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A grandma in a plaid shirt and floral apron plants a tomato seedling as an orange tabby cat paws at the soil beside her. 9 / 35

Abuela Rosa Was Planting Tomatoes. Mango Thought She Needed a Second Hole.

AI imageorange tabbyvegetable gardenplanting tomatoes

Spring planting has begun in the backyard, and the soil is dark, loose, and smelling of rain. Abuela Rosa kneels in her plaid shirt and flowered apron, glasses on, gently tucking a young tomato plant into its new home. She is grinning, mostly because of her assistant. Mango has planted his front paws in the dirt right next to her and is scooping out a hole of his own with great enthusiasm. Laundry flaps on the line behind them, a blue watering can lies tipped on its side, and stakes for more seedlings poke up around the bed.

Freshly turned garden soil is irresistible to many cats because it is soft, easy to dig, and feels a lot like a litter box. That can be a problem for young plants. A few gentle fixes help: lay chicken wire or twigs flat over the surface until seedlings grow, or give the cat its own sandy digging spot somewhere else. It is also worth knowing that the leaves and stems of tomato plants are not safe for pets to chew, and some garden products like slug bait and certain fertilizers can be harmful too. Keep those stored away and check labels before using anything where a cat roams.

Abuela Rosa does not seem worried today. She will probably move Mango's hole a few inches to the left and plant something in it. Every gardener needs a helper, even one whose methods are a little unconventional.

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