Last Updated on March 26, 2025 by Thompson & Morgan Horticultural Team
© Caroline Broome – Cats in the Catio.
We all love creatures great and small, right? I’d far rather employ birds and bees to reduce pests than use chemicals, and so we go to great lengths to entice them into our garden. But there’s the small matter of our six cats to consider. Our solution? The ‘Catio’. By encasing the pergola covering our 27ft x 8ft patio with wire mesh, we’ve created a safe outdoor environment for our cats to enjoy fresh air and exercise, whilst protecting local birds!
Browse our full range of wild bird food here.
The ‘Catio’ allows us to enjoy watching the birds on our feeding stations, the main one being no more than a metre from the enclosure. And as an added bonus, I’ve got myself an amazing microclimate in which to grow tender perennials such as Cannas, Abutilons and Eucomis, extending the annual summer displays well into November.
How we attract birds to our garden
©Caroline Broome – Fledglings, frogs and mice have all made their way through the mesh of the Catio.
In our garden, all creatures great and small seem quite relaxed in each other’s company, especially the starlings: their manners certainly are! I think pigeons get a bad name; we have two ferals and one wood pigeon as regular visitors and they never mess on their own doorstep, obligingly hoovering up all the scattered bird seed that the chatter of starlings fling all over the show.
I blame most of the riotous behaviour we see on mealworms. In early Spring the bird feeder started getting regular visits from a pair of starlings, which I now recognise as the scouting party. Within a month or two, some fledglings joined their parents, squawking impatiently to be fed. Then word got out to all their relatives and, before we knew it, there were 17 of them (all under the watchful eyes of our cats, a mere paw’s snatch away in the Catio!) I had to refill the feeders twice daily. I learnt that chaffinches and tits love white sunflower seeds, while robins and the woodpecker favour the suet blocks. I’ve even managed to train the squirrels (yeah, right) onto their own bird feeder further up the garden. Yes readers, the caged feeders do deter the squirrels.
Other wildlife visitors
© Caroline Broome – The Female Emperor Dragon Fly.
Regrettably however, the 25mm mesh surround of the Catio doesn’t keep out fledglings, frogs or mice. So far, our Siamese kitten Ethel (named after my beloved 106-year-old friend who died last year) has bagged two mice (deceased) and several frogs (survived – clearly more robust.) The last frog escaped with its life by crawling into the cup of my bra (not, I am relieved to say, while I was wearing it) in the laundry room. But, for me, the highlight of our summer was the Female Emperor Dragonfly resting on Miscanthus grass in the front garden.
Successful wildlife corridors
© Caroline Broome – Me and my new friend the Iraqi Bulbul bird.
We’re very lucky to attract so many birds, due no doubt to numerous large mature trees surrounding us in neighbouring gardens and the church yard. But a mile away in Hampstead Garden Suburb, several Hort Soc friends’ gardens back onto Big Wood. One such garden welcomes woodpeckers, parakeets and goldfinches on a daily basis. Unbelievable racket! Surely Alfred Hitchcock took his inspiration for The Birds from The Suburb!
On our recent NGS Group Open Garden Day, another woodland garden attracted a very friendly bird. It seemed quite at home, hopping around on the drive, amongst the throngs. It even ate out of one visitor’s hand, and was eventually identified as a White Eared Iraqi Bulbul. Apparently many Iraqis owns Bulbuls as pets, and they’re considered to be one of the smartest and most intelligent birds on earth. This one certainly wasn’t daft, as it soon sussed out the best tea and cake in the group. I hope it was reunited with its owners though – no doubt it was mentioned in despatches on the Suburb Chatline.
Catch up with you all later……..Caroline
Caroline Broome has been gardening for more than 20 years. Having passed the RHS General Certificate, she has since developed her East Finchley garden into a “personal paradise” that she and her husband invite the public to visit each year via the National Garden Scheme. Learn more about our contributor using T&M’s ‘Meet the experts’ page.
Great blog Caroline!
Glad you noticed the frog in your bra before you put it on
That is a superb blog, full of interest, information etc., all written in excellent style. I suggest you bring it to the attention of a national publisher as it really is worthy of a wider readership. I accept that I am biassed, but it’s good advice. Love. Dad.