Scotch on the Rocks

 

Kathy Guenterberg, Gaithersburg, MD, shared this photo of  her cat Scotch.  He was sitting in the birdbath looking up at the bird feeder. "He is 13. We got him as a kitten through a rescue group and my Aussie at the time, Shadow, who LOVED kittens, picked him out."

 

He and his current canine companion, Dutchie, like to sit like this and survey their "garden kingdom.

Sorry, Charlie!

Shane Worth of Washington, DC, shared this photo of  his cat, Charlie, and a cheeky squirrel.

"I took in three cats from a rural community in Powhatan, VA. One decided to go exploring, and met Charlie, the local alpha here. So long story short, Charlie charmed his way in, and is now totally a part of the household"

"I've been imagining the squirrel-cat interaction in comical ways, where the squirrel always sounds like one or another of the Monty Python guys, and is saying something like, 'No, no, nobody wants to come out and play. We're not falling for that nonsense again. No, it doesn't very much how nicely you ask, or even if you do sit there forever. So go on, shoo! Just go away!' "

Mellow Peep

Lynn Vismara of Wheaton, MD, shared this slumbering feline on a hot summer afternoon:
"We should all be sleeping like this today ‪#‎feelingthebreezeonmytootsies‬"

"She's a 13-year-old tortie-mix that was adopted from PetFinder.com. She came from a home of 16 other kitties, who were actually very well cared for. She used to sit on her previous owners chest when she was sick with cancer. She's named 'Peep' 'cuz we adopted her around Easter, and she likes to go under the covers and peep you."

Versace GoFundMe Campaign

 

My little Versace has been through an ordeal and it was a very costly one, so I started a Go Fund Me page here:

 

https://gofundme.com/2bawxexg

 

He is doing MUCH better now and I thank all of you for your well-wishes, prayers, and notes of encouragement!

 

Next week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled "Cats in Gardens" shares.

The Cat's Meow

This daylily enthusiast in Carroll County, Maryland, named her collector's garden after the cat's she adores. She grows and sells gorgeous daylilies from her expansive garden as well as offering a traditional English tea on certain dates. Learn more at:
http://www.thecatsmeowdaylilygarden.com/App_Content/home.aspx

How to Keep Cats OUT of Your Garden

citrus peels

At the Cats in Gardens blog, we get the occasional crab-ball who does not want cats in their garden at all. (These same short-sighted folks then ask how to protect their fruit trees and veggie gardens from rodents, rabbits, etc.)  To be fair, even we cat-loving gardeners might have areas we do not want our kitties to explore in our yards. Here are a few methods I picked up from a Leesburg, VA cat group for keeping cats out of your garden.

Barriers:
- roll out chicken wire
- push pine cones into the soil
- lay down rose bush trimmings
- spread out mesh produce and bulb bags anchored with twigs

Shock and Awe:
- motion detector sprinklers

Smell and Annoyances:
- citrus peels
- highly scented plants like marigolds, geranium, and lemon thyme

Got a humane method that keeps cats out of outdoor spots they should not be in?
Please share it in the comments field below?

set up barriers like chicken wire and plastic "spikes"

Rhapsodizing

Colleen Ward of Kensington, MD, shared her kitty, Rhapsody:

"Rhaps is a 10 year old male tabby from Rockville animal shelter. I got him when he was two. Extremely affectionate and loves his tuna from the can at 5:00am before I head off to work. Loves to sun-bathe himself in the garden. And is always close by his big sister Minnie, she is a chow chow."