Make your garden pet-friendly

Fed up with a dog repeatedly digging up the same spot in your garden? Keep the dog away by scattering a crumbled cake of toilet freshener over the area – the smell really puts them off.

 

Cats are repelled by the smell of citrus. To deter the local moggies from digging up young plants, poke pieces of orange, grapefruit and lemon rind into the soil of flower and vegetable gardens, then dust lightly with soil. Stockpile peel in the freezer for when the fruit is out of season.

 

If your dog eats its meals in the garden, stop the ants from taking over by placing the food bowl in a dish filled with water.

 

Put water for your dog in a ring-style cake-baking tin with a hole in the middle and place it in a shady spot in the garden. Then, to anchor the tin and prevent spills, drive a wooden stake through the hole.

 

A good doghouse should be large enough for the dog to lie down and sit up comfortably, and small enough for the dog to keep warm with its body heat. Put hay inside for insulation and bedding but watch for allergic reactions. Shelter the entrance from wind and raise the floor to prevent dampness.