911±¬ÁÏ

Cats are felines. They are familiar pets that if allowed outdoors can roam freely through gardens. There is a native

A native plant is one that originated or arrived naturally in a particular place without human involvement. In the British Isles, native plants are those that were here during the last ice age or have arrived unaided since. wildcat, Felis silvestris, occurring in the Scottish highlands but this is a rare, woodland animal.

Where cats frequent gardens you will likely notice one or more of the following:

• Holes are scraped in flower and vegetable beds to bury excrement but sometimes it is deposited on lawns or paths. It should not be confused with fox dung which often contains berries and is left in prominent positions
• Tomcats scent-mark their territories by spraying urine, which can scorch foliage
• Damage to the bark
  Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants. of trees and shrubs, caused by cats scratching, can be another form of territorial marking
• Cats have a habit of sunbathing in inconvenient places, sometimes crushing plants in the process
• Problems are often most severe in high-density housing areas, where cats are often numerous
• Cats do hunt garden birds and small mammals including bats, although the effect they have on wildlife numbers is unclear. More information on cats and wildlife can be found from the and at the

Cats roam freely through their territories and are too agile to be excluded by fencing or netting. However:

• Netting may be effective in keeping cats away from small areas within the garden
• Flower borders densely planted with perennials
  Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs. are less appealing as toilet areas – as there is no bare soil
• Keep seed rows well watered as cats dislike wet soil, preferring loose, dry earth and mulch
  Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.
• Use one or more of the cat deterrents on the market. They fall into two groups: repellents that are supposed to offend the cat's sense of smell or taste, and electronic scaring devices that produce a sound that may cause cats to move on or a motion sensor to release a spray of water. Neither type causes harm to animals
• If you own a cat, correctly fit it with a collar and bell to reduce its hunting efficiency and save wildlife

Repellents

• Products include: pepper powder (e.g. Bayer Pepper Dust), plant oils (e.g. Vitax Scent-Off), aluminium ammonium sulphate (e.g. Cat-a-Pult, Growing Success Cat Repellent, Vitax Stay Off) and methyl-nonyl-ketone (e.g. Vapet Get Off). Such repellents can be washed off by rain and often give only short-term protection and need frequent re-application. Remove any cat excrement before use
• A cat repellent plant, Plectranthus ornatus sold under the names of 'Scaredy Cat' or Coleus canina, is available from some garden centres or by mail order. The foliage produces an unpleasant smell when touched. This plant can be grown out of doors in the summer, but needs frost protection in winter. As with repellent substances some animals appear to ignore the smell

Electronic devices

• These can be purchased in garden centres or by mail order, they are often advertised in gardening magazines
• Most produce ultrasonic sound (barely audible to human ears) when triggered by a motion sensor. Some cats flee when they come within range, while others, perhaps the more dominant local cats, hold their ground and carry on regardless
• The best results are in open gardens where the ultrasound is not baffled by shrubs or fences
• Place the speaker at one end of the garden as sound travels away from the device in the direction it is facing
• Motion sensitive water sprayers that connect to a hose pipe are also available. These are activated when any animal moves past the sensor, spraying the animal