Creating A Kitty Garden

Spring is in the air! This time of year is a gardener’s delight. Of course, your feline friend will want to help out in her own way, whether it’s by knocking seedling pots over, rolling around on newly-planted seedlings, or just supervising. Cats are also fond of nibbling on plants and leaves, which can be dangerous. Want to keep Fluffy occupied and out of trouble? Make her a kitty garden! A local Burlington, ON vet offers some advice on how to do this below. 

Setup

We generally advise keeping kitties indoors, simply for safety reasons. Cats face some pretty serious threats in the Great Outdoors, including other animals, weather, cars, traffic, and chemicals. Fluffy could also get lost. That said, if you have a yard that’s enclosed by a fence your feline buddy can’t climb, you may be able to let her out there for some supervised fun in the sun. However, she may still be vulnerable to predators from above. A safer option is to make her a catio or kitty enclosure. 

Choosing Plants

Kitties definitely don’t know what is and isn’t safe for them. We’ve been trying to warn Fluffy about certain plants for years, but she just doesn’t listen. Don’t put anything toxic or dangerous within paws’ reach. Lilies are at the top of that list. They’re extremely deadly to cats, even in small amounts. Other unsafe options include oleanders, daffodils, and tulips. The ASPCA has a great reference site for safe and unsafe plants here.

Toxicity isn’t the only concern here, though. For instance, roses aren’t poisonous, but those sharp thorns could definitely cause serious injuries if your feline pal were to gnaw on one. Anything treated with chemical fertilizers is also unsafe. You’ll need to be cautious with setup as well. Kitties love to pull on trailing leaves and vines. Don’t put heavy plants on stands your furball could knock over onto herself.

Purrfect Upgrades 

Do you enjoy crafts? You can make Fluffy some custom pieces. Plant cat grass in an old storage tote or litterbox to give your furball a little lawn to lay on. You can also hang some safe plants near her cat tower, so she feels like a leopard in an actual tree. 

For more information on cat care, or to make an appointment, contact us, your local Burlington, ON animal clinic. We’re always here to help!