Pets are Welcome

Design an inviting outdoor space that your pets will love as much as you do.

Created for two lucky cats, Kier and Frankie, this landscape features a variety of plants nestled in cedar mulch, which is easy on paws. The homeowners chose drought-tolerant plants (to decrease maintenance and conserve water) that possess feline-friendly properties. Kier and Frankie now spend many happy hours nibbling on catnip, and enjoying the fragrances of rosemary, thyme, and coneflower. “It’s so much fun to watch our cats play and have adventures out here,” says the homeowner.

Pet-Friendly Design

Proper petscaping requires some planning. These suggestions will get you started.

Observer your pets. Where do they run, play, dig, roll, scratch, and bask in the sun? With this knowledge, you can design around them rather than trying to curtail their behavior.
Incorporate hardscaping. Adding walkways can promote exercise for dogs and cats. Hardscaping also camouflages bare or unattractive areas and reduces tracked-in dirt.
Add mulch to your landscape. Along with improving a yard’s appearance, it’s soft and comfy for paws.
Choose resilient plants. Ground cover, grasses, and shrubs offer a range of options. You can reserve more delicate plants for areas with borders or fences, or out-of-reach planters and hanging baskets.
Skip the soil. Bare dirt is an invitation for pets to dig. If your dog is determined to dig, consider allowing it in a small, specified area.
Keep your pet comfortable. You should always include a water source. Offer shade if your pet spends much time outdoors.
Remember safety. Steer clear of plants that are thorny or harmful if ingested. When using lawn-care products, read the packaging to ensure safety for animals. Place barriers around any water features that could be dangerous to pets.

Feline Favorites

Cats will fancy these fragrant plants:

cat grass, or orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata)
catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)
catnip (Nepeta cataria)
cat thyme (Teucrium marum)
lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus)
mint (Mentha selections)
purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
thyme (Thymus selections)
valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Happy Trails

As much as this homeowner loves her dog Mae, she was discouraged in trying to grow fresh grass over the dirt path Mae had created in the backyard. "I finally realized that I needed to change my strategy," she says. Instead of longing for lawn, she turned the eyesore into an attractive trail of smooth pebbles and flagstone. She then trained Mae to run on the mulch flanking the pebble path. Now the path is a favorite spot for family and friends to stroll. "And the mulch is so much easier to maintain than grass," the homeowner says.

Banish Brown Spots
When your dog answers nature’s call, the result can be unsightly patches on your lawn. Use our tips to remedy this problem.

Designate a potty area, and cover it with pea gravel or mulch. Train your dog to use it.
Some grasses, such as fescue and perennial ryegrass, are more urine resistant than others. Avoid planting less resistant species, such as Kentucky bluegrass and Bermuda grass.
Water the affected area as soon as possible after your dog relieves himself. This will dilute the nitrogen in the urine, which is what causes the discoloration.

Good To Know: Avoid cocoa mulch in a yard where pets roam. It contains caffeine and theobromine, which are two chemicals that can harm animals.

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By:Joanie

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Posted: May 11, 2011

By:Joanie

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I too have been searching for a decent diy cat enclosure. I'd like to put a roof & screen my existing 15sf patio where my spa is with a door to the yard. Contractors all want to sell me a $13k sun porch or room addition. For the cats? Really? Come on. They won't even discuss building just the roof & framing the walls so I can screen it and customize things over time myself. Any kind of cat enclosure that's not a wire dog kennel or a chain link fence would be great.

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