Episode 127: Cats and Gardens

This week, I’m speaking to Danielle Draper, Manager of the Cats Protection National Cat Adoption Centre in Surrey and we’re talking about that sometimes contentious issue of cats and gardens. Cats are part of gardeners’ lives, particularly if you live in an urban area. Love them or hate them, you can’t get away from them and Danielle’s here to talk about learning to live harmoniously alongside the neighbourhood felines… Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Narcissus Bulb Fly This episode is brought to you by our friends at Natural Grower. Launched in 2019, their award winning liquid fertiliser and plant feed and soil conditioner is made entirely from maize.  Naturally rich in nitrogen, potash, phosphate and other trace elements that plants and vegetables love, it is approved by the Soil Association, Vegan Society and Organic Farmers and Growers. Their concentrated natural fertiliser can be poured around the base of plants, whilst the plant feed and soil conditioner can be mixed into the soil or compost and used as a mulch on the surface as a long-term slow-release fertiliser. The fertiliser can be used for all outdoor and indoor plants. As a special offer for listeners, Natural Grower are offering 15% off all of their range. Simply go to naturalgrower.co.uk and enter ROOTS15 on checkout. What we talk about: How many cats there are in the UK - is cat ownership growing or declining in popularity? Where do cats factor in the big picture of wildlife decline? Can we exclude the neighbourhood cats from our gardens? Or deter them? Is it myth that cats don’t use their own gardens to go to the loo? Can we deter them from doing it?  What can we do if all the neighbourhood cats choose to use our garden as a battleground? What can we do if we want to feed the birds but keep them safe from cats? What about if we put food out for foxes, hedgehogs?  Ways to avoid wildlife casualties  Plants cats particularly like/don’t like What benefits can cats bring to a garden? About Cats Protection Cats Protection is the UK's largest feline welfare charity in the UK and helps around 200,000 cats and kittens every year. Formed in 1927, when it was known as the Cats Protection League, Cats Protection (CP) has grown to become the UK's leading feline welfare charity. Its vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its need and it has simple and clear objectives to help cats: •             Homing - finding good homes for cats in need •             Neutering - supporting and encouraging the neutering of cats •             Information - improving people’s understanding of cats and their care More information about the work of the charity can be found at www.cats.org.uk. To make a donation, please visit https://www.cats.org.uk/donate Advice about cats and gardens: https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/garden-and-outdoors https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/keeping-cats-out https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/dangerous-plants