Grass for cats: how to plant, why it is needed, benefits

Green, juicy grass for cats is a complete, affordable food in a pet’s diet. Young shoots contain the vitamins, minerals and fiber necessary for your pet. Planting grass is not difficult: in summer - on a summer cottage, in winter - on a windowsill. Having at your disposal the usual seeds of any cereal and a suitable container, you can provide your cat with fresh herbs, even without sowing them in the ground, at any time of the year.

Self-grown grass is a good alternative to indoor and garden flowers, most of which are dangerous to your pet’s health.

Benefits and harms

The beneficial substances contained in the herb have a beneficial effect on the health of the pet, namely:

Normal hematopoiesis in an animal occurs thanks to chlorophyll.

Fiber improves digestion and cleanses the stomach of undigested food particles through the gag reflex.
Vitamins and microelements strengthen the pet's immunity.
Chlorophyll has a positive effect on the brain, supplies the body with oxygen, and participates in the process of hematopoiesis.

For improved intestinal function, including loosening stools, veterinarians recommend giving your pet sprouted seeds, and narrow blades of grass for strengthening. Grass can cause harm to your pet if the cat has eaten greens treated with herbicides. Domestic cats that are not outdoors and deprived of the opportunity to eat grass can encroach on potted indoor plants, most of which contain toxins that are dangerous to the animal.

Herbs: what's with what?

Those who use fresh herbs in their dishes consume less salt. And salt, as we know, retains water in the body. Due to their high mineral and vitamin content, herbal mixtures make an important contribution to a healthy diet. The valuable ingredients are preserved in most fresh herbs. Before use, it is enough to rinse them under running water without heat treatment.

Herbs commonly used in cooking

Basil goes well with almost all Mediterranean dishes. It affects appetite and has a detoxifying effect. Fresh leaves can be chewed for fresh breath. Basil comes with green, purple and violet leaves. It belongs to the mint family of plants and gives dishes a piquant, spicy taste and aroma. Used in salads and as a decoration, the velvety leaves look wonderful. Excess basil can be easily frozen: chop the leaves, mix with a little olive oil, seal the jar and freeze.
Green onions are like a miracle of nature, thin stems emerge almost like from a construction set. Their taste is a little hot. They can be used raw in salads and sauces. If you want to get feathers rich in vitamins, under no circumstances grow onions in water, plant them in the ground!
Wild garlic is better than regular garlic, it does not smell. The taste of the dish is better with wild garlic. It contains iron, accumulates in the blood, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart.
Savory strengthens the stomach, promotes digestion and invigorates. Savory is often used in legume dishes. It combats the gas-producing side effect of legumes. Savory helps digest starchy foods and game. Whole branches are added to the pot when cooking and achieve a good aroma.

Important! Don't confuse savory with thyme!

