Sunday Selfie: Pansy Buffet for Ollie
Last updated on February 22nd, 2018 at 10:28 pm
Hello everyone! I’m Ollie and I’m happy to be featuring in our first Sunday Selfie ever, hosted by The Cat on my Head – Kitties Blue. This is a momentous event for me so I will be putting my best paw forward. So in keeping with selfie culture on the inter-webs I have a few great angled shots and I think I have found my ‘good’ side. But here’s the thing, I absolutely love pansies and when faced with a bunch, I have to shove my head right in and start masticating like a cow. Those beautiful petals are wonderful to behold, but tastes pretty darn awesome too. Now before you go thinking that I am being a naughty boy, I can assure you that our big lady cat plants them especially for us cats! It’s safe for us to eat and guess, what? It’s so irresistible that the big lady cat herself uses it in summer salads and ice cubes. Now let’s get right to my photo shoot…
First you sniff to savour the sensation. It’s important to use all my kitty senses for the full experience.
Don’t these violet pansies complement my tabby stripes?
I think I have perfected my Blue Steele pose.
Okay let’s just tuck right in, nom, nom, nom, nom…..
Yes, these pansies are all mine, and no you can’t have any, is that clear? Hands off!
So what’s so special about pansies anyway?
Pansies are on the safe list of plants for both cats and humans. As Ollie has mentioned it’s great for salads and a plethora of other culinary uses. You can even make them into candies and add them to refreshing summer drinks. I plant them in abundance from seeds in pots and arrange them all over the catio for the kitties’ all-you-can-eat buffet. So Ollie wasn’t fibbing about that one! Pansies and violas are generally sold as annuals, but this variety is perennial, having survived in its old battered pot throughout our harsh Quebec winter of zone 5b. It is the heat that kills them though, not the cold. It will be interesting to see whether these lovelies come back next spring. A word of caution: if you have groundhogs that visit your garden, not only do they love sunflower sprouts, but they will happily munch away on your precious violas and pansies. It seems everyone wants a piece of the pansy pie! Well, who doesn’t love the versatile and cheery-faced pansy! I call them the cheer leaders of our garden, as they happily sway about in the wind. If you would like to know more about my other suggestions for cat-safe plants please visit my earlier post The Cat Garden
Does your kitty have a favourite flower? Do share in the comments below!
P.S: Please send healing purrs for Fiona over at Kitties Blue, as she is suffering from CKD and is in need of some virtual cuddles.
Ollie is so handsome. And those beautiful bright blue pansies really accentuate the green in his eyes! 😆 Now, this info is very interesting. I had never heard that about Pansies and I’m always trying to find something besides catnip now that we have a catio!
Awwwe thank you! Cats also like violas, spider plants and other grasses too. Of course catnip is their favourite above all but it’s nice to know there are also other safe options for our little furry connoisseurs 🙂
Actually I googled them and they CAN make cats ill. Here is what I googled “These cheery plants probably won’t cause serious illness, but they are mildly poisonous to animals.” That being said, they are gorgeous in the photos with Ollie
Thank you! Ollie loves them but catnip is still the winner though!
I wonder what variety they are referring to on their site. But the ASPCA and other sites also list pansies and violas as safe for both dogs and cats. I’ve also found some sites err on the side of caution and will mention the plant as being toxic even it it causes no harm and just makes them throw up, which cat grass can do too.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/p?field_non_toxicity_value%5B%5D=02
Here are some others that mention pansies too:
http://pets.thenest.com/pansy-toxic-cats-10792.html
You are so handsome Ollie. The pansies are pretty and that is interesting about making candy with them. Last year I breaded and fried some Queen Anne’s lace and it was tasty.
Thank you ? And also interesting that it’s mostly the two brofurs, Ollie and Baggy that seem to like them. The other cats just like to sniff and move on to the ‘nip. Ooh now I’ve learned something new about Queen Anne’s lace ?
What great selfies, Ollie. We’ll have to tell the mom that it’s okay to get us some pansies.
Great selfies, Ollie! I’m glad to see you joined the hop.
Thank you! We had a a talk with the big lady cat and told her that we need more exposure! ?
Your Selfies are very beautiful, Ollie. The color of the pansy suits you <3 Pawkisses for a wonderful day 🙂 <3
Thank you so much Angelwhisper ?
Such lovely photos!
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
Thank you! ?Head boops to you ?
Hi Ollie! It’s very nice to meet you. We followed you on social media. Thanks for letting us know that pansies are on the safe list. Mommy loves pansies!
Hi Lola, thanks for dropping by, we like meeting new friends. We are very curious about your story and intrigued by your book. Isn’t it nice to have a forever home? My brofur, Baggy and I were left behind in an empty apartment. Our ‘people’ moved to a new house and didn’t take us with them. We’re very happy with our current forever pawrents!
Welcome to the Sunday Selfie, it is so good to meet you! (Sorry to be late for last week’s Sunday Selfie – you can tell we don’t give up easily!)
Heh heh thank you for the welcome 🙂 it’s never too late for anything! Pleased to meet you too and so glad I joined, it’s a great community.