This is nice; I like how most of the (adorable) cat stands out nicely against the black and white lines of the staircase. You might also try a tighter crop on the picture, getting rid of the top portion above the staircase. For me, this part doesn't add anything to the picture. IMO, the best part is really the kitty and the steps.

I also like this one a lot. I partly agree with chiaroscuro about cropping, but I think I would only crop down enough to remove the out-of-focus foliage, and I might also crop just a bit on the left.

Hmm, on second thought, now that I see it, that alternative crop is perhaps a bit too tight, and not an improvement on the original.