260 May 2016 - Gryffe Advertizer

www.advertizer.co.uk may 2016
Top Tips For Scottish Gardeners
Create the purr-fect cat-friendly garden
Scottish cat lovers will be able to pick up tips for
creating the perfect outdoor space for their pet
when Cats Protection visits the Gardening Scotland
event.
With 23 per cent of
Scottish households
owning at least one cat – an estimated feline
population of 900,000 – Cats Protection will
be heading to the event at the Royal Highland
Centre in Edinburgh, from 3-5 June.
Green-fi ngered cat lovers will be able to pick up a wealth of planting
ideas and tips at Cats Protection’s stand, as well as finding out more about
keeping puss safe in the sun and what hazards may lurk outdoors.
Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity, with 48 volunteerrun
branches in Scotland running alongside its Glasgow Adoption Centre.
Events Manager Emma Osborne said the charity was looking forward
to welcoming visitors to its new vintage-inspired summerhouse stand,
complete with cat care leafl ets, cat-related goods for sale, and touch screen
facilities to fi nd cats available for homing across Scotland.
Cats Protection’s tips for creating a cat-friendly garden and keeping cats
safe outdoors are:
• Ensure your cat is fully vaccinated before venturing outdoors to protect
against diseases and
parasites. Neutering is also
vital to prevent unwanted
kittens being born and to
reduce roaming.
• Cats Protection recommends
microchipping as a safe,
effective way of identifying
your cat should he become
lost when outdoors.
• Cats with white fur –
including those with white
ears or noses – can be susceptible to sunburn during the summer months
and sun exposure can be a trigger for a type of cancer. The best way to
protect your cat is to try to keep him indoors during the hottest part of the
day and provide shade from plants and trees.
• Be aware of poisonous substances in your shed and garage which cats
may be able to access. Antifreeze, disinfectants, insect and pest killers
can all be lethal to cats and should be kept well away from your cat.
• Avoid plants which can be dangerous to cats. Lilies in particular can be
lethal if a cat ingests pollen from its fur after brushing against them. A full
list of plants that are dangerous to cats can be found on the International
Cat Care’s website www.icatcare.org.
• Choose cat-friendly plants such as catnip (Nepeta cataria), mint, cat
thyme (Teucrium marum) and lavender.
• A patch of longer grass can provide a soft bed and cats may also nibble
on it to help cough up hairballs.
• Logs provide excellent outdoor scratching posts.
• If you have a pond, cats may be tempted to drink from it. To reduce
the risk of them falling in, place some
Annual Plant
Sale
Lodge Sir Michael 989
Glebe Road, Kilmacolm
Fri 13th May - 5pm - 9pm
Sat 14th May - 9am - 4pm
Sun 15th May - 10am - 4pm
Fri 20th May - 5pm - 9pm
Sat 21st May - 9am - 4pm
Sun 22nd May - 10am - 4pm
Planters and hanging baskets
made to order. Free
advice on plants.
Large variety of
quality plants
at value
for money
prices.
wire mesh securely over the pond, or
make sure that there is a low edge so
it is easy for a cat to get out. Ensure
that any water butts also have a lid on
them.
Some gardeners may prefer to keep
cats away from their gardens and Cats
Protection recommends a number
of humane deterrents. Shouting or
clapping your hands, squirting water
from a low-powered water pistol or
spreading chicken manure, citrus
peel, or lion dung pellets will all put
cats off entering a garden.
Visitors to Cats Protection’s stand
at Gardening Scotland will also be
able to find out more about the work
of the charity and how to become a
volunteer.
To find out more about the work
of Cats Protection or Gardening
Scotland, please visit www.cats.org.
uk or www.gardeningscotland.com
Neilston Agricultural Show
Saturday 7 May from 8am - 4pm at Holehouse, Neilston, G78 3LE
Adults - £6 Children and OAPs - £2 Car Park - £3
As usual there is a wonderful variety of new things to see this year as well
as your old favourites.
Many different breeds of cattle will be on show, ranging from the dairy
section which are Ayrshire, Holstein Freisians and Jerseys to the beef
cattle, Highlanders and Aberdeen Angus, which are native to Scotland. The
continental beef breeds, Simmental, Charolais and Limousins. The sheep
classes offer many different breeds
also, all different shapes, colours
and sizes.
The horse world is also well
attended with lots of classes to
satisfy every different breed.
Take some time to look at all the
different stalls, there could be a
bargain there for you! There is an
educational dome which has a
large range of interesting stands
inside, as well as some lovely animals, and as if that’s still not enough, why
don’t you visit the homecraft tent to see the local ladies’ talents with baking,
flower arranging and many other crafts. You can even bring along your
family dog to our dog show which is
expertly run by my wife and family.
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