USDA zone 9 covers a lot of territory in southern California, and isn't as helpful as knowing your location and Sunset zone. Palms are useful next to pools, because they can be safely used next to pools and walls, if the size of palm is chosen correctly. I'd stick with clumpers for full sun that tend to keep sending up new trunks, for maximum screening, rather than taller growing single trunked species. Clumpers might include Phoenix reclinata, Arenga engleri, or Phoenix roebellenii planted as multi clumps. Schefflera tupidanthus is also very commonly used as a pool side screening plant, but it does have more aggressive roots and only plant this if in the very center of the planter with at least 2 feet clear to each planter wall. Strelitzia nicholai is also very commonly used adjacent pools in southern California, but also needs sufficient root room as it is also aggressively rooting. Stay away from things like Queen palms, which will be all trunk and no privacy too quickly. If your climate will allow planting and growing success of Chamaedorea plumosa, this is another palm that is often grown as multi's and of good scale for gardens, like a mini Queen palm. Slower growing, but a great foliage accent palm, might be Brahea 'Clara' or Butia capitata. These last two palms are also much more drought tolerant and less demanding of fertilizer than the others. Phoenix reclinata in particular, always seems to need a boost of palm fertilizer with micronutrients to keep from looking yellow foliaged, but is a super tropical and dense growing palm with leaning trunks.

I would move it. It sounds like a lot of maintenance. Yes, it transplants easily. When I moved mine it broke up into much smaller pieces, but each piece had roots, so I wound up with a lot of small plants to work with, perfect for starting a ground cover in another area. As for what to replace it with, there are a lot of things to take into consideration--how much sun the spot gets, how high do you want it to grow, and so on. Tell us more about the spot and what's you'd like and I'm sure you'll get some suggestions. Bill

Along with a photo, an indication of where you are is necessary if you are to get useful suggestions since what grows in FL is quite different from NV or here in NH. Here's how to add it to your profile so that it posts automatically by your name when you post so that we don't have to ask. Go to Your Houzz in upper right of every page, click Edit Profile, and on the left side click advanced settings. Well down the advanced settings page is a blank labeled Climate Zone for Garden Forums along with a link to find your zone. If you add info on your state or the nearest large city you will get even better information since zone only relates to average coldest winter temperatures. Then return to the top of the page and click Done Editing.

I think most are reading this wrong. I don't think the OP is concerned about the cat getting into the water as much as she's concerned the cat getting out into the outside. I'm reading it as the cat is an indoor only cat and they would like to be able to have the indoor only cat out with them in the pool area without escaping outside. But maybe I have it wrong. I think a pool enclosure is probably less obtrusive than anything else if you landscape around it as well with large pots strategically placed. A fence wouldn't stop the kitty without it being really tall and having something to prevent from getting over which I think would be more unsightly.