six animal styles).

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