27 Things Reviewers Say Are Must

Jan 26, 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.

From grooming, to toys, and everything in between.

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Promising review: "I have bought so many products over the years to remove hair off my cat. THIS product really works great!!! Spray a little water as they advise on little nubs and massage your cat. Keep rubbing until gloves are full then peel hair off them. My cat loves them and they remove more loose hair than any other product. A must-have!" –Debbie

Get it from Amazon for $15.99 (available in five colors).

Promising review: "In all seriousness I am quite pleased with the product. My cat always wants to give me a kiss but unfortunately she reeks of kibble and salmon. I have taken on the challenge of getting her to brush her teeth to no avail. Her gums and teeth are healthy for sure but I still worried about her dental care. Using this product has made a change. Now I don't mind her coming up and sleeping and when she [yawns], I don't feel like I got served tuna on the comforter. In conclusion this is a great product and must-have for all pet owners!" —Jose

Get it from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in four sizes).

Promising review: "Smooth use and heavy duty. Best nail clippers I have owned. Must-buy!" –A. Isenberg

Get it from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in two sizes).

Promising reviews: "These gloves could probably protect me if a mountain lion tried to bite! I've never worn gloves this strong, yet are so very easy to clench my fist. Many of the other reviewers were right on! I can't sing enough praises about the quality and the price." –Gypsy J.

"I do TNR and work with local animal vaccination clinics, these are an absolute MUST-HAVE! I'm very happy with the gloves." —Nathan

Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in two lengths).

Promising reviews: "As a multi-cat household, I've become a bit of a connoisseur of the durability of cardboard scratchers for cats. This three-pack is less expensive than what we can find in our local big box store and are beloved by our cat household for the XL size which is perfect for laying on while shedding those claw sheaths!" –Brooke

"My cats are obsessed with this! They even sleep on it!!! An absolute must-have if you are a cat 🐈 owner!" —Tasha

Get a set of three from Amazon for $18.24+ (available in two colors).

Promising reviews: "Where has this been my whole life!!! This thing is a game- changer!!! No more loud water constantly running and scaring fur babies. This cut bath time for my cats by like 60%!!!! Do yourself a favor and just buy this now. You won't regret it." –Stephanie Boysen

"The most amazing product. Bath time is now so easy. This is a must-have and easy to use." —Megan

Get it from Amazon for $18.32.

Promising review: "Omg, this brush is amazing. The amount of fur I got off my cat after the first use is unbelievable. Now, I use it about 3 to 4 times a week and my cat's fur has never looked so good. It's shiny and soft! My cat absolutely loves it. If you have a cat you must get this. You won't regret it!!!!" –Rebecca

Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two colors).

Promising reviews: "This is way more than I expected in many ways, easy to put together, great construction, and has science behind slow-eating puzzles for cats. It challenges them and makes them work for treats. It keeps my cat busy and entertained while I work, kids love watching cat work on getting a snack." —Anita

"Must-have! As an owner of six cats, i must say this toy is a hit with all of them I placed a few treats inside and it kept them busy and entertained for hours. We love this toy!" —sandra

Get it from Amazon for $15.94.

Promising reviews: "These work so good on my Persian cat whose eyes are constantly crying. I use them once or twice a day and usually only go through two per time if his eyes get really bad. His gunk builds up really hard, and these wipes immediately soften it all up and leave his eye area nice and clean. Would recommend 100%." —Paloma A

"We are a 501c3 rescue. It is kitten season and along with kittens comes lots of gunky matted eyes. These are the BEST at helping us clear up these babies' eyes. This product is a must-have!!" —Amazon Customer

Get a 100-pack from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in two versions).

Promising reviews: "I have to say I’m satisfied with my purchase! The tool has a nice weight to it, feels sturdy, and it's good quality. Fits perfectly in my hand too — not too big, not too small, and there's a nice soft rubber or silicone grip that makes it very easy to handle." –Sophia Landa

"A must-have! I really like how quiet it is and it works amazingly." —Erik

Get it from Amazon for $20.90+ (available in two designs).

