This poor bedraggled thing is a pasque flower, and the culprit in its uprooting is this cat. (Does he look contrite to you? Me neither.)
I was already sad about this flower before it got uprooted, and now I’m devastated. Downright distraught.
Pasque flowers are the most lovely of wild flowers here in Montana, and I cannot seem to grow them! I’ve had one in a flower border for years; it sprouts each spring, but never flowers. Last fall I bought two more, one of which I put into the lovely earth in the new raised bed which stayed covered all winter. 
By the time I opened it in late April, the thing had already bloomed and gone to seed, and was well on its way to dying of thirst.
And then the cat dug it up. Perhaps I am, as Shakespeare said, Kate the cursed, at least as regards pasque flowers.
Has anyone else figured out how to keep cats out of newly prepared beds? I’m pulling row covers over mine, after finding cat poop in one. Grrr.
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I use Shake Away to keep away deer and it seems to work. I’ve seen a version for cats too.
Wow, if I can give a friend in Helena something that keeps deer away, I’ll be her hero forever. That city is overrun. Where are you, that deer are such a problem? I gather this is something that just smells awful to the target animals, not something that would harm them. I’ll look into it.
–Kate
So sorry about your plant.We have neighborhood kitties that like to use our garden as a litter box as well. I am seriously considering a sensor sprayer setup that shoots water when it detects motion.
That should stop them! I wonder what it costs. But I know I’d forget to turn it off and I’d get sprayed myself–repeatedly. Should make a good home video. Anyway, thanks for the idea. If you do it, let me know how it works.
–kate
I think Lee Valley Tools (www.leevalley.com) sells something for deterring cats. It’s a mesh thingy with sticky up things (great description!). It doesn’t hurt cats, but they don’t like to walk on it. You just put it on the ground by the plants you want to protect (if I remember correctly!)
Great tip, Amy. Lee Valley rocks. (Never thought I’d say that about any company.) I’ll look into it.
I’m looking forward to this conversation: Hello, Lee Valley? Um, I’m looking for a mesh thingy with sticky up things–hello? Hello? Dang.
–Kate
The only thing that ever worked for me is to put something picky in the bed like prunings from roses, berries etc. Or chicken wire… so sorry for your plant loss. Dumb kitty.
Well, I was about to trim my raspberries…So much for the neat look of a newly planted bed. Sigh.
–Kate
First off sorry about your plant i know how devastating it can be when a animal destroys something that you put a lot of care into. I have a dog that LOVES to eat fresh vegetables and plants right out of my garden. I just had a thought when about how to help with your problem. Maybe try and plant some catnip on the other side of the yard or somewhere out of the way and hopefully it will keep him going back to that spot and not your garden
Thanks, Rick, I may try that. I actually have some cat mint–not sure if that’s the same as catnip–and my remaining cat (not the one that caused the devastation) is only minimally interested in it.
–Kate