Purr-fection
Gardens mustn’t undermine feline expectations. Leigh Bramwell offers some ideas on how we can avoid cat-astrophe and keep our moggies happy
THE LANDSCAPER has just reseeded our two front terrace lawns. A punishingly dry summer had turned them into patches of dried grass, dirt and weeds and not even the dog wanted to sit on them.
We had many discussions over a twoweek period on whether to a) reseed them, b) dig them up and put down ready-grown lawn, or c) go the whole hog and use artificial grass. There was an issue with artificial grass — most cats I’ve met hate synthetic materials and would rather walk on hot coals.
Reseeding won the toss also because it was cheaper, faster, less work and less disruption, so as I write this I am looking through the French doors at bright green lawn which is lush and healthy-looking after just two weeks.
The process started with spraying the old lawn for weeds, followed by a process with the frightening name of scarifying, which means scratching the ground with a dangerous looking implement that could do serious damage should it come into contact with any part of your body.
Then came the more benign task of scattering the grass seed and adding a layer of high-quality lawn mix. The lawn was covered in green shade cloth and, following the dog’s gleeful morning pee, a makeshift rope fence was erected around the outside to discourage further indiscretions.
Sadly, it didn’t deter our new-ish ginger cat, who was on a mission to lift the shade cloth and find out what was going on underneath it. We repegged it and tried to find other games to distract him.
If you have cats, chances are you’ll need to give a little thought to creating a catfriendly garden. Yes, I know it sounds silly but suck it up — it’s the path of least resistance.
Fortunately, cats’ needs are quite simple. They like grass — to eat and to lie on. There’s a variety you can buy in New Zealand with the irresistible name of Mr Fotheringill’s Cat Grass which is quick and easy to grow and is said to aid cats’ digestion. No, I’m not recommending it over any other kind — I just like the name. You won’t need to sow a whole lawn of it — a big basin or barrel will do the trick.
If you want grass for your cat(s) to lie on but you don’t have a garden, buy a large, shallow plastic tray, make drainage holes in the bottom and layer in soil and compost. Plant with instant turf.
Ask for some on Facebook — people often have offcuts.
No, artificial turf will not do — most cats I know hate synthetic material and would rather walk over hot coals.
If you can’t get any instant turf plant your tray with grass seed — consult the cat over which variety will suit.
If you have a suburban garden but no lawn, find half a wooden wine barrel or a round concrete trough and plant it in grass. Place it in a secluded area beside a shrub and allow the cat to discover it. It’ll enhance your garden even if the cat prefers to lie on the tuft of grass growing out of your neighbour’s spouting.
I don’t know who first came up with the idea of giving cats milk to drink but modern thinking is that felines should not be offered cows’ milk. Instead, make sure they have fresh bowls of water on hand, and they will repay you by drinking out of disused pots, the fish pond, puddles and drains. We have incorporated three or four shallow ponds and basins around the property which enhance the garden and give the cats something to ignore.
Despite the fact that we have dozens of trees with very appealing trunks and branches, I have never seen a cat sharpening his or her claws on one. They climb the trees, yes, but claw sharpening is reserved for wallpaper, linen cushions and the leather couch.
Despite that, we have incorporated some big pieces of driftwood, railway sleepers, ancient fence posts and an antique Sri Lankan wooden window frame for them to use as scratching posts.
It’ll never happen, of course. They would far rather sharpen their claws on the sofa and then climb a post and sit neatly on top to be admired.