Boxwood Purrrfection

Charles King Sadler of King Garden - In the Landscape shared this video of a friendly feline "who supervised our Boxwood rejuvenation pruning and training in Dallas, Texas." King said he was hired as a boxwood consultant and trainer by arborist. He had no further information to share about the cat or its owner.

   In the video, you can see that  this garden cat is quite vocal about his boxwood appreciation and is not shy in the least. 

A Cat in the Christmas Tree

 

Garden writer and speaker Denise Schreiber aka MrsKnowItAll shared this photo with us. Denise is the author "Eat Your Roses, Pansies and Lavender and 49 Other Delicious Flowers." She wrote, "Here is the picture of Isis in the Christmas tree. She thinks it is her new cat tree. I adopted her after my beloved Bella died. We wanted a companion for Sasha, but Isis is an absolute sweetheart. She was found wandering the streets until she was taken to the rescue. This one is a hunter, because she has shredded most of her toy mice and a few other toys."

Your cat may also be fascinated by your Christmas tree. Some cats and holiday trees get along just fine, but often times curious kitties can create havoc and damage your display. If you want to keep the cat and tree both safe and separated, check out this article that Davey Trees put together on how to cat-proof your holiday decor. Their tips include:

• Keep your tree away from furniture like sofas or tables. 
• Put a scented deterrent near the tree (like orange peels).
• Cover the trunk of your live Christmas tree with aluminum foil.

This Time, Fur-Real

Cris Blackstone, a master gardener and education coordinator with the NH Landscape Association, wrote, "Our cat has been integral to our household for a year and a half, I got her on Valentine’s Day! She’s originally from Puerto Rico, rescued and traveled to Virginia, then to the New Hampshire SPCA, where she chose me when I was on a visit there to see if it would be my lucky day to come home w/a cat. It brings tears to my eyes to remember the look on her face when the vet tech put out my cat carrier to have her climb in. She looked over her shoulder at me with the most endearing face. Earlier in the day, we met and I couldn’t take her at that time, because I had to go home and get the kitty carrier, plus buy litter and food to be ready for her arrival. Since I left without her that time, I think she had her little kitty heart disappointed and wanted to ensure this time, it was For Real. 

"Her name is Zwartje. (Swaaart-cha) which is from the Dutch word for black, and built on the way it’s made diminutive in Dutch, to equate with 'cozy little black fluffy thing.' Interestingly enough, she has some super power which comes to me in the best way. I had a knee replacement, and she’ll sit across my legs when my knee is flaring up and painful, and her warmth plus her weight on my knee is almost like a reiki treatment. 

"I’m happy to know she’s joining the ranks of the cats and plants you share through the site! She’d thank you, too, were it not for the fact she’s busy right now, batting on the door to our cellar which we have converted to our “Plant Lab” where we are sorting and stacking many 72-cell plant trays and she’s eager to go knock those piles over!"

See more photos of Zwartje on Cris' Instagram account at @makescents_nh

On the Fence

Garden cats, like all cats, love to be up high to survey their surroundings. Fences are a particular favorite, especially wide ones like this design. They make for easy access and quick exits.

This kitty photo was taken by Dorothe in Germany and shared on Pixabay.com.