Owners of
domestic cats have probably noticed more than once that their pets like to bite indoor plants, especially when they look like grass. This behavior is inherent in street
feline. People are puzzled why this is happening. Why cats eat grass, we will cover in this article.
Digestion improvement
As we know, pets are descended from their wild ancestors. Physiologically, the cat’s body is designed in such a way that, eating small prey (rats, birds), they swallow it whole, not separating it from bones, wool and other indigestible products. Unnecessary and undigested food comes out with gastric juice during regurgitation. Grass for the cat stimulates the process of regurgitation and frees the cat's body from excess lumps of hair, villi and so on. As a result, the digestion of a furry friend is normalized. Of course, our pets no longer catch mice and eat food prepared for them. However, the hair that enters the body when the cat licks, can get out of it only with the help of such a kind of "cleaning". Therefore, instincts make our wards spoil our plants.
What grass is suitable for a cat?
If you have a summer cottage or go to the village in the summer, then bring your pet there so that he can enjoy plenty of greenery. Most often, cats choose sedge or some other coarse herbs (such as cereals) to clean their body. Do not worry about the health of your pet. Grass for a cat is a great way to remove excess from the ventricle and improve the health of the whole body. If your pet does not leave the apartment, then do not be too lazy to independently grow grass for him. The most popular plant for apartment cats is oats, which you can buy at any pet store or grow them yourself.
Which plants are harmful to cats?
Not every grass is suitable for a cat. Among the poisonous plants there are: hellebore, poppy, yew, tulip, sea onion, oleander, daffodils, geranium, lily of the valley, calendula, cicuta, violets, philodendron, bleached and all bulb plants.
How to plant grass on your own?
Grass already grown is quite cheap - about 30-40 rubles. However, if you decide to grow grass for cats yourself, then this instruction is for you. All that is required of you is a small pot, earth and seeds.
- The favorite grass of cats is young oats. We buy its seeds in a pet store (a bag contains 50 g).
- Take a low pot, fill it with earth, pour a layer of seeds on top and again lay a layer of earth, about 1-2 cm.
- Water the crops.
- To prevent the cat from pulling out grass with roots, the earth in the pot must be tamped.
- It is better to cover the container with greens on top with polyethylene. So she can retain moisture.
- As soon as the grass grows, you can begin to feed your cat with it.
You can choose a place for the pot yourself. It is recommended to place it where the animal usually takes food. It should be noted that the torn grass for the cat is not of interest, since it dries quickly.