Do cats and gardens mix?
Our cat Poppy is completely bonkers, but she’s an essential part of the family. Not the most voracious mouser in the world (she once brought me a leaf as a present), she’s more of a companion for me in the garden, plonking herself down next to me while I work in a sunny spot.
Gardeners are long-time pet owners, with dogs, cats, chickens and goats to keep us content.
But whereas dogs, chickens and goats are simply keen plant nibblers – troublesome enough, some might say – many gardeners have a love-hate relationship with cats, not least because of their reputation as wildlife killers. I’m lucky as I have a docile, homely cat who’s probably scared of frogs, but others, of course, devour them – as well as bats, birds, mice, voles and rabbits – regularly. This is alarming, particularly when you learn that there are about eight million domestic cats in the UK, most of whom hunt for fun. The truth is, cats do pick off millions of animals every year, and it’s distressing if they take a bat or an endangered vole. But the good news is there’s no evidence that they contribute to bird population decline. In fact, they tend to take weak birds, and of the birds they commonly take, blue tits are increasing.
Most small mammals are killed at night and birds at dawn, so to try and stop them bumping off your wildlife keep them in at night as much as possible, but try to make them wear a bell collar if they love being out. If a neighbour’s cat is the problem, the RSPB’s CatWatch deterrent device will reduce their visits to your garden. Cats don’t like citronella sprays either.