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A wide-eyed tortoiseshell cat sits in a long planter tray of dug-up soil, uprooted seedlings and scattered dirt. 10 / 38

A Tortoiseshell Dug Up the Planter, and Now She's Frozen in the Soil

AI imagetortoiseshell catcaught in the actplanter

She is sitting right in the middle of the planter, and she has very large eyes. The long green tray has been dug into craters, seedlings lie uprooted with their pale roots showing, and dark soil has flown across the windowsill and the floor. A garden basket with gloves and a blue pot sits behind her, and a wet gray light shines through the window. The tortoiseshell has soil on her chest and one paw, and she stares straight ahead like she is waiting for a verdict.

Tortoiseshell cats have patchwork coats of black, orange, and brown, and they are almost always female. Many owners describe them as bold and full of personality, though every cat is different. Loose soil is a magnet for digging, because it is soft and smells interesting. For safety, keep an eye on what she is digging into. Some houseplants and garden plants are poisonous to cats, and fertilizers or pesticides in soil can be harmful if she licks her paws. If you spot her nibbling on leaves, check the plant and, when in doubt, call your vet. Covering the soil with stones or a mesh guard, and giving her a pot of cat grass, can keep both the plants and the cat out of trouble.

She is a small gardener with a big opinion about where the seedlings should go. The plants may not agree, but the cat is certain.

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