My cats have bit a few leaves off of my Chamaedorea Cataractarum and are just fine weeks later. So, I wouldn't worry about it. If you want a better indoor palm though, just look for Chamaedorea Elegans. It's definitely NOT toxic to cats. My cats totally destroyed a couple fronds on mine and are just fine months later. So is the plant, but if you're a beauty freak like me, I'd either train the cats to leave the palms alone, or keep them away. Cheers! A fellow gardener

A cattery. Do you have a door or a window that you can build a fenced enclosure for your cats outside of? You build a big cube with 2x4s and have a secure tunnel going from the window to a loft in the cattery. Cover the structure with chicken wire on all sides and the top. Put a roof over top of part of it and they can even go out and enjoy watching the rain. I would have some more chicken wire sewed to the bottom of the fence that folds inward and is buried underground to make sure that nothing can dig in or out. Stake it in place well, plant things the cats like inside it and have things to climb on and places for you to sit with them outside (if you put a door in it). No attacks from stray cats or coyotes, no birds killed by your cats, and they can run through the tunnel back inside when threatened. Make it into a pleasant garden. I also agree that seeing as your cat suffered injuries from one of the strays, you are justified in getting a trap for them. The animal control officer in your county may have traps to borrow. Catch, spay, neuter, release far away. Maybe the neighborhood could take up a collection for getting them neutered. I bet they bother others, too.

I planted three in spring of last year here in upstate NY (5b) in all-day sun. They were a bit scruffy the first year, as to be expected when they were getting established, but they're blooming nicely for me this spring. They were definitely my earliest blooming Nepeta (starting around May 10 if I recall), about 2-3 weeks before Walker's Low, Purrsian Blue and Blue Wonder, and they've been going non-stop since then without any sign of fading, though I can't yet comment on re-bloom. My only (minor) complaint is that they seem to be a little bit more compact than advertised, topping out at about 10-12" in full bloom with about a 20-24" spread at the moment. They definitely seem better suited for edging a pathway or driveway, rather than in a mixed border situation where they might get lost or overwhelmed by more impactful plants.

I have a white catmint that’s on the dwarf side, much smaller than my Walkers low and other assorted catmints. More upright habit, too. I wish i could remember the name — Montrose, perhaps perhaps? it’s done well for me in 5a for a few years; doesn’t sprawl or get as frizzly as the purple ones in the heat of summer.