Top Garden Cats of 2022

Looking back at the last year, we had many wonderful garden cat photos and stories to share. I love scrolling back and seeing all those fantastic felines. Please keep on sending them in! One interesting statistic I found in my blog analytics is that after the USA, the top countries that visit this site are: Netherlands, Portugal, Uzbekistan , and France. Welcome to all who love cats and gardens!

Here are the top 5 posts of 2022 ranked by the highest number of page views (in countdown order).

5. Shake, Rattle, and Roll

https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2022/01/shake-rattle-and-roll.html
This 5th place spot went to a cat who lives to play with seed packs (and who doesn't?!?!). Mary-Denise Smith, who blogs at www.crumbsonthetable.com, shared the story and her photos of kitty Joey.

4. The Garden Cats of Luis Wain
https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-garden-cats-of-luis-wain.html
The recent movie, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, brought the cat renderings of the British artist Louis Wain (1860-1939) back to popularity again and we spotlighted his garden cats in particular.

3. Wear Your Green for St. Gertrude!

https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2022/03/wear-your-green-for-st-gertrude.html
This post is a perennial favorite and is about Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, who is the patron saint of Cats AND Gardening. Did you know the 17th of March is her Saint's Day?

2. The Orange Cat Diaries

https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-orange-cats-diaries.html

This charming essay by Josephine Sherfy about her love of orange garden cats was sent to us by her son, Joe Sherfy.

1. Mango Ripple - a Truly Delicious Treat!

https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2022/03/mango-ripple-truly-delicious-treat.html
Lara Kris Watson shared lots of photos of her kitties Mango and Ripple. They are both rescue cats and neighborhood characters.

Do you agree with the popular vote? What were your favorites this year?

A Garden Cat's Holiday Wish List: Gifts for Outdoor-loving Cats and Kittens

An updated Garden Cat's Holiday Wish List: Gifts for Outdoor-loving Cats from our 2019 post.

Disclosure: Clicking on these links and then ordering anything from Amazon may put a few pennies in the Cats in Gardens blog bank account. This will not cost you any extra on your purchases. Thank you for anything you can direct our way.

Stumped for what to get your outdoor-loving cat for a holiday or birthday gift or just because you feel like spoiling them a bit?

Here are 5 suggestions that are sure to make your garden kitty purr-purr-purr.

1. 
The catio 

will make your kitty the envy of the neighborhood and keep him safe and the birds too!

2. 
If your kitty loves to chew on every houseplant you have, grow her this alternate -- a safe pot of fresh cat grass all her own to munch on.

3. 
This safety collar is a great way to ensure your garden kitty doesn't get into danger and has jingly bell so that any prey can hear them coming.

4. 
This heating pad is the purr-fect thing for that barn cat or any kitty who prefers to sleep in an unheated space.

5. 
This sling pet carrier is all the rage now and is worth a try if you have a sociable feline who might like to go on errands to the garden center with you.




Finally, one bonus gift suggestion, for you -- if you have lost one of your garden kitties, this cat-angel is a wonderful way to remember them. I have one placed near the spot that my late Chantilly loved to sun herself by my water garden.

If YOU are a gardener or know one, here is a list of great gift ideas for them (and yourself!): 
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/12/holiday-gifts-for-gardeners-top.html

   We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

A Sweet Treat

Toffee shares space with the cacti and tropicals.

 

Louise Clarke shared this pictures of her indoor feline. Toffee is a 6-year-old adopted from Providence Animal Center. She was a birthday present to me. She is an indoor cat that gets along with Mojito, my Havanese puppy. 

Louise is a professional horticulturist and a principal of Verdant Earth Educators LLC (https://www.verdanteartheducators.com/).

Toffee soaking up some sun.

Kitten Break

This holiday season is full of hustle and bustle, so we thought we'd share a little pause in your day to enjoy a cute kitten exploring their outdoor world. Breathe. Relax. Recharge.

Photo credit: Imazite at Pixabay

Nosey Neighbor Cats

my cat too😭 pic.twitter.com/nvFdIV6BWw

— susie (@_sxrax) December 15, 2020

 

I discovered this post on a BoredPanda.com thread about nosey neighbor pets.

There is definitely a tendency inside all garden cats to snoop on their neighbors -- especially through a fence or window -- and even better if those neighbors have other cats and animals to interact with! Is your kitty nosey about the neighbors?

Dancing in the Indoor Garden

Bowie with Watering Cans

Barbara Ellis of Eastern Shore Gardener shared these photos and wrote: "This is David Bowie, Bowie for short, doing his best watering can impression. His garden is indoors and consists of loads of houseplants plus a large watering can collection."   

