How to make your garden more pet-friendly

For many of us, pets are the main reason for having a garden, or more accurately, a private outdoor space. It’s when we actually start trying to grow things that difficulties arise. It’s not always easy to be both a pet- and a plant-lover, but a few simple strategies can help to keep both you and your cats and dogs happy.

Dogs are all about surplus energy in a confined space. First rule: choose a breed that suits your space and your lifestyle. Second rule: choose a lifestyle that allows for daily walks.

Install a see-through gate instead of a frustrating solid one, because dogs love to see what’s going on beyond the wall. Then make sure there is a clear, straight path between lookout/sleeping post and gate, or your little dreadnought will make one, destroying lawn and plants in the process.

Protect beds or new plantings from diggers; note that many dogs get jealous and tend to wreck any plant that you’ve been paying special attention to (or even just admiring), so mobile barriers are an investment. These can be metal sections or wire cages. Or use thorn branches, if you have prunings. And for all-too-obvious reasons, it’s a good idea to invest in a special worm farm to deal with daily dog detritus (visit wizzardworms.co.za).

Cats have no problems dealing with surplus energy. They like high perches and sleeping places preferably accessed via a tree on which they can sharpen their claws; stumps or logs are also welcome and can save your furniture.

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They also like low leafy hideaways for birdwatching and freshly sown raised beds, which make wonderful litter trays (here your barriers or cages will again come in handy).

Catmint is a must and is easily grown from seed. Both cats and dogs like to chew young grass leaves for their digestion – you can buy plants at nurseries, or sow a patch of oats, rye or barley.

A word on poisonous plants: on the whole pets have quite a good instinct about what is poisonous and will not go around nibbling haphazardly. Take care, however, with dogs (puppies especially) chewing and fetching sticks – all parts of some plants are deadly, for example oleander.