Two years ago we adopted two kittens to try and protect the garden from rabbits, squirrels and other rodents. Jake and Ruby are as different as night and day. He's short haired and aggressive towards other animals, particularly the dogs everyone in the neighborhood seems to walk morning, noon and night. Knowing they are on a leash, he's been known to stand by the curb and growl as they walk by, with their owner's firm grip on the leash.
Ruby is a long-haired beauty who is all stealth. Whereas you can hear Jake walk into a room (he stomps), Ruby treads lightly and makes not a sound. Outside, she's a hunter, constantly stalking everything that moves. I have always enjoyed the birds in my garden, but stopped filling my feeder when we got the cats, because I didn't want to tempt fate. Even so, Ruby often has a stray feather in the corner of her mouth.
Jake and Ruby prowl the garden night and day, and sometimes it even seems like they have established a sentry schedule, for, when Jake wants out, it seems like Ruby is on the porch waiting to come in. They pass in the doorway and go about their duties. Later, she will claw the door to go out and he'll be waiting to come in.
Last fall Jake adopted one of my garden urns as his "perch". I noticed the begonia I had growing in the urn was very one-sided and could not figure out what was happening until I saw him crouching there one morning as I left for work. From there he can evidently watch the coming and going from the driveway and front porch and keep an eye on the passersby in the street.
I had planted a pot of tulips to place in this urn this spring, but the squirrels raided it (http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1248572/) so the urn is still empty. I think I'll avoid planting it this summer to give Jake his own space - a 'cat bird seat' as it were.
