Mary Allen
When the temperatures slowly rise and the spring sun is laughing, our cats are drawn to the outdoors again. Now it’s time to make the garden safe for cats so that outdoor enthusiasts like to return from their excursions. Ideally, the cat should enjoy the garden so much that it is completely distracted from dangerous adventures. To do this, it should invite you to linger and doze and offer her the security of indulging in her dreams.
Making the Garden Safe for Cats: the Basics
Cats are real climbing artists and can easily overcome hurdles such as high fences. And they can also squeeze through the smallest openings. If the cat is not allowed to leave the property, you will not be able to avoid a cat-safe fence. There are a number of different models available in stores. It is important to ensure during installation that the gaps to the ground and also between the fence elements are never larger than three to four centimeters. Otherwise, the cats can squeeze under or between the fence. Dense thorn hedges are a natural alternative to fences. They prevent cats from coming and going and also provide a great nesting place for native birds. If you want to be on the safe side, you can also set up a cat enclosure. Such an enclosure offers the cat limited but safe exercise.
Important: toxic chemicals, such as plant fertilizers and antifreeze, must be kept in a place inaccessible to cats. But it’s not just chemicals that can be dangerous to cats. A number of flowers that are well known and loved by avid gardeners can also be poisonous and even fatal to cats. These include, for example, lilies, azaleas, and the oleander. You can find more flowers that are poisonous for cats here. These flowers should be exchanged for non-toxic varieties for the benefit of your cat. Fuchsias, hollyhocks, lavender, and marigolds are not only harmless alternatives but also a magnet for bees and butterflies.
For the Perfect Overview
Cats feel safest in high places. From here you have a good overview of the daily hustle and bustle in your territory and can relax and indulge in your daydreams. If you don’t have suitable trees in your garden, you can put a tree stump or wooden post in the ground and nail a board on it as a seat. A piece of carpet on the seat provides more comfort.
Shady Places to Cool Off and Hideaway
Large-leaved climbing plants offer cats cool shade in summer and offer plenty of space to hide and rest. A pumpkin plant, for example, is very suitable for this.
Sunny Places to Doze Off
Cats especially like to doze in the sun on the lawn. If you don’t have a lawn, you can create small berths in well-drained pots, wooden boxes, or raised beds. They not only have the advantage that the cat is elevated and can rest safely but can also be moved as required depending on the space and position of the sun.
A Quiet Place
Cats are very clean animals and need a place in the garden for their big and small business. A raised bed made of wine boxes or pallets, for example, is well suited and also inexpensive. Filled with fresh, loose soil and a bit shielded by a hedge, it offers your cat enough privacy.
A Place in the Warm
The cat should be able to return to the safety and warmth of its own home at any time. The best thing to do is to install a cat flap. To protect you and your cat from uninvited visitors, there are microchip-controlled cat flaps that only open when your cat approaches.