If you can't put it somewhere away from the cats, try something like making a cage of stiff chicken wire to protect the tree; something that you can open to water and feed it.
What a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, I think you've set yourself up with a lot of work and worry (even if the cat's didn't eat it).. especially with so much sentimental value attached. In the US, there are a number of issues that affect Rowan trees (aka Mountain Ash). I know.. my son's name is Rowan, I've tried planting two bare root over the past years here in Utah, only to see them die in the second spring after coming out in leaf. Our neighbor has a full grown one, which is gradually dying back each year from something too. There are some orange fruited variety growing fine in the park though.. so probably depends on the cultivar. I expect some are more resistant than others. Read http://old.post-gazette.com/homes/20030419quest0419fnp6.asp for a bit more information if you're interested. I think mine died from Fire blight, as that is what my mature chokecherry now has too. I suggest you see how your Rowan does over the next four or six weeks. If it's dead, pull it out and save the soil. Order yourself a new Rowan tree (Arbor Day Society has the best deals for a quality bare root tree, that I've found). While you wait for it to arrive, buy yourself a much larger pot for outside.. plan to fill it with a mix of your placenta soil and fresh new soil based compost. Fill the bottom with some gravel for good drainage, then after soaking your bare root Rowan overnight, plant it up in the new pot outside. It will be okay for a few years, but do plan to get it into the ground eventually.. when you get to your forever home. You may need to wrap the pot in winter, too, so that the roots do not get too cold. Good luck. I can appreciate what this tree means to you.. I hope it does survive. My son's names are Rowan and Linden (know as the Lime in the UK). Rowan was born in the UK, and Linden in the US.. my husband is British, and we wanted names of trees that grow in both countries for our boys. Unfortunately.. the Linden tree we planted is growing fine.. but without luck on the Rowan.. so we've had to explain several times to our oldest why he doesn't have a 'special' tree in our yard. I've snagged some seeds from the park tree, so will try growing from seed this year and see if I can have more success.
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I suggest you see how your Rowan does over the next four or six weeks. If it's dead, pull it out and save the soil. Order yourself a new Rowan tree (Arbor Day Society has the best deals for a quality bare root tree, that I've found). While you wait for it to arrive, buy yourself a much larger pot for outside.. plan to fill it with a mix of your placenta soil and fresh new soil based compost. Fill the bottom with some gravel for good drainage, then after soaking your bare root Rowan overnight, plant it up in the new pot outside. It will be okay for a few years, but do plan to get it into the ground eventually.. when you get to your forever home. You may need to wrap the pot in winter, too, so that the roots do not get too cold.
Good luck. I can appreciate what this tree means to you.. I hope it does survive. My son's names are Rowan and Linden (know as the Lime in the UK). Rowan was born in the UK, and Linden in the US.. my husband is British, and we wanted names of trees that grow in both countries for our boys. Unfortunately.. the Linden tree we planted is growing fine.. but without luck on the Rowan.. so we've had to explain several times to our oldest why he doesn't have a 'special' tree in our yard. I've snagged some seeds from the park tree, so will try growing from seed this year and see if I can have more success.