   "Bowie, along with his brother and sister, was turned into the local animal shelter as a baby feral kitten. They were already well-socialized when a friend passed the litter of still-tiny kittens on to me so she could take on another unsocialized litter. (Bowie got me started fostering, and I have since fostered nearly 40 kittens for the shelter.) Bowie’s brother and sister went to other forever homes, but he stayed with us. He and his slightly older brother, Mick Jagger (also originally a feral kitten), are 2 1/2 now. They patrol their indoor garden to keep it free of stink bugs and random leaves. Their names were inspired by the Mick Jagger and David Bowie video, “Dancing in the Street.” 

Bowie demonstrating some of the hazards he faces in his indoor life.

Mick didn’t want to be left out, because he is just as handsome as his brother.

RealSteel Garden Cat Art

 

This cute trio of garden cat art figures popped up in my Instagram feed this week. I think the algorithm knows that I like cats and gardening, I wonder how that happened? ;-).

Here is the product description: "Charismatic cats make visitors smile when they notice these delightful decorations in your yard or among the flowers. Our weather-resistant, powder-coated cat figures are available in five beautiful colors, expertly crafted for years of durability. Three sweet felines—an attentive mama with her two adorable kittens—offer unique charm for your treasured outdoor space."

You can order this set at - https://amzn.to/3Olzsa5 (Note that this is an affiliate link and we may receive a few cents from Amazon if you click and order them, but this won't impact 

Planting Kitty

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mona🌹🐱🌷😸🌟 (@alqemzi_12345)

 Now THIS kitty is a real garden cat! I wish mine were as helpful!!!
(Yes, this could be a photoshop/fake, but still is fun to watch and no harm done!)

Container Bed

Nick Brand of Chevy Chase, MD. shared this photo of one of the many cats he saw on his recent trip to Italy.

He wrote: "Here is one in Pitigliano, Italy, a hill town about 100 miles north of Rome."

This joins our series of several other photos showing cats napping and relaxing in containers: https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/search/label/containers

SunBelievable Kitty

Suzette Nordstrom of Monrovia shared this photo from Sailer's Greenhouse in Shakopee, MN.

She wrote, “#HappyHalloween It is NOT bad luck to have a black cat love your plants! SunBelievable is a great annual, providing no TRICKS all TREATS for loads of summer color into the Fall.”

SunBelievable is a sunflower that "produces over 1,000 flowers in a single season, from spring until first frost."

The Heart of a Champion

Shawna Coronado of ShawnaCoronado.com shared this photo and wrote:

"See my new little garden cat friend in the side yard? His name is Campion ('Champion' in English) and he is my neighbor's cat, but is quite the cuddly buddy."

This wasn't the first neighbor cat that Shawna has shared with us. See another neighbor's cat here.

Bodega Cats

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bodega Cats (@bodegacatsofinstagram)

One of my favorite cat-focused social media accounts to follow is Bodega Cats on Instagram.

I think this image tells it all. These are working cats that keep the rodent population downs at this small. convenience stores, while also providing entertainment and company for the store's employees and customers. I don't know about you, but I love it when I enter a business and a cat is there to greet me or I discover one hidden among the cases of sodas and chips.

I thought this post in particular was a great one to share on the Cats in Gardens blog as it has it all -- a working cat taking a break in the catnip harvest basket. I hope you enjoy it and the many other terrific Bodega Cats on that Instagram feed. I'll just say in advance: "You're welcome!"

Popi Cat

This is Popi the Kind Earth security cat. The photos were taken by John Mark Courtney, owner of Kind Earth Growers LLC, growers of native wetland, aquatic and dry site perennials to build habitat diversity, based in Ottsville, PA. John writes that, "He’s my best employee! Here are some pics of him doing various greenhouse tasks."

"He was one of four strays we caught, fixed, and vaccinated in September 2020 and released here as vole control. we started with Popi, Clover, Boogie Stardust (she was a special one), and another that left too fast to name."

"Popi disappeared two days after bringing him here, leaving his two sisters behind. When he reappeared he quickly took to protecting Boogie and allowing her to eat, as the weeks went on and increasing aggression from Clover toward Boogie, he kicked her out! Boogie and Popi cohabitate beautifully. They hunted together, snuggled, and lived the life. Unfortunately, Boog was a sickly cat and had to be put to sleep last January. Popi spent days morning on my lap and then in my office chair, but during the day he still performed his security duty monitoring all the greenhouses and surroundings for voles. He gets endless attention from the Kind Earthlings here and follows me around along side my Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson. He wants to be besties with Jackson, but Jack is still not sure why he is told not to chase him." 

Inventory managment.

