Creating a Pet Friendly Yard

If your home includes a four-legged friend you may need to consider how to create a beautiful and safe garden for them. Designing a pet-friendly garden involves a blend of practicality and aesthetics to ensure that it is both stylish and functional for pets.

Fencing
Ensure your garden’s fencing is secure and high enough to prevent your pets from escaping. Consider using fence toppers or digging barriers to keep curious animals contained. A fence may not keep a cat in, so you may have to consider netting or an enclosed cat run.

Pet-friendly plants
Some plants can be harmful if ingested by pets. Plants such as daffodils, chrysanthemums, carnations, tulips, lilies, ivy, morning glory, hellebore and tomatoes should be avoided. Safe alternatives include marigolds, sunflowers, camellias, native bottlebrush, jasmine, ferns, palms, orchids and petunias.

Comfort and rest areas
Just as you need comfortable spots to relax, so do your pets. Try to keep in mind that surfaces can get too hot so avoiding scratchy bushes, sharp rocks and creating a shady retreat for the both of you will provide a comfortable and relaxing environment. By incorporating smooth stones, soft foliage and including hardy ground cover like lamb’s ear to minimise how much visible soil there is and to prevent your dog from digging up the garden. Like humans, your pets can also get sunburnt or heatstroke and providing them proper shade such as a pergola, large shady trees or a doghouse is a great way to give them their own space to lay under during the hotter months. This is also a great idea for cats, to give them a lounging spot whether it’s sunny or raining. By providing both shaded and sunlit spots for your cat is essential to a happy and safe cat.

Don’t forget to add elements that you know you pet will enjoy. Whether it’s a water feature, their favourite toys or outdoor scratching posts for cats, or a hutch and veggie patch for your rabbits and to get your kids involved with feeding them fresh veggies each day. There’s plenty of options to create a safe garden for your pets.