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An older man in glasses and overalls plants a tomato seedling as a white cat digs in the garden soil beside him. 13 / 35

Grandpa Had One Job: Plant the Tomatoes. Then His Assistant Arrived.

AI imagewhite catvegetable gardenspring

The garden beds are freshly turned and dark, and Hank is down on one knee pressing soil around a young tomato plant with his bare hands. Glasses perched on his nose and sleeves rolled up over his overalls, he is grinning sideways at his helper. Cotton has her front paw buried in the dirt right next to him, pulling back a scoop of soil with serious focus, white fur already dusted brown around her toes. Rows of seedlings, twine trellises, a clay pot and a weathered fence make the backyard plot feel homey and well tended.

Digging is a deeply rooted cat behavior. In the wild, cats dig to bury their waste, which helps hide their scent, and soft garden soil feels a lot like a litter box to them. Their paws also carry scent glands, so scratching at the ground leaves a personal mark. For gardeners, this means a couple of practical habits are worth adopting. Wearing gloves while working in soil that cats may use is commonly recommended, and washing hands well afterward is a good idea for everyone, especially pregnant people or anyone with a weakened immune system. Covering bare earth with mulch or netting while plants are young can steer cats elsewhere. Tomato leaves and stems are also best kept away from pets that like to nibble.

Hank's tomatoes are going in one by one, and Cotton is making sure every single hole gets a second opinion.

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