 JOhn 

A Scouting Party

 

This is Scout, who was named after the female character in To Kill A Mockingbird. Dorian Winslow, President of Womanswork, based in Pawling, NY, shared this photo and the two below. Womanswork sells great gardening gear and tools, including  garden and work gloves that are custom-fit for women.

She wrote, "I took this photo of my cat Scout on our deck this week and posted it on Instagram with other photos of our deck."

"Scout was a stray who showed up at our back door 11 years ago, with her sister. We live in a semi-rural area with lots of woods and wild animals, so I can only imagine what her life in the wild was like. She was about 2-months-old when she arrived. She lives indoors in the winter and at night, but likes to go outdoors (somewhat supervised by us) during the day in the summer and fall."

Victor Gets the Spoils

 

Greg Small shared this photo of his beautiful cat, Victor. 

Those piercing blue eyes and relaxed pose are sure to charm your heart. 

On Summer Break

The Cats in Gardens blog is on a summer break. Keep sending in your submissions! (See how to submit here). We'll be back with new posts this fall.

Black Beans!

This photo was shared by 

untermyergardens

 on their Instagram feed. They wrote, "Here we have our garden cat Anar. She’s relaxing at the bottom of the Vista, as if torrential downpours never created complete chaos throughout the city earlier." Untermyer Park and Gardens is an "historic 43-acre city public park, located in Yonkers, New York in Westchester County, just north of New York City."

Just look at those black toe beans! This garden cat is one  relaxed and mellow kitty.

BTW, Anar means 

Pomegranate (anaar انار) -- it "has a special meaning in Persian and Iranian culture. It is Iran's national fruit and has a deep religious and cultural place for Iranians. Pomegranate often symbolizes abundance, blessing, fertility, and immortality."

Neil the Great Dixter Cat

 

Garden writer Marianne Willburn took this photo of Neil the Great Dixter Cat while she was attended the garden symposium there this past week. She says, "Neil the Dixter cat. Rescued as a kitten from Kabul. He followed us around the garden on the gentlest of evenings."

If you are not familiar with Great Dixter, it is a legendary garden in the UK. It has "an historic house, a garden, a centre of education, and a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world. Great Dixter was the family home of gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd – it was the focus of his energy and enthusiasm and fuelled over 40 years of books and articles."

And HOW did I not know there is a "Cat Garden" there! Head Gardener, Fergus Garrett describes the Cat Garden: "This area has a damp meadow containing marginals such as Caltha polypetala amongst vigorous perennials such as Ranunculus acris ‘Stevenii’ and Symphythum ‘Romanian Red’. Old fashioned lilacs sit on the higher level amongst meadow cranesbills (Geranium pratense) and Fritillaria meleagris. Ceanothus ‘Puget Blue’ hugs the building opposite a sprawling Tamarix tetrandra."

On top of that there is an illustrated book all about Neil! It is called: "The Journey of Neil The Great Dixter Cat  you can order it via our Amazon link at: https://amzn.to/3a3D1lc (we may get a few pennies, but it will not effect your purchase price). 

The book tell the story of the "loving men who rescued her (Neil means 'champion' in Irish), and brought her to live out her days in the most beautiful wild garden in the world -- the Great Dixter Garden. Honey Moga, the author, plays a role in the story and her introduction is also fully illustrated, including her dream of being an author after her husband walks out and leaves her alone with nine children. Inspiring, uplifting and true, this is a unique history and a beautifully illustrated depiction of the magical garden where the courageous cat Neil now resides happily."

50 Pet-Safe Plants for Cats and Dogs

I received the following press release and thought it was helpful, so am sharing it here:

>With Spring in full swing, certain plants can be a health risk for both cats and dogs. To prevent this, Veterinarians.org has listed a variety of indoor and outdoor plants including ferns, herbs, and flowers that are pet-safe.

• Flowering houseplants: Gloxinia, Lace Flower Vine, African Violet, Hoya, Orchid, Lipstick Plant, Bromeliad
• Flowing, climbing, and cascading plants: Boston Fern, Swedish Ivy, Spider Plant, Aluminum Plant, Baby Tears, Staghorn Fern
• Foliage houseplants: Royal Velvet Plant, Prayer Plant, Calathea, Bird’s Nest Fern, Chinese Money Plant
• Herbs: Basil, Rosemary, Dill, Thyme, Sage, Cilantro, Savory
• Succulents: Echeveria, Burros Tail, Christmas Cactus

To see the entire list of plants, click here.

“A few gorgeous pet-safe alternatives include roses, sunflowers, snapdragon, Gerber daisies, impatiens, camellia, and marigold– the last of which is also a form of natural pest control!” 

- Jamie Freyer, DVM