Smoke Signals

Stephanie Thompson Fleming of Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, MD., (see her other cat posts).

She write, "Smokey... Our tomcat that showed up as a tiny runt. We had him for 18 years. What a cat. Use to have a caution sign on his cage at the vets. He pretty much hated all of us except my daughter Jaimie when he was young. As he got older he calmed down. We miss him so much. What a guy. Always thought he was a hunter.. NOT. would sneak up on everything and pounce,  but what a klutz Here he is getting a sip of water and Smokey thinking he was hiding it."


 

A Man's Cat

Stephanie Thompson Fleming of Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, MD., shared these pictutes of her grandson, Aaron, and her cat, Gabby, at their home garden.

Stephanie said, "I have always planned to write a book called the cats that have found us ... 36 years and 3 cats all whom just showed up and gave us love and joy. This is our current cat, Gabby, she found us one day about two years before our cat Smokey died. I think cats have a way of knowing things like that. She was already fixed and is such a nice cat. She is a man's cat as she follows my husband around like a dog. Pictured here is Gabby with a rabbit she caught. She is one of our best hunters. She is also pictured with Aaron saying 'hello' to the chickens."

Gardening IS More Fun... with Cats!

Do you love gardening as much as you love your cat? Check out a few ways to bring your true loves together and double your fun!

Cats love spending time outdoors with you, so they make perfect gardening companions. Try taking your cat with you the next time you�re planting, transplanting, or weeding. Here�s how to get the most out of the experience.

Choose Cat-Friendly Blooms

Cats make the perfect gardening buddies. Your cat loves to sit in the sun, watch the wildlife, and enjoy the cool breezes. She may sit calmly � and quietly � by your side as you tend to the weeds and sow new seeds. So why not reward her attention by choosing plants that are attractive to cats?
Of course, no cat garden would be complete without catnip. You can purchase this special kitty treat as seeds and plant them in early spring. By summer, you�ll have a bundle of catnip for your kitty to sniff, play with, and roll around in. Cats also seem to enjoy sprawling plants, such as alyssum and heather, and savory-smelling herbs like parsley, sage, and thyme.

Some cats love to nibble on greens, so you should make sure you don�t have any toxic plants growing in your garden. Common flowers like foxglove are highly poisonous to cats and should be taken out of flower beds. If you must have one of these plants in your garden, grow it in hanging pots, where your cat can�t get to it. Plants that are poisonous to cats include morning glory, lily of the valley, oleander, and daffodil. Talk to your veterinarian if you have any question about what plants to avoid.

Create a Cat Perch

Most cats enjoy climbing and perching on high structures to better peruse their surroundings and take a quick nap. If this sounds like your kitty, build her an elevated space to call her own in your garden. You can purchase outdoor cat perches at a pet supply store or make your own out of a few pieces of plywood.

Keep Her Safe

If your cat is used to spending most of her time indoors, make sure to keep your cat safe when you venture outside. First, you�ll want to keep her on a leash so she won�t scamper off or go traipsing into a neighbor�s garden. Next, nix any pesticides and herbicides from your garden. Pesticides aren�t good for anyone, least of all your cat.

Final Touches

If you don�t mind doing some garden redesign, you might want to add a couple of extra touches just for your cat. For example, you could create small hidden places for her or a shady wooden shelter for when she wants to take a break from all the gardening she�s helping you with. Your cat is sure to appreciate the love and attention you put into your garden just for her � as well as all the quality time spent by your side.

Photo Credit: Barbara Walsh via Flickr of her cat, Mojito

Source: The Petcentric Team

http://petcentriccat.tumblr.com/tagged/training&behavior?utm_campaign=PE+NL+cat&utm_medium=email&utm_source=PPEA_042015_01+apr+nl&utm_content=cat+activities

You can call me Ray, you can call me Jay�

Janet Loughrey recently shared this photo of "Raymond in my garden at dusk." Janet explained, "He's not my cat. He just hangs out in my yard with my cat, Tonka. They are buddies. I don't even know his name; I just call him Raymond because he needed to be called something." Her own cat, Tonka, was "just behind me supervising my photo skills."

 

You can see more of Janet's beautiful photography at http://www.loughreyphoto.com/Site/Home.html.

A True Garden Companion

 Rob Chambon of Bicknell, Indiana, USA, recently posted this lovely essay about his late cat to his Facebook page and agreed to share it here as well.

Rob wrote: "Cabbie Girl, my faithful and loving companion, is gone. She has left me today to pass into another realm where, in the words of a beloved friend, she is now running freely amidst butterflies and fields of beautiful wildflowers, forever without end. She came to me in the fall of 2007, abandoned by her previous owners. I don't know if I found her, or she found me, but either way, she touched me deeply. Cabbie filled a void in my life for all those glorious years she stayed here with me, often times running out to greet my car as it turned into the driveway. I could always count on her being near at all times, sleeping as she usually did, on my deck beneath the lights of my tree.

"Countless times over the years, Cabbie would follow me into my woodland garden, waiting patiently for me, while I toiled away at building another section or adding more plants. She was there almost from the very beginning, seeing for herself how the garden was expanding, and often times giving her a new place to roam. I'd turn and see here there, lying on a rotting log, or resting on a cut up tree stump watching me and waiting to once again follow me out of the woods when I was through. I shall miss those moments forever.

"It's truly amazing how much we can be so touched by loving animals like this. They give us unconditional love and fill voids in our lives like nothing else can. Cabbie, I am so very blessed with your presence these past nine years, but it was time to let you go, dear girl. And so, with that said, I finish this message, with tears in my eyes, saying goodbye one last time to the finest pet a guy like me could ever have. Goodbye dear girl, my beloved Cabbie. I love you so much and miss you terribly. You are free now."

Pumpkin Spice

This is Pumpkin. He is one of four cats that lives at the home of a lovely lady in Brandywine. MD. She hosted a  Mount Airy Clay Breakers Garden Club meeting at her home which I gave a talk at about "Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter."

Pumpkin is about five-years-old and is a bit shy. He prefers the company of other cats to people, but don't we all sometimes?

Warning: Invasive Species

Thanksgiving Farmshttp://thanksgivingfarmandgarden.com/ is a 57-acre family-run farm in Adamstown, MD. We have a 40+ greenhouse operation. Specializing in the unusual, CSA, produce, and orchard. 

 

They recently shared this photo and warning on their Facebook page:

 

"Cat-nap -- it's very invasive. Grows in sun or shade depending on the season. You don't plant it, it plants itself and that is usually on the most expensive flower in your garden and/or container. Hungry feeder and likes lots of water. Has briars/claws. Also comes in Dog-nap. This variety is much larger, with more destruction. The Dog-nap has a tendency to uproot vegetation in order to plant it's self. Both can/should be transplanted indoors to overwinter."