Did You Know Frederik Meijer Gardens Has Resident Cats?
This past Saturday was International Cat Day. Did you celebrate your kitties accordingly? While I loved seeing the influx of felines on my social feeds, one post in particular caught my eye and made me go, "What?? That's awesome!"
Did you know that Frederik Meijer Gardens has resident cats?
As if the award-winning attraction needed any more reasons to visit! Between 158 sprawling acres of outdoor gardens, world-class sculpture trails, and ever-changing indoor exhibits, there is always something new to see. In fact, if you haven't been lately, they currently have the massive, glass-blown Dale Chihuly exhibition filling the grounds with vibrant colors and light. They actually just extended it through January 10 due to popular demand.
Turns out, all that beauty comes with a few extra four-legged caretakers behind the scenes!
Meijer Gardens took to Facebook over the weekend to introduce the world to Clifford and Rafa, two rescue kitties who officially call the grounds home. While visitors spend their day taking in the art and tropical greenhouses, these two furry staffers have a few very important responsibilities of their own.
When they aren't busy soaking up the warmth inside the greenhouses or exploring the lush beds of the Tassell–Wisner-Bottrall English Perennial Garden, Clifford and Rafa are hard at work keeping the horticulture team company.
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Whether they are demanding pets during a computer break or offering a quiet moment of purr therapy during a busy workday, they have quickly become beloved members of the staff!
Clifford is the orange boy. He's seven years old and no stranger to hard work—before Meijer Gardens, he was on patrol at both a brewery and a blueberry farm.
Rafa the striped tabby is a little more extroverted than his buddy Clifford. He's six years old and a former barn cat.
While they spend plenty of time off-duty behind the scenes, keep your eyes peeled next time you stroll through the grounds. If you are lucky, you just might spot Clifford or Rafa making their official daily rounds in the gardens!
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I will certainly be hoping to spot them on my next visit. As a firm believer that cats make everything better, finding out about Meijer Gardens' furry staff completely delights me. I actually recently learned that Koetsier's Greenhouse on Spaulding has their own resident shop cats, Mac and Cheese!
I made my first visit there a few months ago and didn't spot them, but you can bet I will be back looking for them when they open up for the fall season.
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Are there any other businesses you know in Grand Rapids with resident cats? Let me know in the comments so I can add them to my local visit list!
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Gallery Credit: Janna
