Swampy's catnip plant attacked!

[swampcritter]

Swampy thought it would be really fun to plant some catnip. Its in the mint family and grows like crazy.

This morning, Swampy found his catnip plant torn up, with a large amount of white hair all around and a hole in the dirt next to his plant, like something attempted to dig it out.

Some neighborhood cat must have had quite a party out there.

[swampcritter]

Well, mercifully that little white haired critter has left Swampy's plant alone. In the meantime, it has grown like crazy. Swampy now has a huge catnip patch.

Time to make tea!

[FurballsMom]

That's actually pretty funny.  I've tried to give my cat fresh catnip, but she isn't interested in the fresh kind.  So, I haven't bothered trying to grow any more.  Herbs don't seem to like the location of my balcony.

[LindaTX]

Yes, Swampy, like those new hanging tomato planters you see advertised on TV.  Let us know how that works...I know my cats can only jump soooo high  :)

[swampcritter]

Actually, Swampy had an even better idea -- get a hanging planter and grow the catnip in there.

[PrettyKitty1]

chicken wire....lol.

[swampcritter]

Yeah, Swampy has thought about buying some chicken wire and putting it around the pot. That would work.

[AppleBr]

Thank you for the tips about "How NOT to plant catnip"
All the cats of the neighborhood waiting for must have been something worth of appearing at one video... :-)

[Jade59]

My husband is going to plant another one, but this time put some wire around it, you know, like a tomato cage, so it can grow up :)

[swampcritter]

Actually, Swampy is surprised that it took the cats so long to find it.

Whatever cat this was hasn't shown up in several days (and the plant has partially recovered from its mauling).

Its part of the amusement of growing the catnip, you just have to keep it away from the other plants.

[Jade59]

LOL...about the wheat grass!  We grew some of that for Jade too, but she didn't want anything to do with it.  Didn't even want to squat over it.  

Funny story about the catnip too :)

[Fluffysmom]

Oh, Swampy; I know what it's like!  The first time I planted catnip outside (for Fluffy, indoor cat), I had no idea what it was like and planted it in a raised bed with my lemon balm,lemon grass, basil, tomatoes, etc.  The lemon balm grew as wildly as the catnip, and I soon noticed that it had a strong odor, like cat urine!  The cats would apparently mark it as "their" catnip plant on the other side of the lemon balm.

My roommate and I would look out the window at the garden, and see the neighborhood cats lined up, waiting for their turn in the catnip patch.  There was a definite pecking order, with the big orange tabby getting first roll in the nip!  The others would circle around, one behind a tree, another on a fence, waiting.  Fluffy didn't get any!

The next year I tried growing some in the house, but he didn't seem to want any; must not have been a high enough grade for him. I took it down to the edge of the wetlands to see if it would grow and provide entertainment for the neighborhood cats, but it didn't survive.

Reminds me of when Fluffy was young and I tried growing wheat grass for him to eat indoors in one of those long planters; came home and found him squating over a hole he'd dug in the young wheat grass....

[Jade59]

I feel ya, swampy.  We've tried planting catnip several times, but neighbor cat and Jade roll all over it and destroy it so it never matures, lol...

[PrettyKitty1]

aw Swampy......so sorry. Will you try again or did you give up on planting catnip?