Borage, also known as borage, resembles the taste of cucumber with a hint of onion. It is considered as a diaphoretic, diuretic, and cardiotonic. Contains a lot of potassium, ascorbic acid, organic acids, carotene. It is a substitute for cucumber; it is added to various salads, sauces, hot dishes, and cold vegetable soups. Borago adds a piquant taste to fish, minced meat, and minced meat. It is also used as a flavoring for various drinks.
Burnet has a mild, cucumber-like flavor that is ideal for herbal sauces and salads. Borage herbs have a similar taste. Applies to fish, drinks and sauces. Young burnet leaves are used for canning. The leaves are used in cooking in soups, salads, egg and fish dishes, cocktails, and drinks. The roots are boiled and used as a side dish. The leaves and roots are brewed as tea.
Watercress salad tastes very similar to horseradish; to some it reminds a little of radish. It has a savory taste and is applied to dairy products, eggs or chicken. It contains a lot of vitamins and strengthens the immune system. There are different types: curly, with narrow and with regular leaves of different ripening periods. It is eaten both raw and with meat dishes. Especially in the West, watercress is widespread. In our country, watercress salad has also become very popular recently.
Rucolo has a peppery-spicy and sour-fresh taste. Stimulates appetite and digestion. Great for salads, but also for risotto, pasta or fish.
Dill stimulates appetite and relieves indigestion. It is ideal for cucumbers and fresh fish, especially salted sea fish. Dill has been used since ancient times in cooking and is the most common herb in the kitchen. Harvest time is early summer. It can be dried and frozen. Stores in the freezer throughout the year. The seeds are used in Indian and South American cooking. When salting, we cannot do without this plant. Dill is said to calm the nervous system.
Parsley is suitable for almost all dishes. It is rich in provitamin, vitamin B, B2 and calcium. Parsley stimulates the kidneys, purifies the blood and aids digestion. Parsley comes in regular and curly varieties. It is compatible with all other spices and goes well with almost any dish. It is often used to decorate dishes, adding a fresh look and rich taste to stews, meats and many other products. Regular parsley has a richer flavor than curly parsley.
Oregon is used in many sauces. It's hard to imagine Italian pizza and herbal mixtures without it. You can also use a sprig of Oregon with cheese. Even when dried, the aroma remains if stored in a closed jar. Oregon's spicy, slightly tangy flavor lends itself well to salads. Oregano (the second name) has a tart, slightly peppery taste and is used a lot in Italian and Greek cuisine. Promotes appetite and calms nerves.
Rosemary smells wonderful! The branches are narrow, needle-shaped, reminiscent of a green forest. Rosemary is a versatile herb that goes well with poultry and pork, both for roasting and baking. Contains many essential oils that stimulate appetite. In a pot it gives the feeling of a Mediterranean garden. Rosemary will relieve headaches, calm the nervous system, and have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract and bile excretory activity.
Thyme goes best with meat and potato dishes. Oddly enough, thyme, unlike many other herbs, is stronger than fresh. Thyme has a spicy-sweet taste and its wonderful aroma only develops when cooking. It has a calming, antispasmodic, expectorant effect.
Tarragon has a high content of essential oils, which have a spicy-bitter taste. It stimulates appetite and gastric juice secretion. Used for main dishes of pork, lamb, beef.
Wormwood is an ideal herb for rich and satisfying dishes, adding piquancy. It stimulates the bile flow and thereby guarantees optimal fat digestion. Only the young upper leaves of wormwood are consumed before flowering. Often used for the production of liqueurs. There are countries where they bake bread with the addition of wormwood and juniper berries.
Chervil stimulates metabolism, cleanses the blood and removes toxins. It has a slightly spicy flavor with parsley and vanilla aroma, fresh leaves and stems are used for a slightly sweet aroma. It is good for dietary soups, eggs and poultry dishes. Perfectly harmonizes with crabs and even Frankfurt green sauce. In Sweden they produce cognac with fresh chervil and vodka. Chervil is used only in its green form. It should be added to the dish immediately before serving. Chervil greens are a good source of ascorbic acid, protein, vitamin C, glycosides, mineral salts, provitamin A. It lowers blood pressure and improves digestion.
Coriander is a typical herb for Asian cuisine and has a slight aniseed flavor. It is suitable for creamy dishes, promotes appetite and relieves bloating.
Lovage is used primarily in soups and stews, confectionery and beverages. Even a small amount can impart a special mushroom flavor to canned food. It has a diuretic effect and is therefore beneficial for the kidneys and bladder. Often used in dietary nutrition.
Marjoram goes great with meatballs or fried potatoes. It has a particularly calming and relaxing effect on the gastric mucosa. Marjoram is used in almost all German sausages because of its powerful, spicy flavor. And potatoes are wonderful with marjoram. It comes to us from Mediterranean cuisine and can be used for all hearty dishes.
Mint is suitable as a standard garnish for desserts and mixed drinks, as well as for meat, fish and yogurt sauces. Peppermint essential oils stimulate the secretion of bile and soothe the stomach and intestines. The taste of green leaves refreshes the taste of salads and new potatoes. There are different types of mint, the most famous being peppermint.

Tip: To quench your thirst, brew fresh mint, it’s delicious!

Dried bay laurel is available in every kitchen. Stewing and preparing sauerkraut is hardly possible without an intense taste. The evergreen bay bush can be grown as a houseplant.
Nettle is used raw, but scalded briefly to prevent it from stinging. The taste is similar to spinach. Nettle is rich in vitamins, minerals, and is useful in building blood support. Cabbage soup is made from young nettles. Try the nettle dumplings.
Balsam (Censer Sarmatian), young leaves give yogurt and other dairy products a fresh flavor. Its taste is reminiscent of lemon, although the leaves are similar to nettles. Censer lemon balm is added to various drinks and balms.

