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A kneeling grandpa in suspenders plants tomato seedlings while a fluffy white cat digs a hole in the soil beside him. 19 / 22

Earl Spent the Morning Planting Tomatoes. Pearl Was Busy With Her Own Project.

AI imagewhite catvegetable gardenspring planting

Planting day has come to Earl's vegetable bed. He kneels in the dirt in olive work pants and a plaid shirt, pressing soil firmly around a young tomato seedling with his weathered hands, while a row of staked plants stretches behind him. He is grinning, and for good reason: Pearl has decided to help. Her fluffy white coat is already flecked with dirt as she paws enthusiastically at a fresh hole in the soil, one front leg mid-scoop and her eyes narrowed in concentration. A hand trowel lies in the dirt nearby, and the backyard beyond is a happy mess of fences, buckets, and garden clutter.

Digging comes naturally to cats, and loose, freshly turned soil is especially tempting because it feels just like an enormous litter box. That is why many gardeners find that cats love to visit newly planted beds. If you would rather keep your cat out of the vegetables, try laying chicken wire or prickly mulch over the soil, or set aside a small patch of loose sand elsewhere where digging is welcome. Be cautious about garden products as well. Some fertilizers, slug baits, and pest treatments are dangerous to pets, and tomato leaves and stems are generally considered unsafe for cats to chew, so a little supervision goes a long way.

Earl does not seem the least bit bothered by his eager assistant. The tomatoes are going in, the sun is out, and Pearl is having the time of her life. Every garden could use a helper with this much enthusiasm.

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