Promising reviews: "I got my carrot and with not much hope and threw it on the floor. It exploded immediately. My orange cat went HARD on kicks, licks, snouts, breaths, drools, and more kicks for THREE HOURS." –Elisa

"Our cat, Taco, pounced on the chili pepper seconds after he saw it, and is now almost frantically tearing at it, in a bear hug. He can't decide whether to rub his face on it or chew on it! In between kicking at it with his hind paws! I'm calling this toy a must-have, at least for our Tacocat!" —Clark

Get it from Amazon for $4.95+ (available in five designs).

Promising reviews: "I have two very active cats, and they both love chasing the red dot. But the standard ones require me to push the tiny button, and sometimes I am utterly swamped with work. So I ordered this for them, and they are HUGE FANS. They hear it whirr on, and they are all set to play for fifteen minutes. They know exactly where the red dot comes from, but they don't care! Fun to watch them play, and it keeps them out of my hair for a while!" —Dawn

"A must-have if you need to study and the fur babies get bored." —Richard

Get it from Amazon for $21.95+ (available in four styles).

Promising reviews: "The number of suction cups assures this mat won't slip! It works perfectly on the smooth surface of my tub. No more near wipeouts while showering." –Kathy K

"I don't usually write reviews, but this one is a must. EVERY suction cup on the Gorilla Grip bathmat works! They all hold their suction firmly so there's no concern about the mat slipping and not staying in place, thus causing a potential fall. Per instructions, I washed it before installing but have not tried to clean it yet. However, I trust that it will wash nicely thus removing any mold and bath debris. This is a wonderful product and is just as described. The price is right as well!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in two pack sizes and 15 colors).

Promising review: "Might need more of these! My cat loves to rub on it and the catnip is a perk! It was easy to attach to the corner and hasn't moved since I put it on. I like that I can snap it off to clean and change out the catnip. Definitely a must-have!" –Someone

Get it from Amazon for $4.99.

Promising review: "These are a must-have for a multi-pet household. I bought four sets — one for our Blue Heeler's food, one for our wiener dog's food, one for our cats’ food, and one for our cats’ litter. They work perfect and I love that the scoop was included. Another thing I love is that they are on wheels. It makes it so much easier to move the containers around. I’m so happy I bought these — they are so worth the money!" –Paige

Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in two sizes and 11 colors).

Promising review: "My dogs and cats fight over who can be brushed first when they see me take it out. :) They love this brush unlike others I have used in the past! Super easy to clean! A must-have!!!" –Erin

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in five variations).

Promising review: "A must-have for giving pills to cats. So easy to use and good ingredients. Works successfully with our cats — they gobble it right up and aren't aware of the pill inside." –Barry

Get it from Amazon for $6.48+ (available in two sizes and two flavors).

Promising review: "My three cats got fleas from the outside cats when I walked them and this stuff worked within 24 hours. One of my cats is permanently small at 6.5 pounds so we used the small for her and got a double box of the larger cat stuff for the other two. It worked on all of them." —Heather

"Must-have during the fleas and tick season!" —Emily

Get a four-month supply from Amazon for $47.98.

Promising review: "Having two cats that live outdoors, this is such a great investment. On the cold mornings and cold days, they are always in them and staying very warm. Easy to clean, just put inside out when cleaning out all the hair. Extremely sturdy and a pet must-have. My cats love this bed and would recommend to anyone." —Patricia

Get it from Amazon for $19.74.

Promising reviews: "This toy is awesome! At first, my cat didn't understand it — I would put the treat in and cover it, and he thought it was gone. So I started putting treats in the cups uncovered and he would just eat out of the cups. After a couple of days of that, I put the treat in and just partially covered it, so he could see it, but had to move the drop out of the way to get the treat. Once he'd mastered that, I was able to cover it completely and he knew to move the drop to get the treat. We haven't gotten to the advanced level with the pegs yet. It's SO much fun teaching him and seeing him get the hang of it, and it's great for indoor cats to have a mental challenge and 'hunt' for their food. Highly recommend!" —Trudi M. Rosenblum

"My cat figured this out very quickly, and it's fun to watch him open each treat area. So glad I got this. A definite must-have for cat owners." —wanda

Get it from Amazon for $18.99.

