What’s the point in having a beautiful garden at your home if it can’t be enjoyed by those living there? The perfect garden means nothing unless you use it, making the most of this space for relaxing, socialising and barbecuing when the weather is nice. But it’s not just you who should enjoy the garden. You may have pets at home that want to explore or play in it, especially now that the rain is becoming less frequent and the sun is coming out.

However, many of us may have plants in our garden that are hazardous to cats, dogs and other types of animal. Plant poisoning is, in fact, more common than we would like to believe. Vets often cite this as one of the main reasons they have to treat animals for illnesses after consuming human food or medicine. It is essential that, if you have pets at home, you know what kinds of plants may cause harm to them. Azaleas and sagos, for instance, can be toxic.

The way you feed the plants can also be harmful to your pets. Small amounts of fertilizer should not be harmful, but if an animal ends up ingesting it in a big way then it can cause stomach pain. This may even become worse and turn into a serious, life-threatening gastrointestinal issue. If you need to use fertiliser, look at the warnings on the product and see what period of time should be left between using it and allowing your pet to roam outside. The same thing goes for fertilisers, sprays and insecticides.

This one might sound like common sense, and hopefully if you are a pet owner it is, but it bears repeating: be careful with your garden tools if you are letting your pets run around the lawn. If you leave them out in places where the animals can reach, items like rakes, trowels and hoes could cause harm.