Barn cats and garden cats: It's the life

This was an assigned feature that turned out to be a lot of fun to work on. Who would have thought that all of our local greenhouses keep cats? From our story by Kendra Meinert:

"Their job description goes something like this: Must be able to look adorable, greet customers, find secret napping spots and resist the urge to eat the petunias. Mousing experience preferred. Beautiful working environment and excellent benefits.

Cats on the payroll at area greenhouses and gardens have actual duties — it just might not look like it when they're sprawled out mid-aisle in a splotch of morning sun somewhere between the coneflowers and catnip or covertly dozing beneath the shady cover of giant hosta leaves."

Chloe, a cat at Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, prowls through nearby wildflowers in Ledgeview, Wis., Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010.

Maggie finds shade on a hot Thursday afternoon up in a rafter in the barn at Stone Silo Prairie Gardens.

Jan Woz, owner of Mayflower Greenhouse in Hobart, Wis., lets Felix, the greenhouse's cat, out to roam the business, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010.

Felix solicits attention from friends Anna Hunt, 6, of Hobart, left, and Ellie Jung, 6, of Green Bay.

Felix takes a cat nap in the container room.

Felix strikes a pose.