Next time you get a delivery of canned cat or dog food, consider this eco-friendly kitty tip from Tess Goldberg, a veterinary assistant at Country Village Animal Clinic in Centerville, Iowa. Take the cardboard flats the cans come in and cut off the excess plastic for a nifty disposable litter box.

"We use them for cats that visit for surgery or overnight stays," she says. "Then we throw out the mess the next day. This means no more litter boxes to clean."