Marge Moves In

Allen I think it\'s so cool that you have a cat. I love cats. I even say that I\'m part human and part cat because my momma said I behaved like a cat. LOL I had a beautiful calico cat named Felicia. She was mostly white but she had black and brown in her coat too. I remember how beautiful she looked sitting in my momma\'s flower garden. That would have made a beautiful painting. Cats are very unique and intelligent animals. My favorite memory of Felicia is whenever I would cry, she would jump up on my lap and lick my tears from my face. It was like she was telling me not to cry.

I loved reading this story about Marge and her two kittens. It is very interesting how animals find us...I have adopted 6, the first 3 are one year older than the last 3 adopted kittens. I found them at our local shelter online through their photo gallery. Now, my son and I can't imagine our lives without them. We have a large garden and all 6 love living in the garden during spring, summer, and fall. Our tuxedo cat's love to smell the flowers right along with us. All 6 cats enjoy chasing butterfly's and all kinds of garden bugs. It has been very entertaining watching their "cat ballet," as they explore our garden. Look forward to more articles on the adventures of Marge, Mr. Peabody, & Puff!

Being the animal Lover that I am I am so Happy that you took Marge in with her Kittens and gave them a "Lovely Home"!! Thanks Allen and may God Bless you on becoming a "Cat Daddy"!!! Barb

I watch Garden Home as often as possible. Almost everyday. Living life to the fullest and sharing the blessings of gardening with the creatures we share our lives with is a gift. Would love to see a segment on Garden Home about gardening with cats (I have three fur balls with legs myself), dogs, or other domestic animals, since they enrich our lives, hearts, and share mother earth with us.

I left my garage door open last July 31st and in the night a cat went in and had her kittens, now we have four house guests!

Hi Allen! Thank you so much for sharing Marge the Cat with us, and now Mr. Peabody and Puff! I love their names! You are a very wonderful man for taking such good care of them...Marge looks beautiful and very well taken care of. Also, a big, big Thank You for taking them all to the vet to get them fixed! I have 7 cats (all rescues) and am very involved with spay neuter. I really enjoy your writing and your show, and now you're even more special to me for loving cats!! Keep up the great work in everything you do.

Love to read about Marge and the gang. Would like to see more photos. mycamper at Juno dot com

Hi Allen, I enjoy your show from time to time, I read your Article on Marge moves in and I thought that was so sweet. I rescue animals as well from time to time. I spent my childhood up on Mt. Wilson observatory in California, my late father Dr. Merv. G. Utter working as a solar Physicist during the 60's and 70's. I got to love the animals up there and have always had a heart for nature. I loved that you rescued Marge. I rescued a young mother cat and her son from a bush in front of my bank, and named her Hope, she has now been placed in a good home. I also have three cats of my own, Lucky( Big sister) Pesky (Little sister) and Little Boy( little brother), they are the grand children from a tortie kitten I rescued off of the 101 freeway. We also have two dogs, Cloud and Trixie, two fish and a miniture hamster named chantel. The first pet I ever had was a Cayote pup my father rescued named Jup, after the planet I first saw through the 100 inch telescope on Mt. Wilson. Jups mother had died. We had to re-entroduce Jup back into the wild because he did not fit into our household as he was very high strung, and it was the right thing to do. I always think of Jup up on Mt. Wilson, playing with his own pups or maybe grandpups. I think its wonderful to rescue and take care of animals, when we take care of our pets they reward us with unconditional love and funny antics. I once had a cat named fluffy as a child, he was a grey tiger striped tabby. He could jump and flip in the air and clap his paws together as little pale yellow butterflys passed overhead, it left me in rolling in laughter as a young teenager. The funniest thing I ever observed was a friends cat, a simese cat. She saw another cat go by outside her window, and she jumped up to the window to hiss at her. She did not notice that she had jumped into a sinkful of water and she was standing ankle deep. she jupmped out, feeling sort of embarrased, fur ruffled, and shaking off her back paws as she padded out of the kitchen. Thank you for your beautiful show and your wonderful internet sight. I am as happy watching your show as I am watching the Victory Garden. It really makes me feel as if I have had a restful weekend, and it fills me with knowledge for my own small garden. Sincerly, Eleanore Rose Utter-Rosanova

How fortunate that Marge found such a compassionate person to take in both her and her family! As the "mom" of 7 formerly shelter cats, my heart goes out to all the animals that need homes, dogs, cats, whatever. Thanks for being there for Marge and loving her, Mr. Peabody and Puff!

