Mary Allen
You can often see free-roaming cats happily biting into the fresh grass. They often vomit their stomach contents shortly afterward and thus get rid of annoying hair follicles that have accumulated in the stomach.
Hair inevitably gets caught on cat tongues in their function as washcloths and hairbrushes, which are then swallowed. Once in the digestive tract, they curl up into clumps of hair. And they have to go out again. By eating blades of grass, cats instinctively initiate a self-cleaning process. Even those hairballs that have slipped a bit further in the digestive system and can no longer be vomited benefit from the greens. The consumed grass then serves as roughage and promotes intestinal movement. And maybe the cat’s organism even uses important nutrients from the young shoots, such as minerals and vitamins (folic acid).
Turf In The Litter Box
When a cat has access to exercise, it will look for suitable grass outside itself. If not, she needs a replacement for her own four walls. Rolled turf, which is available in specialist nurseries, is practical for balcony owners. Cut into pieces, large, flat plant bowls or spacious (empty) litter trays can be laid out with it. With the latter, first put a layer of soil (do not use potting soil, but growing soil for herbs, for example) and then the grass mat on top. This fast-growing mini-meadow, which requires moderate watering on a regular basis, is not only convenient and popular as a lounging area, but is also an excellent source of grass for the house cat. Tufts of grass in a clay pot or bowl are suitable for the windowsill. You can get special cat grass, even in organic quality, ready-made in pet shops. If you prefer to garden yourself, buy either a packet of organic grass seed or birdseed for budgies or canaries or a bag of oat or wheat grains (botanically speaking, cereals are also grasses) and let the seeds germinate and grow in a shallow dish on moist soil.
Enjoy With Caution
After a few days, soft straws sprout, which the cats enjoy. A grass height of four to five centimeters is ideal because it is tender and juicy and yet firm to the bite. If you plant several containers a few days apart, the cat will be supplied with the healthy green without gaps. Some kitties happily munch on chives, which often grow in pots by the kitchen window for human consumption. Chives are not grass, but a bulb-like plant. Since it is less beneficial for sensitive cat stomachs, chives should be used with caution as a digestive aid. The Cyprus grass, which is also usually offered in pet shops or garden centers under the name cat grass, is not recommended for a cat household, because cats can sustain serious injuries on the sharp-edged stalks of the sedge grass. When chewing around, sharp pieces of grass can get stuck in the nose/throat area or stomach and then have to be surgically removed by the veterinarian.