Tips For a Cat Friendly Garden

Cat in garden

Garden Safety

For those who own cats, it can be lovely to see them out in the garden relaxing or enjoying themselves. Not everyone is quite so happy to encourage cats in their garden, however, so if you live surrounded by other people, though outdoor cats will roam and should not be contained unduly, it is best to cater for as many of your cats needs within your own garden as you can – so they do not end up making a mess in someone else's.


CatBefore all other considerations, however, it is important to think about your cat's safety and well-being. Everyone should be urged to adopt organic gardening approach – poisons, pesticides and herbicides can kill wildlife and could kill your cat. It is also a good idea, especially if you have kittens or young cats, to remove or avoid planting any plants that are poisonous to cats. Fence off your vegetable garden if your cat disturbs it and also be wary of cats around potatoes and tomatoes, which has poisonous foliage.


Sunbathing catBasic Needs


Cats will need, in addition to their food and drink requirements, somewhere to sunbathe, somewhere to relax in the shade, comfy long grass to lie in, options for evacuation, somewhere to sharpen and maintain their claws, such as a fence post or a log and plenty of hiding places and plenty of things – trees, posts, walls, fencing, to climb up and to sit on. You can easily incorporate ideal features into a wildlife-friendly organic garden.


Tired catIncorporating Things Cats Love


Young cats will love to explore, run and play. Provide them with plenty to pique their interest, with hidden corners, cat toys and perhaps things hanging from the branches of a tree, to encourage them to hone their skills and keep neighborhood birds a little safer from their attention. Plant some insect-friendly and butterfly attracting plants as many cats will enjoy watching and chasing them.


It is also a well-known fact that cats love catnip. Other plants they love are cat thyme (Teucrium Marum), lavender, mint and valerian (the last of these has stimulating properties which may be good for lazy or overweight cats).