Gardening With Fluffy

Our feline buddies are very curious about things. They’re also quite nosy, and love to watch their humans doing, well, everything. Those of you who enjoy gardening may find yourselves with a small, furry supervisor. A local Leesburg, VA vet offers some advice on gardening with Fluffy in this article. 

Indoor/Outdoor

We always recommend keeping cats indoors, where they’re protected from traffic, weather, wild animals, and other hazards. However, if your yard is enclosed by a fence your furball can’t climb, you may be able to let her out in that contained area. You can also build Fluffy a little kitty enclosure. This is the best of both worlds, as she gets to enjoy the sun and fresh air without being exposed to dangers.

Plants

Toxic plants are one of the main concerns here. Many popular plants are poisonous to Fluffy. Lilies, for instance, are deadly to our feline friends. Even eating a single leaf can cause organ failure! While not every cat will go for plants, it’s best to play it safe and stick with things that are safe. You can find a full list of toxic and non-toxic plants at the ASPCA site here. 

Chemicals

Many lawn and garden products, such as chemical fertilizers, are toxic to our feline pals. Fluffy doesn’t have to ingest it directly: she can ingest it just by walking through a patch of lawn that you recently treated, as she’ll end up ingesting it when she cleans herself. Your pet could also get extremely sick just by getting something spilled on her. Not only will her skin quickly absorb chemicals, there’s again the danger of her swallowing it when grooming herself. Keep your kitty away from areas where you are using products. If applying things to your plants or lawn, thoroughly water the area down afterwards, so the chemicals seep into the dirt.

Create A Kitty Garden

If you really want to go all-out, why not make Fluffy her own little garden? Catnip, of course, is going to be the centerpiece here, but kitties also enjoy cat grass. You can plant some seeds in an old litterbox or storage tote: once it’s grown in, your furry little friend will have her own little lawn to look adorably smug on. 

As your local Leesburg, VA animal clinic, we’re dedicated to providing top-notch veterinary care. Please feel free to contact us !