Mint and thyme can also be added to tea for taste and as a garnish for various drinks. Herbs not only look beautiful, but they also taste great in food. As you can see, many herbs have healing and health benefits. You decide what kind of grass to grow on your windowsill based on your own preferences. Remember that in nature the greenery is caressed by the wind. Do not place pots too tightly so as not to interfere with air movement. For those who read the article to the end, a recipe for a special oil.

Can you grow it at home?

To grow your own grass, you need cereal seeds, a suitable container and soil. There is a way to grow grass at home without soil. You can buy different types of grass seeds for cats at a pet store or regular grain at the farmer's market. 2-3 glasses of cereal grains are enough to provide your pet with vitamin greens for the whole season. Lush grass grows quickly under greenhouse conditions, but you need to ensure that the greens do not dry out ahead of time by moistening and spraying the soil. It is good to sow the seeds in several containers at once with an interval of 3-4 days, so that while the cat eats the first harvest, new shoots will grow in the second tray. If it is impossible to grow grass at home, you can buy ready-made greens without chemical additives, the name of which is “Grass for Cats” from the Titbit brand. There are step-by-step instructions for the fortified food. The disadvantage is the high price.

Three ways to grow grass at home

In order not to risk the safety of your pet, you should not buy seed on the market. There is no guarantee that it has not been treated with toxic agents. Buy a few bags of special grass from a pet store.

Experienced cat owners know three ways to sprout grass for their pet on the windowsill.

The first method allows you not to buy soil and not to spread dirt at home. You shouldn’t expect a big harvest, but if you want to offer grass to your cat for the first time, you can try this method. You will need two plastic plates of different diameters, cotton wool, coarse gauze and plastic film. At the bottom of a wider plate, having previously made several punctures in it, lay out cotton wool, water it with water and lay out seeds, cover it with gauze, top it with another plate and wrap it in polyethylene.
The second method already involves the use of soil, which is sold in any flower shop. The soil is poured into any suitable container - a pot, flowerpot, tray or box. The seeds are soaked in water for about 50 minutes, the soil is slightly moistened to speed up germination and sown. You need to sprinkle the seeds with soil on top and cover them with plastic wrap - this will create a greenhouse effect. In about three days the shoots will emerge and the film will be removed.
Instead of soil, you can use vermiculite or cat litter - this is the third method. Planted in the same way as the second method. The filler must first be soaked with water until it becomes mushy.

When the grass sprouts, it needs to be watered periodically - a little water 1-2 times a day every day. Remember that you do not need to plant an entire plantation. Only young shoots are useful for cats; plant greens as needed.

If the cat likes the grass, then use the conveyor sowing method. After planting the first batch, wait until they hatch, and a week later plant the second, and a week later the third. The cat will be provided with fresh grass.

What kind of grass do you need?

Fluffies can eat lemon balm.
Cats can be given plants such as:

Melissa;
cat mint;
thyme;
valerian;
oats;
wheat;
rye;
barley.

Valerian, mint, lemon balm, thyme, lemongrass excite your pet or, conversely, calm it down. Such herbs are more attractive to animals due to their smell. Cats prefer to eat cereals. Sprouts of fresh grass in winter are very useful. This is the best vitamin supplement for the animal’s excellent well-being. Outdoor cats eat a grass called sow thistle, known as weed. But it has medicinal properties that have a beneficial effect on the health of the pet. An animal with fur of any color, be it gray, red, black and white, outdoor or indoor, needs fresh greens.

The most favorite herb for furry pets is sprouted oats. The young cereal is rich in folic acid, carotene, potassium, magnesium, silicon, and is therefore recommended by veterinarians for inclusion in the diet of a pregnant cat and a growing kitten.

Why does a cat need greens?

