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."

Hang in There

 

This hanging pot of pothos is the perfect perch for this handsome cat.

The earliest posts I can find on a Google image search is at https://cheezburger.com/9067720192, but no credit is given. If you know who took this originally, please let me know ASAP so I can credit this properly.

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!

How to Submit YOUR Garden Cat Photos/Stories

Cat in wheelbarrow with bird.
Photo by Amber-Dawn Broomberg of
Johannesburg, South Africa on Unsplash

Being enchanted by both cats and gardens, I decided to start this blog for fun to combine the beauty of both. I know that many of you share my interest in these two passions and I hope you will submit your own images of garden cats with us.

Note that we define a garden as any cultivated spot with plants. This can be anything from a public park to your bedroom windowsill!

Here is how to submit your image:
- Email to KathyJentz (at) gmail (dot) com
- Put "Cats in Gardens" in the subject line
- Attach your image(s)
- In the body of the email include:
  ~ your name or you can choose to be "anonymous"
  ~ the cat's name (if known)
  ~ where the photo was taken (city, state, country)
  ~ if you have a blog, social media, or web site you would like to have linked to in the post
  ~ a paragraph or so about the cat or the garden or both, we love to hear your stories!

Poinsettia are NOT Poisonous

Have you hesitated to bring poinsettias into your home lest you be causing injury to your feline companions? Well, it turns out that all the hype about poinsettias being a problem for our pets is overblown and inaccurate. Our friends at the National Garden Bureau recently shared the following post straightening out that misconception: 

Poinsettia are NOT Poisonous

It is a common belief that poinsettia plants are poisonous. But the fact is, they’re NOT. An Ohio State University study, conducted in 1971, debunked this myth. Researchers found the plant is not toxic, even in high doses. The POISINDEX® Information Service, the primary resource used by most poison control centers, states that a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 500 poinsettia bracts to surpass experimental doses. Based on the rodent tests, accepted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the commission denied a 1975 petition filed by a New York citizen demanding that poinsettia plants carry caution labels that indicate they are poisonous. Learn more.

Poinsettias are NOT poisonous to Dogs and Cats

Most veterinary medicine websites state that poinsettias can be mildly toxic to dogs and cats. Washington State University says “Poinsettias have received bad publicity in the past. They do contain a milky sap that can irritate the mouth, but symptoms are usually mild if they develop.”

For more about poinsettia selection and care, go to: https://ngb.org/tips-for-making-your-poinsettia-shine/

Percy's Gardens

 

Meet Percy. He is one of the Longwood Gardens cats. I am assuming he is named after the Peirce family, who owned the property before the Du Pont's purchased it and turned the farm and Peirce's Park into the famous public garden that is there today.

Previously, we shared other Longwood Cats on this blog, including Mulligan, Belin, and Spooky.  

I met Percy when I visited Longwood last month and was sitting on a bench near the idea garden. Percy gave my leg a little head bump as he passed, but otherwise kept to himself and seemed more interested in rustling noises coming from the foliage in nearby beds than the humans who approached and wanted to pet him.

A Kiss for Kes

Tamara Stoneburner shared this lovely In Memoriam post for her late cat, Kes. "She is officially the oldest person (in terms of human years, and well, cat years) I’ve ever known…"

KES

September 12, 2000 - May 21, 2023 (5pm)

I am not an overt “pet” person, but thank God she was a “human” cat. I was her human — I find myself deeply humbled… and honored.

For 23 years she was my studio companion. A lap cat, she was, with a disconcertingly loud and rumbling purr, not unlike a John Deere tractor. She was fiercely loyal to those people and other cats she accepted (and a bit of a jackass to those she did not suffer, namely Bogart, our 14-year old cat mentioned in prior posts). In later years she mellowed, especially since becoming both blind and deaf. We’d nicknamed her “Roomba” as she navigated the first-floor perimeters, locating food/water, the litter box, our presence, and her personal favorite: the warmth of the sun.

Her last day with us was highlighted by time spent outdoors. Having been an indoor cat, she was introduced to the concept of grass and the essence of most fragrant peonies. She ate of the grass (and an earthworm — I guess she was Flexitarian; there’s no accounting for taste). I believe she became scent-drunk as she rubbed her face vigorously among the peonies. And she experienced the light breezes of this phenomenal late-Spring afternoon.

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I cannot recommend enough the concierge hospice/in-home euthanasia services of Lap of Love here in northern Virginia. The calming, informative, and compassionate presence of Dr. Jessica Gibson was most appreciated.

HTTPS://www.lapoflove.com/

Tamara previously shared her cat Bogart with us on the Cats in Gardens blog. You can read that post here: https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2023/05/guardian-of-stoop.html