A cat in a garden is a romantic, poetic image [1]. A cat in a garden is a plant-chomping, turd-dropping nightmare. It really depends on your point of view.
Setting aside the rather hot debate over whether cats should be allowed free range of neighborhoods, as things currently stand in Seattle, they are. According to the animal control portion of the city's municipal code [2], cats and pigeons are the only pets permitted "at large" and to "trespass upon the property of another."
So what to do about it?
Plan A: Welcome cats
"I tend to think that a small representation of the natural ecosystem can help attract cats," says Erik Wood, co-owner of Langstraat-Wood [3], a landscape-architecture design-build firm in Ballard. A "diverse urban garden" has all the action a cat seeks. "On the flip side, I think more sterile, open spaces are less inviting to cats."
Wood also says "little nooks and crannies, such as benches, in the garden can be inviting" as well as provide Whiskers shade when it's hot and shelter when it rains.
A garden designed to attract or simply entertain cats should feature fragrant, edible herbs, such as parsley, thyme and, of course, catnip, catmint and Valerian planted in an easy-access area far from beds with edibles destined for human consumption. (By the way, Valerian, which people prize for its calming properties, thrills some cats and can be used as a catnip substitute in toys [4].)
In addition, wheat, alfalfa and lemon grass make for delicious al fresco cat snacks. (For indoor-only cats, a pint of lush organic wheat grass provides a nice slice of the great outdoors; $2.49 at PCC Natural Markets [4].) Providing some cat-favored plants in a yard may provide enough distraction to keep prized plants safe.
Speaking of plant snacks, gardeners with cats or dogs should become familiar with the ASPCA's list of 17 poisonous plants [5]. For example, lilies can be extremely toxic to cats. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Center, ingesting even a small amount can severely damage a cat's kidneys.
Tulips, azaleas and English ivy are also on the list. This doesn't mean you can't plant tulips or azaleas, but gardeners should keep cats away from bulbs or piles of twigs and be aware of what their pets are chewing.
Plan B: Accept and direct
Many local gardeners have simply made their peace with garden cats. Editor and gardener Miriam Bulmer shares her Mercer Island yard with several felines. While their droppings aren't her favorite discoveries, she's decided they are the lesser of two evils.
"The only beasts I really want to discourage are Canada geese, which poop everywhere and are mean to boot," she says. "One of my cats actually chased a goose off the dock a few years back, and the geese have been leaving us alone since then, so maybe it's not so bad to give them pooping privileges as a reason to protect their turf."
Garden designer and consultant Robin Haglund, who owns Garden Mentors [6] in Ballard, enjoys when her neighbor's cats, Jack and Bo, drop by. But she knows and recommends to others: Screen your edibles. You don't want to find scat in a lettuce bed. If she's working in the garden while the cats are around, she reinforces perimeters by squirting water at any cat that wanders onto forbidden turf.
Unfortunately, cats usually won't make their move on the tomato plants until the gardener is long gone. For these circumstances, a motion-activated sprinkler can stand watch over no-go zones. When a cat (or dog, squirrel, raccoon or big rat for that matter) triggers The ScareCrow [7], it sends out a short, sudden burst of 2 to 3 cups of water ($99.99 at Swansons Nursery [7] in Crown Hill). The Havahart Spray Away [8] (Havahart.com, $62.99) sends out an eight-second spray.
Young trees sometimes take the brunt of cat behavior. When frisky visitors treat trees as scratching posts, they can seriously damage the all-important cambium [9] layer. "If you've got active cats in your yard, consider protecting young tree trunks with fencing," Haglund says.
One final tip on coexistence: Never let them see you dig. "Cats are just as obnoxious as dogs about that," Haglund says.
Plan C: Keep out
Short of a deer fence with armed guards, it can be nearly impossible to keep free-roaming cats out of urban gardens. So many gardeners stick with protecting particular plants or beds by pouring vinegar, or placing orange peels or moth balls in a vented jar (where cats can't get directly at them) near the base.
There are also products created specifically to repel critters such as Shake Away, organic cat-deterrent granules (City People's Garden Store [9] in Madison Park, $15.99). There's also a motion-activated, ultrasonic alternative to water zappers called CatStop [10], which sends out a three-second sound that is supposed to drive cats away. (Swansons Nursery [10], $79.99).
In my experience, dogs in the garden are also an excellent deterrent.
A final option for gardeners who like the idea of a cat slumbering in the Valerian but not the consequences: I suggest cat statues. In cast concrete or poured stone, a contented kitten curled in sleep or a regal reclining lion ($38 and $309 at Lucca Statuary [10] in Ballard) offer low-impact feline beauty any gardener could love.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