The presence of grass in the diet is necessary for felines. Greens perform several important functions:

Fresh juicy grass for cats is a source of vitamins and beneficial micro- and macroelements. Vegetable food is especially rich in B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, calcium, fluorine, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, and folic acid.
The fiber contained in the grass helps improve the digestion process. Natural plant fibers help normalize intestinal function.
Hard stems, entering the stomach, provoke a gag reflex. With grass and vomit, hard-to-digest food remains (claws, bones, feathers) are removed from the body. In addition, this is how hair comes out, which enters the stomach when the cat licks itself and accumulates, forming dense clumps.
The herb is used by animals as needed, as a laxative or fixative. It has long been noted that if a cat is constipated, he chooses plants with a wide stem. A pet suffering from diarrhea will choose narrow stems.

“Perhaps this grass will be suitable...
Another explanation is possible - cats happily gnaw on fresh stems and leaves because of the tasty, natural juice they contain. Or maybe they just like the taste of grass.

How to plant?

Growing seeds without soil

During the growing period, seedlings should be covered with gauze.
If you don’t have soil at hand, you can germinate oats for your cat using 2 plastic plates of different sizes and cotton wool. The yield with this method of germination is lower than when sowing seeds in the ground. After your pet eats the greens, they need to be re-sowed. The procedure for planting grains without a substrate is as follows:

Make holes in a small plate to get rid of excess water.
Moisten the cotton wool and spread it along the bottom of the holed container.
Place the smaller plate on top of the larger one.
Place the grains on moistened cotton wool.
Cover the sown seeds with gauze.
Wrap both plates in film and place on the windowsill.
After seed germination, remove the polyethylene.
Water the young grass little by little with clean water 1-2 r. in a day.

Method of planting in the ground

If soil was used to germinate grains, then the owner of the fluffy will be able to reap several harvests.
In another way, oat grass is planted using garden soil, substrate or soil for flowers. You can sprout greens in a pot, but to ensure stability, it is better to take a container with a wide base and sides up to 5 cm. Grass for cats grown in the ground is removed more than once. You can plant oats for cats in the ground like this:

Pre-soak the grains in water for 1 hour.
Pour soil into the prepared container.
Moisten the soil base.
Spread the seeds on a moistened substrate.
Sprinkle a layer of earth no more than 1-2 cm on top.
Add water.
Stretch the film on top to create a greenhouse effect.
Leave the mini-garden for 3 days at the optimal temperature for germination, 24-25°C, during which time the seeds should germinate.
Remove the polyethylene after 4 days and place the container on the windowsill.
After a week, young green shoots can be offered to your beloved pet.

Features of cultivation

When you decide to start growing grass for your pets yourself, you need to remember some important details and take into account the recommendations of experts:

When choosing seeds, you need to pay attention to the expiration date and the name of the manufacturer. You need to purchase them only from trusted stores to avoid buying low-quality seeds or those treated with chemicals.
As they grow, all cereals accumulate toxic substances that can negatively affect the condition of the cat. Therefore, you should not offer your pet overgrown stems. The optimal height is up to 25 - 30 centimeters.
True, you don’t have to worry too much about this. If the grass is chosen correctly and the cat likes it, then as soon as the first shoots begin to appear, the pet will immediately begin to destroy the crops with enviable tenacity. So it is unlikely that the grass will have time to grow much; most likely it will be eaten at the beginning of growth.
Overgrown grass becomes tough and loses most of its beneficial qualities. Strongly grown stems need to be cut off.
You need to plant the seeds at intervals of every 8 to 10 days, then the mustachioed household will always have fresh young grass at its disposal.
It is necessary to change the seeds to diversify the diet - one week oats, the next lemongrass and peppermint.
You need to place a tray with grass in places where it is easy for the animal to get to and where it will be comfortable to sit while eating the greens.

Comfortable spot

What herbs should a cat not eat?

After eating ivy, your pet will simply become poisoned.
Indoor flowers are dangerous for cats, most of which contain poisonous juice. Especially harmful are philodendron, dieffenbachia, alocasia, monstera, ficus, azalea, caladium, spurge, croton, oleander, adenium, cyclamen, delphinium, ivy, and chrysanthemum. Garden flowers such as lilies, gladioli, tulips, hyacinths, lilacs, pansies, carnations, snowdrops, and primroses are harmful. If a cat eats indoor plants, he is in danger. Once inside, a small piece of a poisonous plant can seriously harm a pet’s health, for example, cause a burn to the mucous membranes, vomiting, diarrhea, provoke nervous disorders, impair coordination, cause kidney failure, heart problems, lead to loss of vision if toxic juice gets into the eyes, possible cases of death. At the first signs of poisoning, you need to provide first aid to the animal and immediately contact a veterinarian.

