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Animals

Make Your Garden Pet Friendly

The weather in the UK might be a little erratic for May, with rain showers followed by bursts of sunshine through the clouds, but that doesn’t mean that you have to neglect your gardening or your pets. With some clever gardening tips from Preloved to make your garden a pet friendly place, you can ensure that you welcome animals great and small the whole year long!

make your garden pet friendly

Make Your Garden Pet Friendly with Preloved

  • Provide Shelter

Whilst some people consider cats a hindrance to their garden, we welcome friendly felines to take advantage of ours!  We know that cats love to roam around the great outdoors, but also love to sleep for around 80% of the day, so to make them feel at home in our gardens we like to provide them with shelter to enjoy a snooze in. Simply find an old wooden box and prop it up so the cat can freely go in and out, and if it’s dry enough you can upcycle an old jumper in to a snuggly cat bed for the inside. You can also plant perennial herbs such as rosemary and lavender for the cats to hide under. These both also act as a great flea repellent too! Simply mix chopped herbs with boiled water to infuse their essence, and then wait for it to cool before applying it to your cat by spraying lightly on their coat.

  • The Grass is Greener…

Did you know that you can get special grass for cats or dogs? Letting your dog or cat have a sneaky nibble on some Dactylis glomerata (aka ‘cat grass’) or Spartina pectinata (or ‘dog grass’) benefits their digestive systems and act as a purgative when they feel a little under the weather. Okay, that might not be a glamorous way to welcome dogs and cats to your garden, but it’s really good for their health!

  • Drink and Dip!

It’s not only about welcoming cats and dogs to your garden when making your outdoor areas pet friendly. Why not splash on a fancy bird bath to let your feathered friends flourish? Not only will it add to the ornamental appeal of your garden, but it‘s also functional to attract wildlife. If you do add one though, alongside the addition of your cat friendly garden upgrades, don’t forget to pop a bell on that cat’s collar to avoid any bird based tragedies!

  • Don’t Forget the Bugs

Whether it’s bee’s, bugs or beetles you want to attract to your garden, you can always build a homemade Insect Hotel! Check out this post from the Preloved blog to find out how, and also pick up some further tips for getting those cheeky little bugs over to your outdoor space.

How will you be welcoming animals in to your garden?

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Justine Dench

Justine Dench

Creative Editor

Justine Dench is the creative editor for Preloved. Her key personal interests include sustainability, conservation and animal welfare. Justine also has interests in photography, music, gardening and home interiors.