Promising reviews: "My cats are both around one-and-a-half years old. They both enjoy this toy. This toy seems to appeal to them so much because the hills make the movement more unpredictable than other toys. The fact that parts are covered and they have to reach their paws in certain areas makes it more challenging and the flashing ball all work to get their attention." —Angela H.

"Got for my young cat and he loves it. Now has a ritual of playing with it after I got to bed (note: I put it in the other room). I like it too because he can keep himself entertained with it. Because it has a rollercoaster design it keeps him guessing and is not boring like the simple version that are mostly out there. Definitely a must-have for cat entertainment." —Jamie

Get it from Amazon for $34.99.

Promising reviews: "My kitten is a VERY messy eater and always digs and scratches everywhere around her bowl, so, food scatters all over the floor. This mat is great! The bowl isn't able to slide or knock over and it is water-resistant, so it's 100% easy to clean. It doesn't roll up around the corners like some mats I've had, meaning food won't get stuck underneath it." —Em

"This is a must have! Easy to clean and durable." —Kimberly

Get it from Amazon for $9.97+ (available in five sizes and 27 colors).

Promising reviews: "Our cats love this and it's the perfect way to give them food overnight without them eating all of it within the first 30 minutes and vomiting on the kitchen floor! They really like the challenge, and the size makes it really easy to regulate the amount of food we are giving them. We got two of them so they could both play/eat and that really solved our problems." —Charity Crabtree

"My cat has way too much energy so I bought this to see if it would keep him busy and it sure does. I put a small handful of treats in and he loves pushing this ball around the living room. The design is great, allowing for the holes to adjust to the size of the treat. A must-have for any cat owner." —Catherine

Get it from Amazon for $6.45+ (available in four colors).

Promising reviews: "Bought this bundle for my three cats. They love it all!!! The tunnel is bigger than I expected. It can fit all three of my 1+ year old, average weight, female, and domestic short hairs. Tight fit with all three of them but bigger than I thought anyway! Room to run and turn around. The toys are super fun!!! So many fun colors and textures — there's something in here that each of my cats likes. I think this is a great deal!!!!" —Eli

"This amazing tunnel with windows is a awesome toy for cats. They can run through it or for extra peace just lay in it. A must-have toy for cats." —Karen

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in five shapes).

Promising reviews: "This is so stinking cute. My cats were scared of it at first, but now they love it. :) I bought it with the Catit multi-feeder and it looks great. It is very quiet, unless it needs to be refilled." –Jamie

"My cats love it!!!! I always hated the idea of giving my cats stagnant water, one refuses to even drink standing water, forces me to open a faucet so he can lap at flowing water...until now! No more meowing by the faucet for a human to open, they just walk over and drink!!!! Very easy to clean and the basic filter keeps material from getting in. A must-have for finicky cats, so healthy for them to drink more water as well!" —JeNRG

Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in three colors).

Promising review: "This is a must-have [if] you are a new to having kittens/cats. The transition to a new home can be stressful for cats and that can cause digestive issues. We recently adopted kittens and were excited to have them join our family. We had everything ready for them before taking them home. The foster parent gave us some of their own [food] so that we can mix it with what we have and transition slowly as not to cause digestive issues. We followed the instructions but the kittens started having diarrhea and started losing weight a week after we got them home. I searched on Amazon and found this probiotic. It's easy to use, just sprinkle on dry or wet food and mix in. It doesn't smell great to me but the kittens didn't seem to mind. It worked to help them within 2-3 days. Now I use it whenever I am switching to to a new food or whenever digestive issues come up. It's great to have on hand and a little goes a long way." —Angie

Get it from Amazon for $32.95.

Promising reviews: "I hate stepping on stray cat litter! We have a cat it jumbo hooded box, which controls odor and most litter for our two adolescent male cats. I also recommend what another reviewer posted. Turn the box away so your cats have more chance to wipe their paws before hitting the linoleum." –Karyn

"This mat is a life-saver! Lol. It's so easy to clean. All I have to do is run the vacuum over it. My cats no longer drag litter through the entire house. If you have cats, this mat is a must-have." —ShannonMiller

Get it from Amazon for $14.15+ (available in seven sizes and 15 colors).

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