To protect your pet from dangerous plants, you should not keep them in the house or prevent the animal from accessing flower pots and vases with bouquets. Citrus peels, which cats really dislike, are suitable for this purpose. It is placed near dangerous plants. Also, cats do not like rue, onions, and wormwood.

Growing grass at home

A cat owner who loves and appreciates his pet will notice that he has begun to chew on an indoor flower, and after that he will take care of the presence of fresh and juicy grass specially grown for the cat in the house. It is not difficult to grow it; for this you will need to buy seeds and, possibly, high-quality soil. You can immediately buy a ready-made planting kit. Cat grass is especially valuable for the animal’s body in winter.

Owners often plant sprouted oats for their pets. It quickly turns into green grass, but requires the greenhouse effect to grow. Oats can also be sprouted at home. It is better if the seeds are planted in three containers at once: while the pet is eating the first seed, shoots are already growing in the second box, and the first shoots are visible in the third.

Seed selection

Cat grass seeds are found almost everywhere. You can also buy them online - this is convenient, because the attached photographs immediately show what the end result will be. Do not buy grass seeds for cats from the market at very low prices , as you may stumble upon low-quality products or grains that have been treated with life-threatening substances.

What do cats like?

It is believed that the most favorite cat herbs are valerian and mint. Valerian tends to excite animals, although some may fall into a very deep sleep. Mint calms angry pets. However, cats appreciate only the smell of these herbs, but they prefer completely different varieties to eat. Names of the most popular grass for cats :

rye;
green oats;
wheat;
barley.

These seeds are sold in stores, after which they can be grown at your own dacha.

What cats don't like

If these pets simply adore valerian, then the most hated thing for them is onion and wormwood. In addition, I really like the smell of citrus fruits, especially lemon. If you want to discourage your cat from a certain place, place lemon peels there. They also do not like rue; the essential oil and branches of this plant disgust cats.

At what age can it be given?

According to veterinarians' recommendations, a cat can start eating grass from 4 months of age. You need to gradually add a special herb purchased from a pet store to your baby’s diet. You can also purchase plant seeds in specialized stores. The body must gradually get used to the new food. Cats do not eat all plants; they prefer cereal grasses, such as sedge.

In pet stores you can purchase special dry food that helps remove hairballs, intended for ages from 1 to 10 years. You can also buy malt - a paste to add to the food of a pet that eats wet food and natural food. This paste should be used with caution, according to the instructions, in order to avoid the formation of intestinal blockages from hairballs.

Useful properties of plants

A large number of cat owners believe that there is no need to grow grass for cats themselves. It is enough to let the animal out for a walk for a couple of hours, and it will choose what kind of grass to eat. But this should not be allowed for the following reasons:

In urban environments, grass is no longer so safe. Plants absorb all harmful substances: gases from cars, poisons from insects, reagents and much more. Anything can happen to a pet’s body, which absorbs not only fiber, but also a whole range of harmful substances.
Plants brought in from the street may contain eggs of a wide variety of parasites, the most famous being worms. And treatment for helminths will be added to the restoration of a weakened body.
Not all animals are endowed with a good sense of smell and are able to choose the right grass. Cats, eating this or that vegetation even in their own garden, may not notice the danger. Someone is cured after consuming an unknown plant, while others are taken to the veterinarians. Poisoning is especially dangerous in older animals and kittens.

It is not uncommon for animals to choke on spikelets, cut their tongues on sharp leaves, or get even more problems by eating weeds and plants with poisonous sap.

Reasons why a cat doesn't want to eat grass or eats too much

Not all cats are grass lovers, even if it is intended specifically for them. Cat owners, as well as veterinarians, believe that if a pet refuses to eat grass, then it does not need it. Cats are quite smart creatures; you should not force feed them grass, adding it to their food, or use various special pastes. If the animal’s body does not require such food, there is no need to overload the cat’s stomach, unknowingly causing harm to the pet.

If your cat starts eating too much grass, you should see a doctor because this could be a sign of digestive problems.