Cat Grass Grow at Home Kits (x4)

What are the Benefits of Cat Grass?

When you have a cat, they become the centre of your household… whether you invite them to be or not. From knocking things off shelves to pooping in your living room, somehow, cats around the world have wormed their way into our hearts. Those who say dogs are a man’s best friend are simply misled.

When it comes to keeping your miniature overlord happy, however, many of we cat owners experience a little resistance. They have their own ways, likes, and quirks. They will let us know, one way or another, when they are displeased with our level of worship. When you need to up your game to keep your lord and master happy, where do you turn?

That’s right, you turn to cat grass. The best way to keep your cat hairball free and happy. Let’s talk a little more about it and learn what makes it so special to our little loves.

What is Cat Grass?

Cat grass is essentially Wheat Grass, which springs from wheat seeds. This highly nutritious substance has been revered as a source of goodness for centuries… but cats love it even more than we humans do. It is widely available in the regions that cats are native to and has thus acted as a dietary supplement for them, for hundreds of years.

You may have noticed in your own back yard, that your cat will tend to favour particular patches of grass when you let it outside. These patches are probably the same type of grass that you can now buy in reputable pet stores.

The History of Cat Grass

Cat Grass is known as Dactylis Glomerata by its Latin name. It is normally found in Europe and Africa as a native species and tends to grow wild. It is often used as hay and to make flour with, when resources in the area are slim. From its origins in Europe and Africa, it has been exported worldwide and is now at home in all continents. It has become invasive in some of these areas due to the insipid nature of it. It grows by the roads, in the forests, on scrub lands, and between cracks in the concrete. When wild like this, it is often dirty, having been eaten, peed on, or brushed past, by numerous creatures (humans included).

There are more than 15 different subtypes of cat grass, but all of them earned their names sometime in history, when natives noticed the cats in the area tended to nibble on it. Following their instincts, it wasn’t long before the cat lovers of the world started to target this hardy plant towards their beloved kitties… and the rest was history.

To this day, Cat Grass is considered an invasive species in the Eastern Americas. It is home to more than a dozen species of butterfly larvae, who use the plant as food to grow their cocoons. Since the first seeds were collected in Hertfordshire, England, the plant has taken on a life of its own. Not least of which is the part that sees it grown for indoor use, to keep the modern cat in the luxury to which they are accustomed.

Will Cat Grass Hurt my Cat?

No. Cats have been eating grass since before humans learned how to tame them. It is an entirely natural process and is nothing to worry about – unless they are repeatedly vomiting. If they have been having repetitive bouts of sickness for more than 24 hours at a time, you should definitely take your cat to the vet because something else might be wrong.

Cat grass contains dozens of vitamins and minerals, all of which are nourishing and good for feline and human alike. It lubricates their throats and insides, allowing them to swallow and digest effectively. It even helps them to regurgitate blockages in the system – such as fur balls caused by grooming.

Cat grass should be considered as a supplement for your healthy pet. A cat can survive without it, but it is a luxury of life that all cats deserve to have. If they are a good boy/girl, they deserve cat grass to roll around in and nibble. You only have to listen to the purrs of pleasure to know that it doesn’t hurt them.

Can a Cat Overdose on Cat Grass?

No. It is not possible for a cat to have too much cat grass. This is because they will only be able to eat so much before they vomit it out again. If your cat is vomiting for hours on end, then there is something wrong with them other than the grass. However, they will eat the grass to try and get the thing that is wrong with them out of their body. It might seem like the cat is eating grass and the grass is making it throw up, but it is actually the other way around. The cat eats the grass because it is unwell. It is biologically programmed to turn to the grass whenever it feels sick.

Instead of cat grass making your cat unwell, it actually makes it feel better by removing anything stuck in the throat or stomach. That’s not the only thing it does, though. There are several things that make cat grass a must-have for happy kitties everywhere.

The Health Benefits of Cat Grass

As well as being a top-notch treat for your feline friend, cat grass is packed with all sorts of health benefits. We reviewed some of the best health benefits of cat grass, below.

Kitty Hygiene

When you give your cat its own pot of cat grass, they are no longer nibbling on grass other cats might have sprayed. This has all sorts of benefits in terms of avoiding disease. Avoiding ingestion of dirty grass means your cat is free from all manner of horrid chemicals… that’s not to mention the things people have trodden in and spread all over the place with dirty shoes.

Prevents hairballs

Cat Grass contains a balance of vitamins and minerals that cats benefit from. Folic acid and a number of vitamins thrive in good, strong, wheat grasses. Your cat will make use of these by nibbling on the grass until it regurgitates any hair trapped in its stomach. In short: eating grass helps your cat avoid hairballs. You can read more about the behavioural psychology (that’s right, someone studied it) of your feline friend’s vomiting behaviour over on Science Mag if you are interested. It has to do with creating lubrication to make the digestive tract slimier.

It’s Nutrient Rich

Cats eat grass for the vitamins and minerals, wheat grass is particularly nutrient rich. They have a natural propensity towards eating grass as a healthy part of their natural diet. You can fulfil both the urge to chew on your plants, and the nutritional need to eat grass, both with one single product.

What’s in cat grass?

It contains:

• 73% carbs with no fat and 27% protein.
• It contains only 15 calories per 100g and has one gram of dietary fibre.
• Vitamins – A, C, D, E, K, Thiamine, Niacin, B6, Folate, Riboflavin, B12, Choline, Betaine, and pantothenic acid.
• Minerals – Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, and Selenium.
• It contains nothing else. No cholesterol, no fats, no unhealthy parts.

