Flinging Felines

Last month, I was touring gardens in and around Buffalo, New York, with the Garden Fling.

I am always on the lookout for garden cats during these events and Buffalo did not disappoint. Here are a few of the kitties I saw along the way.

Pictured at top is Socks, who lives at Murray's Hosta Farm. He was a bit shy, but did pose nicely for this photo.

You know how when you travel, you miss your kitties at home the most. So I was grateful when this one-eyed Jack let me pet him:

This kitty was napping in the shade on a hot afternoon while his owners chatted up all the garden visitors:

There were lots of buffalos in the gardens we saw, of course, but also many flamingos and dragons as well. Not surprisingly, many gardens had cat art, cat sculptures, cat cut-outs, etc. This cat-friendly garden had cat silhouettes on back garden entrance gate:

And it wouldn't be an urban garden tour without some window cats too!

See more garden pics from the Buffalo Fling 2026 at: 

https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine/photos_albums

Cofer's Cats: Oliver and Star

 

Here are two store cats that I met back in April during the Azalea Society of America conference in Athens, Georgia. They live at Cofer's Home & Garden (https://cofers.com/). I believe the female tabby is Star and the male orange is Oliver.

In the bottom picture, Oliver is inspecting my purchases there that day. I planted this trio of strawberries in a basket and have gotten berries -- but not had the chance to eat any! The birds or some other critters are getting to them right as they ripen. My two current kitties (Kimba and Fancy) are both indoor cats, so I'm hoping a neighborhood "Oliver" comes along to protect the berries soon... 

Frannie the Urban Farm Cat

On a recent visit to the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, DC, I was able to meet Frannie, the resident garden cat and her litter of kittens (three are shown below). 

Frannie is Instagram famous. You can follow her at http://instagram.com/fmgg_farm and learn more about the monastery gardens and urban farm she patrols at http://www.fmgg.org/. She is fed and cared for by the FMGG volunteers.

I asked about the five kittens and they are all spoken for -- thank goodness as I was ready to take one home in each of my pockets that day!

A Visit to Walters Gardens Pt. 3 - Gray Shadow

One of the stops of the recent GardenComm annual meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was to Walters Gardens, a wholesale plant nursery, in Zeeland, MI. I shared images previously of the garden cats at Walters Gardens here. Last week, I shared a pretty black kitty here and two weeks ago, I shared images of a friendly tabby cat here.

This week, I'm sharing pics of a gray and white cat that was just a total lovebug. This kitty followed me around and demanded lots of head scratches and tummy rubs

A Visit to Walters Gardens Pt. 2 - Mama Panther

One of the stops of the recent GardenComm annual meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was to Walters Gardens, a wholesale plant nursery, in Zeeland, MI. I shared images previously of the garden cats at Walters Gardens here. Last week, I shared images of a friendly tabby cat here.

This week, I'm sharing pics of a sweet black kitty who ran out to greet me from behind a large hibiscus shrub. I think she was pregnant or maybe just bloated from a recent mouse hunt?

A Visit to Walters Gardens Pt. 1 - Tabby

One of the stops of the recent GardenComm annual meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was to Walters Gardens, a wholesale plant nursery, in Zeeland, MI.

I shared images previously of the garden cats at Walters Gardens here, so I knew there might be some kitties to visit with when we arrived on the tour bus that particular morning. It didn't take long for the cats to find us and I counted 3. I'll be sharing them individually over the next few weeks. Here is kitty #1 -- a very friendly tabby, who reminded me a lot of my own tabby, Fancy.

Waldorf the Hard Worker

Heather Andrews of The Thoughtful Gardener sent these fun pics of another hard-working garden cat. (See the previous cats in gardens she has shared here.)

She writes, "Meet Waldorf, the official cat greeter at Stoney Creek Valley Farm. Not only does she have the purrfect personality to great customers for grower and mom, Katie*, but she also trills her way with her purr into customers' hearts."

*Katie Hutchison College is the owner of both the farm and the cat!

On Her Pedestal

Sue Hunter, owner of www.heartwoodnurseryinc.com, shared this photo of her cat, Fauna. Sue recently shared another two of her cats, Willie, here, and Mama. here.

Sue writes, "Fauna in the garden on her pedestal. She is gentle and observant. She loves when children visit."

Mama Needs a Nap

Sue Hunter, owner of www.heartwoodnurseryinc.com, shared this photo of her cat, Mama. Sue recently shared another one of her cats, Willie. You can view it here.

Sue writes, "This is Mama Sage. She is keeping warm in the greenhouse. No one messes with this Mama."

He Willie Likes Plants!

Sue Hunter, owner of www.heartwoodnurseryinc.com, shared these photos of her cat. Sue was a recent guest on the GardenDC Podcast talking all about growing hollies. You can listen to it here.

