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Tortoiseshell cat sitting in a raised garden bed full of loose, dug-up soil, looking up with golden eyes. 12 / 24

A Tortoiseshell Cat Redesigns the Garden Without Asking

AI imagetortoiseshell catgarden beddigging

The raised flower bed looked tidy this morning. Now the soil has been turned over, and the tortoiseshell cat sitting in the middle of it looks up with large golden eyes as if she has just been asked about the weather. Her coat is a patchwork of black, orange, and brown, and bits of dark earth cling to her paws and chest. Around the bed, a trowel, a pair of gardening gloves, and a pot of seedlings suggest somebody was in the middle of planting.

To a cat, freshly turned soil is hard to resist. It is soft, easy to dig, and makes a convenient bathroom, so a garden bed can look like the best litter box in the world. If your cat loves digging, try covering bare soil with chicken wire or decorative stones, or offer a sandbox or a pot of safe cat grass for her own use. Remember that some garden plants and fertilizers are harmful to cats, so check what is growing before she explores, and call your vet if she eats something questionable. Tortoiseshells are famous for their bold personalities, and many owners joke that they have a lot of attitude, which fits a cat who is comfortable sitting in the middle of a mess.

This one has the calm confidence of a gardener who has just rearranged everything for the better. The seedlings will need replanting, but the cat looks perfectly at peace.

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