Cat-repellent garden sparks Chelsea Flower Show row

Telegraph

21-05-2025

A cat-repellent garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has sparked a row with animal welfare charities.
Designers of the SongBird Survival Garden deliberately chose trees with spiky thorns to stop cats from climbing them and disturbing birds.
Although intended to raise awareness of the drastic decline of songbirds in the UK, the design has proved contentious with animal rights campaigners, who argue it is unfair to cats.
They claimed the thorny trees might harm the pets, suggesting they were being scapegoated for the decline in the bird population. The charity behind the garden dismissed suggestions that it was dangerous to cats.
The dispute comes the same week that Monty Don, the veteran broadcaster and horticulturalist, made headlines by unveiling a dog-friendly garden at Chelsea.
The SongBird Survival Garden, created by designer Nicola Oakey and sponsored by the Project Giving Back charity, is intended to be a safe haven for songbirds, whose numbers in the UK have fallen by 50 per cent over the last five decades.
Sue Morgan, chief executive of SongBird Survival, said the garden deliberately uses hawthorn trees to ward off cats and other predators.
'These trees are a great example of shelter,' she told The Telegraph. 'You can see they have got really long thorns within them. It's a really safe place for a bird to sit because bigger birds, cats or other things couldn't get into the tree.
'So they will sit there and then they'll be able to say 'right and I want to go and get some food' and will use it as a launching point. Birds are very cautious, and they make sure they feel safe before they move around.'
She added: 'You can grow your garden and plant it in a way that works for the birds and for the cats so they all have their own spaces. It's about finding that solution.
'Having thorny plants can be a natural deterrent. The cats have plenty of other places to go.'
On whether the tree is a danger to cats, she said: 'No, no, no, they just wouldn't go up it. They're intelligent creatures. They would see that and think 'I'll go elsewhere'.'
The garden has proved popular with the judges – winning a prestigious silver-gilt award – and songbirds, as droppings on plants show they are using it at night.
But Elvira Meucci-Lyons, the chief executive of Mayhew, a London-based charity said: 'As an animal welfare charity, we appreciate the need for spaces for all wildlife to flourish.
'However, we urge people to consider the impact of spaces that might harm cats, either through physical injury from spikes, or through mental injury, such as from sound deterrents. Cat-proof roller fencing can be a kinder alternative.'
Daniel Warren-Cummings, the central behaviour officer for the Cats Protection charity, said it was easy to scapegoat cats for the decline in the bird population.
He said: 'At Cats Protection and as cat owners, many of us are lovers of birds also. And while it is apparent that there are bigger contributors to bird decline in the UK, such as intensive farming and habitat-loss, we encourage responsible cat ownership to reduce predation of birds.
'Planting of trees that cats will not be motivated to climb is a passive tactic and not directly aiming to harm cats, so there would be no objection. Other measures such as keeping cats in overnight to avoid peak wildlife times such as dawn and dusk and playing with your cat for five to 10 minutes each day will also help to reduce your cat's hunting behaviour outside.
'It is often easier to scapegoat cats rather than to holistically look at and change the entirety of the issues facing bird populations in the UK.'
Samantha Prior, from Woodgreen Pets Charity, added: 'Some people prefer cats not to be in their gardens and the ideas used in the SongBird Survival Garden are all safe and won't cause any harm to our feline friends.
'However, it's important to remember that cats love to be outdoors and exploring – it's in their DNA. It would be good to see gardens being promoted not for keeping cats out, but for showing people how they can create a cat-friendly garden that appeals to both people and cats.
'If people want to encourage cats to stay in their own garden for adventures, there are loads of great ways to do this. For example, including lots of cat-friendly plants, such as cat mint and cat nip, shrubbery and plant pots will keep cats entertained and give them somewhere to relax or hide, while also still looking visually appealing.'