Fabulous addition to your garden! Well done! I have 3 cats as well and started a spay/neuter for wandering cats on Nantucket Island in 1999. To date they have spay/neutered over 1,500 cats with the help of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). Spay/neuter keeps cats healthy! Keep the columns coming! We will tell friends.

i know this black came to me , hungry i gave three hot dogs and she never left i still have her today

All of our pets, whether they are felines, canines and etc. are the most gracious, loving and caring pets, whom will always there for us. We are their voice and caretaker and need to be there for them. I have four felines and their names are Vu, Chelsey, Mei Ling and Suci and their vicious past will never be known, because they cannot speak to us, other than what we observe in the behaviour or actions. Mr. Smith, you have been blessed. We love your enlightning show.

All of our pets, whether they are felines, canines and etc. are the most gracious, loving and caring pets, whom will always there for us. We are their voice and caretaker and need to be there for them. I have four felines and their names are Vu, Chelsey, Mei Ling and Suci and their vicious past will never be known, because they cannot speak to us, other than what we observe in the behaviour or actions. Mr. Smith, you have been blessed. We love your enlightning show.

Where are the pictures of Mr. Peabody and Puff! I can just see these three being able to keep you entertained for a considerable amount of time. What does Marge think about the newest addition to your family? And as for paying their way well I agree with you 100%. No need for chemicals to rid your "farm" of unwanted critters is most assuredly a plus! Lets see your photos please. Thanks, memaw

You certainly have a beautiful cat. Pets offer peace and tranquility. I am a nurse and I have often witnessed how pets provide therapy to children and adults. My cat is part Tabby and Calico, and her name is Cala Lilly. My Pomeranian is named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I live in Antioch, but originally from Iowa. I had seven cats during my first marriage when I lived on a farm in Jackson, NE. They also paid their rent in keeping the mice population down in the barns as well.

I met you at the Bonnie meeting in Montgomery, AL this week and truly enjoyed your presentation. I heard you mention Marge, but did not realize it was a cat until I went to your web-site. i too am a cat lover and will enjoy reading what Marge has to say. Again, thank you for becoming a part of our team. God Bless, Arica

Marge is smart to move indoors now. The bed, special place, etc. will be ready for the really cold blast of winter. My three outdoor cats (moved in from next door when the neighbor moved away after Hurricane Katrina) have selected their beds on my carport and are ready for our 3 or so days of 30's temps. Happy Holidays, Marge! We love you!

I love reading about Marge since she has adapted so nicely to life with a gardener. Give her a nice pat for me! XXX

It is so very wonderful to read an article where you don't read about 'bailout and the sort'. Boy, did I feel light and happy. Though I've never had a kitten, an old couple I visit frequently have a lot of them. They are so cute and smart. So I'll definitely keep on reading this wonderful tales. Thanks for making our lives happy. Love, Martha Nieto

I love watching you on TV, and moving around your website looking and finding things of interest. I am not a cat person, more a dog lover, but love all of nature. I have a cousin that has always had cats, and they seem to take to me as soon as I come into the house. They are very fasinating to watch for sure. Thank you for keeping the cat and her kittens....many people would have run her away. Hopefully a stray dog will come by soon....just kidding!!

I have not, until now, read any of your letters about Marge. This letter was great and I will catch up and continue to follow her exploits. My reason for writing is to congratulate you on your responsible pet ownership by getting them spayed & or neutered, even though it appears that Marge adopted you. I belong to PAWS (Pet adoption & welfare society) of Carteret in Carteret Co. NC and we are always trying to educated people in responsible pet ownership and we are do help families with vet bills, as well as fostering animals. Our ultimate goal is to open our Pet Adoption Center. Thank you for your wonderful website, I learn something every time I open one of your newsletters received at my e-mail.

