Cats and Allotment - tips and tricks.

Our wonderful receptionist and resident green thumb Donna has written this blog full of tips and tricks for allotment owners and keen gardeners on how to deal with cat visitors:

Spring is in the air, allotment holders are weeding, digging and preparing seed beds – it takes a long time!

Digging over area in winter, adding manure, forking over in spring then rake, rake and rake again.  You may have prepared the perfect conditions for growing – for a cat you have actually created the best litter tray a cat could ask for! A nice clear safe area (so potential predators can be spotted), light substrate easy to cover and far away from a potential water or food source.

I love cats – I work for Cats Protection as a receptionist, one of the great joys of my job is seeing a cat leave for their forever home. I greet every neighbourhood cat with a cheery ‘good morning’ as it strolls through my little patch (I know they deter pesky rats, mice, rabbits, birds and voles from eating my newly emerged veg).

Creating gigantic litter trays not a joy! So I got my thinking cap on and over the last few years have managed to deter cats off my seed beds, without causing cats stress.
Cats prefer a nice large area – I put little stakes in across the seed bed and wind a temporary criss-cross pattern over the bed.

 

On small areas I place shallow dishes of water. When shoots emerge there may still be room for a cat to do what cats do, so I place rubber snakes on edges of beds- snakes represent a possible predator and so cats will avoid if possible.

 

 

I also place a metal cat on no go areas, it looks real enough at a quick glance to deter cats (cats are very territorial will avoid other cats if possible).



I am also lucky that there is an area on my allotment that won’t grow a thing so it’s been raked and cleared and I just get the rubber gloves on and clean up!

So basically thinking like a cat can actually help deter them from areas that are no-go. It does take a little extra work and planning to keep your allotment from becoming the best cat rest room in the locality. The methods I use can also be easily adapted to use in gardens, however green fingers crossed - soon there will be no room for a cat to cause any bother!

I try and be a mindful gardener when it comes to all wildlife, and cats, how far you take it is a personal preference. In particular, rat poison and slug pellets can be a potential hazard to all domestic animals and wildlife so I don’t use them.

I will finish by saying please at the end of your gardening day, before you shut the door for the night check your cosy shed with its hiding places and high shelves, at this time of year it might provide a safe haven for pregnant queens about to give birth, or curious young cats out on their first adventure.

Happy gardening folks!