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

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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

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