What an awesome thing you did - providing a home for all three of the cats. It would been a beautifully humane thing to do even if you just kept one! I think that watching kittens' antics is incredibly amusing - not many things can top it! For the first year or so they provide virtually non-stop entertainment. That's not to say that Marge won't be just as amusing to have around - I currently have 3 cats (all strays/rescues) of varying ages (Wheezer-12 yrs old, Winky-6 yrs. old, and Dani-1yr. old), and each has his or her own unique and endearing quirky little charming personalities (all cats do!) So even while I'm thoroughly enjoying watching the 1 yr. old's antics (she's the first kitten I've ever had despite having at least one cat in my home for 30 years and also being involved in animal rescue for several years), the older 2 are just as fascinating! They too love to play, take time out to be lovingly affectionate (cats can express their feelings just as good as dogs can!), plus there's the added benefit that they no longer shred my curtains - they jump on and off the windowsills much more gracefully now and are not in as big a rush as the kitten! Working at the shelter has shown me that too many people do not realize all the love, fun, and affection older cats have to offer and often are only interested in adopting kittens without even looking at the older cats! They don't know what they're missing! Older cats are just as fascinating. They enjoy nothing better than romping around with me (or each other), playing with their toy mice, balls, etc. or chasing a string of yarn around - they still leap as high as the kitten does when trying to capture the yarn! Winky even fetches - I throw a toy mouse down the hallway, he chases it and carries it back to me in his mouth so I can throw it again! I never taught him to fetch - he just loves to keep playing! I truly believe he is officially a genius! I'm not sure who's luckier - Marge and her kittens for their new home, or you for all the pleasure each one of them will bring to you. I applaud your decision to keep all three and I heartily offer best wishes to one and all!! I look forward to future posts about your new "family".

Congratulations on your extended family... we have a cat named Henry who loves to be outside with us. He hangs out on our bluestone patio and loves to rub his nose and his cheek against all different types of surfaces. Henry likes to explore the "woods" next door and has brought us many different gifts over the past 6 years. He even walks with us (like a dog!) through the meadow across the street. Our Golden Retriever Ting is younger than Henry but he loves his Kitty. They lie together outside and love to feel the breeze in their fur. Thanks for all the great ideas about making gardens pet friendly. Daniel and I will definitely put them to good use!

So glad you like the cat that moved in, I believe that cats and gardening go together as long as you don't have over just one or two, and what a coincident, my cat is named Puff. My only problem is protecting the bird nests and little ones when they first emerge from the nest, it is a big job for me. Any suggestions?? I like the Marge articles.

I'm unable to have a garden. I do have a wonderful cat named Little Man.

This sounds like what happened to us last year. Mama cat brought her two kittens to our house and adopted us. Mama is now called Goldie ( a beautiful tabby), the son is solid black named Bubby and the daughter is also tabby named Brindi. We have had numerous trips to the vet, and even though it has been expensive, it is well worth it for the joy they bring us.

Maybe it's just me, but cats and gardens just simply go TOGETHER!

You're blessed to have found Marge, Mr. Peabody, and Puff. . And they're blessed to have found you. - M. ""/

Animal person that I am, I will certainly enjoy reading your Marge column. I have even written a book about my pets and observations of wild life, Critter Capers. I came to your site to look up about peonies and caring for them for a friend. I will send your web address to her. Thank you for your wonderful TV programs and this web site.

It's amazing how they show up out of the blue and find us, take over our hearts in one look..I just chalk it up to God blessing us with a 4 footed love ball......enjoy the family!!she is beautiful

I hearing about Marge and her babbies, just thought I would tell you if you would like to hear how I got 2 .One morning me and my mother where eating breakfast and thought I heard a noise at the front door and I did and when I looked out there was a baby kitten. Well we had just lost are last cat to cancer and then what happen somebody drope or it found us not sure.But couple of weeks go by and one wwkend my mother desides it time to get ride of the Hummingbird Vine that was growing up one of oour porches colunms and another one comes out so we got instead of 1 but 2 kitten that year well the first one but we still have the second one. who just love killing birds digging for mols and catching mice. But we love her and she love us.

Your stories about Marge seem so natural and normal--the natural flow of life.

Your stories about Marge seem so natural and normal--the natural flow of life.

I always love to know why people "name" their pets . Why did you pick the name "Marge"?

Enjoyed reading about Marge. I love cats but sadly am alergic to them. Please keep us posted with news of her & babies. Doreen