Introducing Kimba and Fancy

@wdcgardener We grew the grass just for the kitties and they weren’t even that interested! #wdcgardener #cats #gardening ♬ I Think I Like When It Rains - WILLIS

Last March, I lost my beloved Versace. He was THAT CAT -- the one you bond with in such a special way that no one could possible replace him. While I still mourn him terribly, I am consoled by his stepbrother Santino and the two feral kittens that I took in last spring -- Kimba and Fancy. I thought it is high-time now to introduce these two youngsters to you. 

These tabby-mix litter mates look like they have different fathers, but we don't know for sure. They started off the same-size as wee baby kittens. Kimba is a big, muscular boy and has grown to almost 11 pounds! Fancy is a dainty girl and barely 5 pounds now, though she eats like a pig!

They have calmed down a bit as they are approaching their first birthdays, yet still wreak havoc on my house and all the plants inside. We recently grew some cat grass for them and Fancy has enjoyed grazing on it. (See video above.) Kimba though is just thoroughly confused by the cat grass and thinks other plants are much more fun to tip over, dig in, munch on, and otherwise destroy. I am at my wit's end with him and have several barricades up around the house and windows to contain the worst of the damage. We'll see if he outgrows this phase soon.

Here is also a video of them experiencing their first snow from the safety for indoors: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@wdcgardener/video/7204473067429498155?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7122118070726264366

I know I'll be sharing my pics and videos of Kimba and Fancy in coming years 😼.
Here is a recent one of them enjoying a sunny windowsill together.

There is Greedy - and then there is GREEDY!

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I just had to share this Instagram video of a kitten stealing the WHOLE pot of cat grass for themselves!

Original link at: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CQRLSnjJiI7/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet 

Best Plants to Grow for Cats

Here is a new video by Sun Gro Horticulture on Best Plants to Grow for Cats featuring lots of gorgeous Garden Cats. Enjoy!

Cat Grasses and Other Kitty Treats: You Can Grow That!

Guest Post by Claire Splan Cats (and some dogs) love to nibble at grass, but you may not want to encourage them to chew on the lawn, particularly if the lawn's been treated with non-organic amendments or pesticides. Planting a pot of grasses especially for your pets will encourage them to leave other plants alone (particularly housecats that sometimes nibble out of boredom). You can sow seeds of just about any annual cereal grass but many seed companies sell packets of grass mixes especially for cats. These combinations of rye, oats, barley, and wheat are very appealing to cats, especially when you fertilize them with a shot of fish emulsion. Growing Annual Grasses Choose a wide, shallow pot, such as a bulb pot, to sow the seeds in. Fill it up to about an inch from the top with potting soil, then sprinkle the grass seeds over the top. Aim to space the seeds about 1/4 inch apart. Sprinkle about 1/2 inch of potting mix over the seeds and press to get good contact between the soil and seeds. Water well and place where it will get at least a half-day of sun. Keep evenly moist and seeds should germinate within a week. Wait until the grass is a couple inches high before giving it to your cats to nibble. Water regularly and feed with a fish emulsion solution every couple of weeks. If you plant a container every 4 to 6 weeks, you'll have a steady crop of grass to keep your cats happy. Growing Catmint and Catnip While cat grasses are fast-growing and tasty (if you're a cat), they are annuals, which means you need to re-sow seeds in order to keep them continuously growing. Catmint (Nepeta mussinii) and catnip (Nepeta cataria) are herbaceous perennials, meaning that they will die back to the roots in the winter, but re-sprout from the same root system in the spring. They also both contain the organic compound called nepetalactone, which is known to attract felines. In other words, catmint and catnip are recreational drugs for cats. Linus, the undergardener, looking for catnip Catmint and catnip need full sun. Sow seeds in the spring or plant container-grown plants in the spring or fall. They will  grow into mounded plants between 12 and 18 inches high. Catmint in particular makes a nice groundcover. Both plants will develop flower spikes (catmint flowers are lavender and catnip can be white/pink/lavender). When the flowers fade, just cut them back and the plant will be rebloom. Although they tend to be hardy plants that will grow in almost any soil, they do best when fed every couple weeks with a weak organic fertilizer. With regular feeding they'll be better able to withstand the constant nibbling that they will have to endure. Resources There are several companies that offer seed mixes for cat grasses as well as catmint or catnip seeds. My favorites include Renee's Garden Seeds, Burpee, Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply, and Botanical Interests. You can also use pre-seeded disks, available from Botanical Interests, which are more expensive, but easy to use and result in more even sprouting.

REPRINTED FROM http://www.alamedagarden.com

About the Author:  Claire Splan is an Alameda native with a deep appreciation for the joys of gardening in sandy soil and a Mediterranean climate. She says of her blog, An Alameda Garden, "This is where I share my gardening successes and frustrations (of which there are many), as well as news of gardening events and developments in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. I love writing and talking about gardening and am a member of the Garden Writers Association, but I also enjoy writing fiction and other types of nonfiction."