5 Tips For a Pet Friendly Garden

There is a surprising number of hazards that can be found in a garden when it comes to keeping your pets safe. You might be surprised that you are growing plants that are toxic to your canine companion or some flowers that a poisonous to cats. When looking for potential dangers in the garden, you shouldn’t just stop after searching for escape routes. We tend to assume the dangers are outside of our own fence, but they can just as quickly creep their way in. You might think that your garden doesn’t play host to other pets, so it’s perfectly safe, but you should still vaccinate and provide parasite treatment to your pets, even if they don’t go beyond the walls of your lawn! There are plenty of critters that can still come and go through your safe haven, even with nice tall fences. 

There are some physical dangers that can exist too, and they might be things that were not a risk before but can become harmful. If your pooch is getting a little older and losing their vision, a drop in the garden can become quite the risk so you should always be mindful of the changing needs in your pets. If you have a pond, it’s always a good idea to have a net over it to make sure nobody falls in but also to protect your fish from predators. You might be thinking of birds, but your own moggy could be the culprit without some protection. 

You don’t have to have a drab and boring garden just because you’re worried that you might accidentally introduce your beloved pet to something dangerous. There are plenty of flowers that are safe for your garden and can make spring just a vibrant and colourful as some flowers that can do harm to your pets. You don’t have to miss out on having a beautiful little paradise in your backyard to keep your pets safe. You can have the best of both worlds. Some beautiful, pet safe garden flowers to brighten up your garden include:  

You can have a pet safe jungle out there and fill your garden with plenty of greenery. You can still make your garden a safe haven for your pets while attracting plenty of wildlife to enjoy it with you. You can help attract insects, bees, and birds and keep the whole local ecosystem happy while still providing your pets with a place where they can freely roam. Garden plants are a great way to provide lots of new scents and exciting places for your pets to explore. You can even use them to make a sensory space of sorts for them to enjoy. Planting herbs is a great way to give your pets some extra enrichment without putting them in danger. Pet friendly plants for your pets to enjoy out in the garden include:  

By now, you likely know everything there is to know about pet safe cleaning products and making sure to you do your spring clean in a way that won’t negatively impact your beloved pets. It’s easy to overwhelm them with chemicals and do damage even though part of the reason you’re trying to clean in the first place is to make their home environment nice and safe. Swapping out chemical based cleaners with more natural pet safe ones helps to keep them comfortable indoors but what about outdoors?  

Fertiliser might help your lawn grow nice and strong, but your pets come in regular contact with it, and some even like to nibble on it. If you have a bunny or even a pooch that loves to pick at your lawn, it’s not safe to introduce any harmful chemicals to it. You can instead look for a more natural solution that won’t harm your pets. One of the best fertilizers that are totally natural and safe is compost, and you can even make it yourself from the food you waste. Making your own compost means it can be a totally pet safe source of fertiliser for your plants and lawn. Other natural options that won’t harm your pets include seaweed and fish emulsion to make your lawns nice and healthy for both you and your pets to enjoy.  

Keeping pesky bugs away from your small pets is easy with products like Johnson's Cage 'n' Hutch Insect Spray. When you’re trying to keep your plants pest free, it gets a little more difficult with pets, as many contain harmful chemicals. You might go through all the trouble of only having pet friendly plants only to spray them with something toxic to keep the bugs away. Insecticides are still important if you have pets as things like slugs and snails can also be harmful to your pets if eaten so keeping them off your plants is still important. You can look for pet friendly products or even try out some natural remedies that will be safe for your plants and your fur babies.  

With a little extra work, you can enjoy your garden together without any worry of your pets getting sick. For more advice about your furry friends, speak to your local vet or browse our blog today!