Pumpkin the Nursery Cat

Pumpkin welcomes Tall Husband and me to Buchanan's Native Plants in the Historic Houston Heights. Buchanan's is Houston's largest garden center devoted to Texas native plants and organic gardening.

"My favorite plant? Let me think about that." (This was a loaded question, since Tall Husband and I had, on a previous visit, seen Pumpkin deliriously silly as she nibbled at the catnip... on the job!)

"I'm still thinking."

"Catnip! Yes, I would have to say that my favorite plant is the nepeta cataria or catnip; it's a great ground cover and is a delicious shade of green."


We know, Pumpkin!

Here is the catnip at Buchanan's. The human staff have to cage the plant to prevent having their profits eaten up by Pumpkin. One staff member confessed that he does occasionally leave a bit of catnip unsecured for Pumpkin's indulgence.

Here's a cat's eye-view of the caged catnip.

After the interview and photo shoot, it's back to work for Pumpkin. "Alright, who disturbed the gravel? This has to be purrrfect. Do I smell the mischievousness of some dog!?"

Rudy: A canine customer at Buchanan's Native Plants; He swears he did not muss up the gravel, "That cat's crazy; I didn't even paws near that gravel! And that's merely water on the gravel to my right!"


This is the third in a series of stories about animals in the retail business. (see the first and second installments.)