Brunswick Street Garden Cats

These two are brothers. I remember them when they were kittens. Looks like I caught them during bath time. 

Garden Cat Nap

Garden cat chillin in the lilies. 

This guy used to be really skinny. Then he was trapped, neutered, and released back into the garden. Now he enjoys regular meals and the company of lots of other semi-feral, fixed cats, and he looks like a big hunk of kitty. 

Don't worry, these unstoppable day lilies bounced right back. 

Cats Like Fish Toys

Mao Mao really went to town on her toy fish. Sometimes she needs to be encouraged to play and other times she just takes care of it herself. Take that, toy fish!

Between the Sheets... with Mao Mao

Who doesn't like a little help when making the bed?

Solstice Eve Garden

The temperature outside was in the 50s today so I decided to do one last 2013 garden visit. Most of the garden was still under a blanket of snow but I managed to dig out some late season carrots. 

There were a few greens poking through the snow too so I brought home a mustard green leaf for Mao Mao. She likes to munch on something leafy but she's never tried this flavorful green. I'm not sure she'll like it but I couldn't pass up homegrown food for the kitty. 

Speaking of kitties, all the usual suspects were accounted for in the garden. The furry guy finally looks comfortable. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you loyal MaoMaoKitty readers!

A Calico Cat in Fall Foliage

It's a little late (it's snowing outside right now), but I couldn't resist sharing these wonderful photos of Mao Mao romping in the fall foliage from a few years back.  Who doesn't love seeing a cat surrounded by autumn beauty?

Garden Cats

The Brunswick Street Community Garden is populated by a big kitty family. Over the years, I've seen wacky little kittens grow into very relaxed cats, right at home in our urban garden oasis. Sometimes they mistake the garden plots for giant litter boxes (especially in the spring after the soil has been tilled) but for the most part they are a pleasant addition to the landscape. 

The majority of the cats are mostly white with either gray tabby spots or black spots (like these two friendly guys).  There's also a very nervous all black shorthair and a long hair guy who is perpetually fighting matted fur in the summer. They are all fixed (I think) and when a new one shows up a cat caretaker in the garden traps, fixes, and releases the kitty before the population can expand. 

Garden Cat Bath... Sideways!

My computer is too old to do this anymore, so you'll have to look at them sideways.

Eating local, real local.

I had a big harvest yesterday after not visiting the garden for a week.  Everything looked fine.  The Beefmaster plant is huge and still producing tomatoes.  It would probably do well with an 8' stake at this point but it's going to have to be content with draping all over the corn.  The beans continue to flower and my succession planting seems to be a success.  The younger plants should begin flowering in the next week.  To make room I thinned out some of the older plants that looked a little dry.  We ate the beets, beans, and carrots last night along with our first installment from our fish CSA (silver hake).  It was a very local dinner!

I'm growing a dramatic sunflower called Earth Walker.  I would like a whole bouquet of these but since I've only got one, I guess it'll stay in the garden.

Anybody want a kitten?  This little ruffian is running around the garden and sitting on my plants.  I love crazy face markings on cats though, and this guy/gal has one killer nose!

These trees are in bloom in Jersey City right now.  The big billowy flowers look great but turn into a disgusting sidewalk pulp once they come down.

A Chipmunk named Mao Mao

New Apartment, Same Old Cat

Mao Mao has made herself a comfortable perch on the boxes that just won't go away. Since we moved without bookshelves, many items have nowhere to go just yet. Luckily Josh Urso Design is making us some unique shelves that will fit our space. I'll have to speak with them about some sort of cat tree I guess.

Mao Mao Shoot Pt. 3

Mao Mao Shoot Pt. 2

Mao Mao Shoot Pt. 1