Sue writes, "My white cat's name is Willie. He is 10 years old and was born here in a gathering basket in my laundry room. His ultimate domain is my greenhouse. He watches over all of my cuttings, plants, and me! He is so careful around the plants, walking gingerly between them, and keeps the other cats in line. Will is definitely the boss!

Little Miss Figgy

A few weeks ago, my garden club visited the Plants Alive! plant store. There, I met Figgy, the adorable (and adored) resident store cat. I asked the staff to share her story and  Amari Hemmings sent in these photos and wrote:

Meet Figgy, our lovable greenhouse cat and furry mascot of Plants Alive! Rescued from Animal Services Baltimore County by the kind-hearted Becky Sass-Crews, Figgy found her forever home amongst the lush foliage of our greenhouse. This whiskered wonder has since flourished in her new environment, charming everyone who enters our verdant sanctuary.

Figgy's days are filled with the sweet aroma of blossoms and the gentle rustle of leaves, providing her with the perfect playground for her curious spirit. An expert in plant navigation, she loves to explore every nook and cranny of the greenhouse, ensuring that no leaf goes unturned. Her favorite pastime, however, is bonding with our dedicated employees, who have come to treasure her delightful antics and friendly purrs.

Customers visiting our greenhouse are always thrilled to encounter Figgy, as she warmly greets them with a flick of her tail and an inquisitive gaze. As she rubs up against their legs and weaves through the foliage, Figgy never fails to bring a smile to their faces. She has become an integral part of our team and a beloved ambassador of our establishment.

Follow our instagram to keep up with Figgy - @plantsalive

Cowboy Kitty

Trisha Gedon, Senior Communications Specialist, Agricultural Communications Services, Oklahoma State University, shared these pics of Cowboy Kitty, the resident cat of The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma,  USA. She tracked down a source of Cowboy Kitty intel, Laura Payne, who used to be the Volunteer Coordinator there, but is now the OSU Extension horticulture educator in Payne County.

Laura told Trisha: “He was given to us by Linda Shackelford around 2012ish. He loves being the center of attention and if there is anyone around with a camera, he will find them. I once had to go get him from a family photo shoot, because he kept walking back into the shot.   He loves Temptation treats and chasing rodents in the garden, but most of all he just loves being around people.”

 

Linda Shackelford, and her late husband, Charles, were long-time supporters of The Botanic Garden at OSU. They also owned/operated TLC, a very successful greenhouse/nursery in Oklahoma City. They retired in 2012 and he passed away in 2022.

Tippy Toes in the Bulb Boxes

Regular contributor Marie Mims Butler shared these photos and wrote, "Meet Tippy Toes. For 14 years she has been a sales cat at Norfolk County Feed and Seed in Portsmouth, VA. She lures customers in with her charm and willingness to be worshipped. Tubers, bulbs, seeds, plants, pots, and products mysteriously appear in the customer’s cart. Tippy Toes is a feline siren. She scoffs at our efforts to resist."

"In my Facebook post, Les Parks posted a picture of another Feed and Seed kitty (shown below) Gizmo has lost garden center privileges after trying to commute across 4 lanes of traffic to and from home. She is safely lounging at home, scoffing at those who work for such a pampered way of life."

Gizmo by Les Parks

Marie Mims Butler's previously shared posts to this blog include these:

https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2016/10/its-southern-thing.html

https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2012/12/leaves-or-squirrels.html

https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2014/06/you-understand-me.html

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."

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 

Run, Rabbit, Run

Photo courtesy of Susan Martin @Gardener Sue's News.

Garden communicator Susan Martin shared this photo of a handsome tabby cat in a garden bed that she took at Walters Gardens, a wholesale plant nursery, in Zeeland, MI. (I originally spotted the image on the Proven Winners Instagram page and had to track down its source. What a nice surprise to find out it was colleague and fellow GardenComm member.)

She wrote, "What I know is that Walters has a small crew of cats that work as rodent control in their gardens. They had a terrible rabbit problem there years ago and the cats took care of the problem. This cat is part of that crew. If you visit their gardens, the cats will come out to greet you and beg for belly rubs. They are very sociable."

To see more of Susan's photos and work, follow her at the Gardener Sue's News Facebook page. 

Grateful Gracie

Heidi Douglas of Browns Ferry Gardens, a daylily breeder and seller, in Georgetown, SC, shared these photos.

She said: "This is Gracie. She arrived here in 2011 when she hitched a ride on a friend's truck who lives 28 miles away. When we found her, he said that it was one of his from the feral colony he has near his home. She was about 6 weeks old."

"She was really sick, so we took her to the vet and she was doing great within a few days.  She has no feral tendencies at all and is sweet as can be. She loves walking through the seedling beds with me in the morning, but I have to carry her so she can see the flowers. Her best friend is Sadie, my cocker spaniel and she loves to rub up next to her and show her her belly."