Cool for cats
Love or hate them, cats can be good for a garden, says Bob
NOT everyone likes cats. Some people detest having them in their gardens, although there’s little you can do to stop moggies visiting.
Of course, cat owners love their pets yet are equally unable to get them to remain at home. Indeed, cats stubbornly do what they will and go where they wish – it’s their nature.
So do cats cause much harm or could they possibly even be of benefit to your garden?
Well, first, there are their droppings, which they habitually deposit almost anywhere else other than their own backyard. True, these have potential health risks, though as they are usually buried they are less of a risk than those deposited by dogs.
The simple solution is the provision of litter trays out of sight in dry corners. Being lazy, cats willingly use these rather than dig holes in cold, wet soil. Trays can be emptied into holes beside trees and shrubs and, to be fair, their manure is just as valuable as any other that we pay for.
Cats have also been known to scratch the bark off trees as they sharpen their claws. This is simply obviated by tying up scratching posts of catnip-impregnated cardboard instead.
So why should we be so helpful? Well, cats significantly reduce rodent populations. They hunt and kill innumerable voles, mice and rats that, if left, would increase and do serious damage to our crops, flowers and even the fabric of our buildings.
You could dislike cats for killing birds,
“Cats significantly reduce rodent populations”
which to be fair some do, but cats actually kill far more rodents than birds, and as with wolves they most often kill the sick, old and infirm, thus keeping bird populations healthier. Most of us would be pleased to catch sight of a weasel, stoat or wild ferret: in reality, a cat is just another natural predator – and most are tamer, cuter and far more cuddly.