Turn your garden into a cat's paradise!

Outdoor cats get a lot of challenge and enrichment in nature and often spend less time at home. If you want to keep your cat on your own property: make your garden just as challenging as nature! We would like to help you on your way to the ideal garden for your cat with some inspiring tips!

When your cat has plenty of enrichment and challenges on its own property, it is less likely to leave your garden. It is of course great fun for an outdoor cat to explore the neighborhood, but it is sometimes more convenient to keep your cat on its own property: especially if you live next to a busy road, for example, or if you just want to spend more time with your cat. So make your garden a challenging paradise for your cat!

Tip 1: Give your cat its own garden!

Outdoors, cats get a lot of enrichment from the different types of soil and plants in nature. Everything has its own smell, color, texture and even flavor. Therefore, create your own garden for your cat to discover with a piece of (high) grass, some safe plants or herbs to sniff or nibble and add different types of soil to roll around in! For your cat garden it is wise to use safe plants, without spines, barbs or sharp edges, which are not ideal for lying down or tasting. Some safe plants are cat grass and zebra grass. In addition to plants, there are also some safe herbs such as catnip, thyme, lavender or chamomile. Just be careful that your cat doesn't ingest too much of the plants. If your cat nibbles on them too much, it’s better to remove them. What type of soil is best to use? Cats prefer dry and loose soil. Especially freshly raked soil is very popular for rolling around in. Make sure there are no twigs or thorns in the soil, this can hurt when your cat rolls in it.

Caution! Do not use poisonous plants in your cat garden.

Do you want to know which plants are not safe for your cat garden? Click here to read our article on toxic outdoor plants so you know which plants you shouldn’t use.

Tip 2: The perfect place for a nap.

Cats spend a lot of their time resting. Therefore, build the ideal resting places for your cat in your garden. Provide a quiet, and screened area, in both sun and shade. Cats love to enjoy a nap in the sun, but they also need the option to shelter from the sun in hot weather. Did you know that many cats feel most comfortable when they can watch everything from a high spot? Some elevated spots are therefore ideal for both a nap and a vantage point!

Tip 3: scratch, scratch and scratch!

Cats scratch their nails on objects to maintain them and give off their scent. This is how they mark their territory, making them feel safer and more secure. It’s very handy to have some scratching opportunities in your garden. You can make it as crazy as you want: think of a scratching board under a roof, a climbing unit or even a private tree for your cat!

Tip 4: Play into the hunting instinct.

Play into your cat's hunting instincts by hiding delicious treats throughout your garden. Your cat has to track and find the treats and you can make it as difficult as you want! The tastier the reward, the higher the motivation for your cat to search for the treats. You can also hang up lights that attract moths and flies in the evening, they can have fun hunting them!

Tip 5: A pond for your cat?

Cats like to watch moving and flowing water, so give your cat a small pond with a little fountain that makes the water move. Your cat can look at it for hours and it also serves as a source of water to drink from!

Last but not least, make sure you leave a space for yourself to enjoy the weather and your cat, who is happily exploring the garden!