Top Tips for making your garden pet friendly

Unfortunately though, what is good for your garden is often times not good for your pets. If you actually stop to think about it, our gardens are a treasure trove of hidden hazards from swimming pools, chemicals and pesticides to potentially toxic plants.

Gardens are our sanctuaries where we go to enjoy a moment’s peace and step away from our screens and busy life. Having a pet-friendly garden doesn’t mean doing away with everything that you love, it simply entails being more mindful and intentional with what you plant and products that you use.

Making some minor changes could mean that you save your pet’s life, your bank balance and your own sanity by not having to police your pets outside time.

• Create zones

When we come across a pathway, it’s in our nature to follow it. The same can be said for our furry friends. Pathways, pavers and hedges not only look beautiful in our gardens, but they can also lead your pet to certain areas while keeping them out of others. The planting of hedges or shrubs around your flower beds or more sensitive areas, will create natural barriers and encourage your pets to keep moving.

• Provide stimulation

You have all heard me waffle on and on about stimulation and I am sure you are sick of it, but your garden is the perfect place to provide both mental and physical stimulation for your pets that engage all their senses. Out of the zones in your garden, designate a few spots for your pets. If your dog or cat is a grazer, plant some pet grass that they can regularly snack on. Catnip is also a real winner and it doubles up as a natural mosquito repellent. Just be careful not to lure the entire neighbourhood cat population to your house. If you have a digger, create a sand pit filled with buried toys. Cats love scratching, so to save your furniture, place some logs upright in your garden to sharpen those claws and climb. Lastly, plant something bushy to not only create a bit of shade, but a place for your cat to hide and stalk their prey (hopefully, it is just your ankles or the dog!).

• Plant selection

This is probably the most important aspect. You want to avoid all plants that are potentially toxic to your pets and fill your garden with pet safe plants. Disclaimer: I am not a botanist. Please do your own thorough research, consult a nursery for their expert advice or download a plant identifier app. Most pets won’t just bite down and have a tasty snack of roses, but there are always those special few. Especially if you have a puppy or young dog. My friend’s new rescue ate an entire succulent, spikes and all! A few common toxic plants that are quite popular are Fire Sticks (pencil cactus), lilies, cycads and delicious monsters. Lilies (any species in the lily family) are especially toxic to cats and causes kidney failure. Even a small amount of pollen on their fur that they ingest while grooming can result in damage to the kidneys. Also, don’t assume trees are safe. Trees have flowers, fruits and seed pods that can be toxic or create blockages if invested. Another of my friend’s sausage dog ate a palm fruit which then blocked his intestine and had to have emergency surgery.

• Storage of fertilizers/pesticides

Be sure to keep all your fertilizers, compost, herbicides, pesticides and gardening tools in an area or a container that your pets cannot access. The use of organic and environmentally friendly products might be better options for the environment but it does not necessarily mean they are safer for your pets. Try to avoid products that contain iron, phosphorus, nitrogen and organophosphates. If consumed in large amounts, they can cause organ damage. Be careful of plant foods as well that come in those sticks that you place directly in the soil. These sticks contain a very high concentration of chemicals that are designed to slowly leach out into the soil overtime. We had a neighbour whose Scotty puppy dug one up, ate it and unfortunately died. There are many homemade, natural pesticides that you can use to deter aphids and other pests such as chilli, garlic, and dish soap.

• Pools/ponds

Swimming pools, ponds and even some water features pose a danger to your pets in terms of drowning. Cover all open water sources with an appropriate cover and install an escape ramp as well to aid your pet in climbing out should they accidently fall in. Other little creatures such as frogs will also thank you as they often jump in the water but then can’t get back out.