Gardening with Cats: 8 different ways to Create A Pet-Friendly Garden

November 14, 2020

Having pets is the best thing that one can do to keep a good company. Most of the time, pets are very social animals. They love to play outdoors, and the weather is not a concern for them. Cats, in fact, are some of the best Pets to have. They are quiet, and they don't need to be taken for a walk in the morning. The furry balls are claw-some, aren't they?

Our furry friends can be a great garden companion. They can be a great source of motivation for us to go out and enjoy the garden more frequently. However, many of us have anticipation and are anxious to know our feline wonders' behavior in the garden. Will they be a harm to the flower beds or a potential threat to the lawns and the garden furniture?

Please don't feel paw-ful. There are several ways to create a cat friendly garden. A cat safe garden will not only give secure access to your feline friend but also provide the much-needed outdoor entertainment and environment to your pet. There are amazingly simple ways in which you can design a cat safe garden. Investing in some cat friendly plants and cat friendly garden products can work wonders for your garden, and it won't stand a chance to be damaged by your lovable cat.

Here, have a look at a few purr-fect steps to create a cat friendly garden

1) Providing a safe shelter to the kitty

You have to ensure that the garden which you will be giving away to your pet or your cat is secure for it to enjoy. A cat friendly garden should have large trees or shrubs and even garden umbrellas, which can provide a cold shelter to your cat. During the summer months, it can offer shade to ensure that the intense summer sun doesn't overheat your cat. While in the rainy season, these kinds of shelters will give the cat a place to hide when it's raining. Cats with a pink nose and ears and white-colored cats are very vulnerable to skin cancer due to heat, so please take care that they always have some shelter in the garden.

2) Choose only cat friendly plants

Cats are carnivorous animals. They are usually very selective about what they eat. They are very sensitive to smell and scents too. So if you have a cat as a pet at your home with a garden, then it would be help to use cat-friendly plants, like Catnip, marigold, wheat or oat grass, lemongrass, thyme, rosemary, mint, and zinnias. Provide a small patch of grass for the cats to nibble grass to help them bring up hairballs. As prevention is better than cure, just to be on the safe side, keep those plants and Flowers away from your garden that may harm your cat like, for example, lilies, which are very toxic to cats.

Learn more ways to create a cat-friendly garden >>>

3) Provide Outdoor eco-friendly cat toys

Cats love toys, and they love to play with them. Eco-friendly cat toys are now available, which can be used both inside as well as outside the house. Provide these eco-friendly cat toys when your cat is in the garden. By attaching these eco-friendly cat toys to the pieces of strings and placing them at different spots in the garden, you will find your cat having a good time playing with them, and in this way, it can keep itself entertained.

4) Hide-n-seek with kitty

Cats are timid animals. Sometimes they just want to be themselves, and so they wish to hide. If you can provide places for Kitty to hide, then your cat will feel more secure in your garden. Places to hide can be in the form of large plant pots or a trunk of a tree, trash can, or anything else. By hiding behind such spots, they can achieve the cats can get your attention when you go out searching for them, or they can mark their territory when other cats from the neighborhoods come over.

5) Climbing kitties

All the cats adore climbing, and they want to climb up high to steer out of any potential danger or simply because they want to be themselves. The lazy bones! They would like to use anything made of wood like a tall post in your garden to scratch and climb on the top of it. You try to install vertical logs of different heights so that your cat can perch upon it to survey its territory. Alternatively, a high perch can also be used by the cats to you have a sunbath.

6) Loo for a cat

Such an exciting thought isn't it a loo for a cat! Yes, you can encourage your cat to urinate in a specified area in the garden. For this purpose, create a small sand area in the garden, and train the cat for toilet use. It will also make the cat understand that it should not go and visit the neighbor's yard to finish this business. Also, see to it that this area has some shelter like an umbrella or shrub so that the cat can sit there during the rainy season too.

7) Beware of chemicals

Avoid using any chemicals in your garden stop chemicals are very harmful to pets. Try to use organic or cat friendly chemicals for flowering shrubs, trees, and even grass as cats are in the habit of nibbling grass.

8) Safety for kitty

Have you heard of catfights? Well, cats are territorial creatures, and they cannot tolerate any other cat in their territory. Nowadays, we get many cat friendly garden products like garden canopies or a cat fence barrier or a cat run. You can get them and install it in your garden to keep your cat stay inside your garden while avoiding other cats to come in. It will ensure your peace of mind. You can also protect your flower beds by planting small shrubs like lavender as the cats hate its fragrance. You can also plant some cat friendly ground cover planters in your garden to protect your cat from the damp, moist areas.

These were the eight suggestions from our side to create a cat friendly garden. You may also have some of your own based on your experiences. A cat safe garden will look not only gorgeous but also stay beautiful and keep your favorite furry ball happy and safe. A little care taken to use cat friendly garden products and cat friendly garden plants will go a long way in encouraging your pet to love and respect the garden in the same way as you want them to do. So, enjoy your garden with your pet to the fullest and no catfights. Love you so much Catnip!!!