Why do cats eat grass?

Domestic cats and cats, like their wild relatives, need greenery; to gnaw flowers, if the grass is not available, they are driven not by malignity, but by instinct.

Why do cats eat grass?

There are several versions of cats’ love for greenery. According to one of them, pets lack the vitamins and minerals that grass is rich in, and they try to make up for this shortage in every possible way. On the other hand, since ancient times, feline representatives have used greens to cleanse the stomach, as they ate food that was not originally processed by humans, but birds, small rodents, and even insects. To remove unnecessary feathers, wool or chitin from the stomach, greens were used, which the cat swallowed in large quantities, and then burped along with excess food. In the same way, cats get rid of hair that enters the stomach during washing.

There are also cases when sick and weakened animals showed interest in certain plants, in some incomprehensible way identifying those that can help and improve their condition.

What greens are good for cats?

It is worth considering that on the windowsills in city apartments there are often not harmless plants at all. For example, the popular dieffenbachia, azalea, lily, spurge, monstera, and oleander are deadly for pets. Cats can become seriously poisoned by eating the leaves or flowers of these plants, and the seemingly harmless habit of eating greens can lead to resuscitation and even death.

In order not to bring to trouble, it is worth organizing a separate pot of greens for cats. Cats love mint, both the regular peppermint (or lemon balm) and the plant with the funny name catnip. They eat well and shoots of oats, wheat, parsley is also useful for them. Without harm to their health, cats can enjoy thyme and rosemary.

Where to buy and how to grow?

Arranging a green meadow on the windowsill is not as difficult and expensive as it might seem. All you need to make your pet happy is a pot, soil, and a bag of grass seeds. It is best to buy seeds in specialized stores that sell special mixtures. However, you can get by with oat seeds bought on the market. Distribute the seeds on the ground, water, sprinkle with earth, water again. Believe me, the shoots will not keep you waiting, as well as warm gratitude from the cat.