I have a cat who loves to eat wheat grass. The only issue is that wheat grass dies about 2-3 weeks after germination. So I have been planting them from wheat berries every 4-5 days so that he gets a continuous supply. I am wondering if there is some hardier and longer lasting grass that cats would eat. Any suggestion would be most welcomed.
4 Answers
I've purchased cat grass in the past yet my cats are happy with our natural grass in the garden. It helps them to digest more easily and grass even calms an uncomfortable tummy! Oat and wheat families are easily chewed and not at all harmful. No matter what though you should make sure they don't over eat grass as it will have a purgative effect. There are times cats want to purge due to bad food or getting into something they should not have eaten. I have had many rescues that go right to eating grass rafter having been fed BAD foods like kibbles n bits, or friskies. These two labels are not adequate for a pets healthy diet. It's comparable to feeding your children Cheetos for a meal
Wheat is kind of perfect for this as its soft and has no sharp edges... with other types of grass, the risk of the cat hurting its throat or the blade ending up in its nose (yes, it happens... a lot more than one would think) is too high and therefore should be avoided.
Another plant one could recommend is cyperus gracilis - the last bit is the important part as other cyperus plants also can grow too sharp or tough for the cats to eat safely. The plant grows about 60cm high and quite wildly unless in the cold. It needs a lot of watering, but the bonus is that you can grow new plants very easily whenever the first one blooms, meaning a potentially endless supply without having to buy any more seeds or fully grown plants. :)
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cyperus gracilis is native to Australia given your description if its hardness it is probably considered an invasive species in most other countries, after searching I could not find anything identifying it as safe for cats to consume. Can you add a source indicating it is safe for cats or remove it from your answer? Dec 30, 2016 at 15:06
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1Well, cyperus alternifolius is decidedly unhealthy, but (found here f.e. ucanr.edu/sites/poisonous_safe_plants/…) thats why I mention gracilis specifically as it has soft blades. I don't think a study was done on it or anything, this is from personal experience in shelters and foster places in Germany. Of course its a potted plant, don't allow it to be killing or rather taking away sunlight&water (it grows quickly) all over the place. Dec 30, 2016 at 16:36
Per websearch: oat and wheat variantions seem to be popular for this purpose.
Per observation:Most lawn grasses. Anything reasonably short and tender.
I have had cats all of my life. When my mother grew Cyperus Umbrella Plant in the porch in the sixties the cat would go to great lengths to chew this to clear fur balls. Ever since every cat has gone to great lengths to achieve this result so I keep plants indoors over winter. They will chase a cut shoot and enjoy it as a toy. No illness has been connected to this passion. My plants range from 30cm to 200cm tall.