In fact, cat grass is so highly nutritious that it’s even good for humans. You might have heard of wheatgrass health drinks… it’s the same seed we use for cat grass that we use as wheat germ. You can read the full list of nutrients for yourself over on Nutrition Data.

The Bait and Switch

If you have a cat that loves to eat your houseplants, get cat grass instead. Pull a switcheroo. The cat grass will be so much better for them than most of your house plants. Better yet, you will get to keep your much loved, expensive, plants. You should keep an eye on cats that do this and be careful of what you have in your home. Some plants, like the Japanese Cherry, are beautiful as ornamental species, but are completely poisonous to humans and animals.

Do all Cats Love Cat Grass?

No. There is no guarantee that your cat will ever look twice at their cat grass plant after you grow it. The chances are fairly high that the cat will love to nibble on it though. Many consumers have recorded that their cat or kitten was chewing on the grass so much that it struggled to grow! That being said, there is nothing wrong with your cat if it turns its nose up at cat grass. It could just be that it isn’t to your cat’s taste, or even that your cat has no physical need for the nutrients contained within.

If you have more than one cat or kitten, there is a chance that the grass has been marked by one of the others. In this case, the scent will put them off. It is best to get each cat their own plant to eat, and to keep those plants in separate areas. Above all else, don’t force your cat. If it doesn’t want it, just leave it to die off. Cat grass will last between 4-6 weeks when grown if left untouched by your cat. It has the double bonus of making a pleasant window ornament if your kitten doesn’t want it.

Wikihow suggest that you entice your cat to eat the grass by lacing it with catnip. If you don’t want to lace their food with drugs, however, we don’t think that’s entirely ethical. Some cats are highly sensitive to catnip. Instead, consider where you bought your cat grass from. If it was a pet store, were there other strong smells in the area? If another cat or animal has scented the grass, they won’t want to use it.

Don’t panic though, there is a work around for this. Buy one of the cat grass planting kits, so that the grass hasn’t grown yet. Using the seeds, soil, and pot provided, you should be able to grow a fresh set of healthy grass, specific to your pet.

Where to Plant Cat Grass?

When you buy cat grass, you are able to plant it anywhere you have space. Since it is hardy enough to grow in almost any conditions, you can plant it at most times of the growing season to see it flourish. It can be kept indoors, outdoors, in a greenhouse, or as wild growth on scrubland. All you need to do is make sure that your cat has access to it, some food, and some clean water, wherever it stays.

If you want to dedicate one specific plant to each cat you own, or if you want to make sure the grass remains clean and untainted, bring it into your home and plant it in pots. This is especially good for letting the cats claim them. It isn’t great if you have a dominant cat that wants everything as its own, but let’s deal with one problem at a time.

Is Cat Grass Safe for Kittens?

Yes – cat grass is safe for cats of all ages. Experts say that out in the natural world, feral cats rely on grass for nutrition. It contains vitamins that they just don’t get from other sources… particularly if they aren’t accessing specially blended cat food that contains all the nutrients they need. All this being said, we did notice a trend in the comments left by reviewers. Kittens tended to take longer to realise the grass was for eating. As mentioned above, a sprinkling of catnip seeds will help them to enjoy it better.

If you are planting outside, try to keep it to one area of the garden. Plant it in direct sunlight and as close to your house as you can. The reason we do this is to give it the best possible chance at being used by your cat, and your cat alone.

Does it have a Strong Smell?

Wheat grass has little to no smell. However, it is responsible for many accounts of hay fever. So while it doesn’t smell much, it can set off sneezes and sniffles if you are allergic to pollen. As an added aside, if you have a garden full of cat grass and a landlord, there is a chance they will tell you to mow it… so do be careful when selecting the best place to plant your cat grass.

Other Benefits of Cat Grass

There are several benefits to buying cat grass for your feline friend, that don’t involve your cat’s health. We arranged a few good examples, below.

Looks Great in the Home

We think that some cat grass looks great in your house. You can plant that pot, put it into the sunlight on your window ledge, and everyone will comment on it. Your cat will eat it but won’t pee on it, so it won’t have so strong a cat smell as some areas of your home might. It’s also funny to watch your cat nibble on windowsill grass. Put it up there and delight the neighbourhood.

Cat Grass is Long Lasting

It keeps for around 6 weeks – maybe longer – so you don’t have to buy a new one all the time. It’s also likely to grow back as long as it is pollinated, so if you leave it outside for a few days, it ought to germinate and re-grow next year. At one point, you will have a rotation of cat grass plants, all flowering at different times!

It Provides Fresh Air

Cat Grass brings a touch of fresh air into your home by sucking some of the carbon out of the air and turning it into oxygen. This means you get a brighter, fresher home, and all you need to do is remember to water it once in a while. It might be the only thing your cat doesn’t knock off the shelf.

Cat Grass is Low Maintenance

There is so little work involved in keeping cat grass. It acts as though a weed does. Much the same way that mint will take over your herb pots if left unchecked – so too will cat grass expand. It’s so low maintenance that all it needs is soil, water, and a cat. Be wary of kittens trying to eat the cat grass before it has properly grown!

It Acts as a Deterrent

Cat grass is great for anyone whose cat enjoys chewing up the leaves of their house plants. If you have a troublemaker on your hands and you can’t keep a good lawn, you need cat grass to distract them from the other pretty garden goods they could be eating.