Q: Which plants are safe for dogs and cats?
The list of plants (both indoor and outdoor) that are safe or unsafe for dogs and cats is too long to list here, but here are links to the ASPCA lists that are useful:
Safe and Unsafe for Dogs: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list
Safe and Unsafe for Cats: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list
For dogs, one of the most toxic, but common, landscape plants is the Sago Palm. If you have a dog, I strongly recommend against planting one anywhere accessible to your dog.
For cats, lilies are one of the most dangerous plants. All parts of the lily are toxic to cats, including the pollen. If a cat simply contacts the plant and gets pollen on her fur, she can be poisoned by licking it off in the process of grooming. Never allow lilies near your cat!
Keep in mind that even if a plant is on the “non-toxic” list, it may still cause digestive issues in sensitive individuals.
Q: Every fall and winter, we always get at least a few mice in our garage. Is there a safe way to get rid of them, or keep them out in the first place?
Mice are not as destructive (or disgusting) as rats, but we still don’t want to share living spaces with them.
If they are only in your garage, your first concern is to prevent them from coming into your house. Avoid storing food, including pet food and bird seed, in the garage unless it’s in a heavy plastic container with a secure lid. Grass seed should also be stored in rodent-proof containers.
Mice can also be attracted to nesting sites and nesting materials. Holiday decorations, rags, papers, or anything that can be shredded, should be kept out of the garage or in secure containers.
Mice can enter through an opening that is ¼ inch or larger (about the thickness of a disposable pen). Look for any openings that may allow entry and seal them. Installing rubber sweeps on the bottom of any swinging doors is a good start. The weather stripping on the bottom of your garage door may need replacement as well, since these tend to deteriorate after several years.
Snap traps or battery-operated electrocution devices are effective and humane. Trapping allows you to dispose of the dead mouse, thus avoiding the unpopular game of “Where’s that smell coming from?”
Poisons can cause rodents to seek shelter or water, and they may end up dying inside a box or, worse, inside a wall. Even the baits that are legal in California will harm non-target wildlife, so please avoid these. Remember – mice are an important part of the ecosystem (i.e.: owl food), so we don’t want to kill all of them. We just want to keep them out of our spaces.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-955-0170; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu