What Are the Benefits of Cat Grass and Is It Safe for Them?

You may have seen pots in the grocery store or nursery advertising that they contain cat grass and wondered, what is this stuff? Do you buy a bunch of it to make a cozy grass bed for your fur baby? Do you grow it and give them a little bit at a time, like catnip? Do you just leave it around for a calming effect on your feline friend?

Cat grass is actually a treat for cats, but there's a lot to know about it, so let's give it a look!

What is Cat Grass?

Surprisingly enough, cat grass is exactly what it sounds like: it's grass. For cats!

No, seriously, that's pretty much all it is. There are a handful of different species of grass that have all been branded "cat grass" because it's not a species of grass; it's a category of product.

What makes it different from the grass you have outside? A lot of things, actually.

• The species. I said there are a handful of species of grass labeled cat grass, but the grass you have in your yard will probably be a different variety of grass, which is also probably quite regional to where you live.
• The consistency. Cat grass is a single pot with a single kind of grass in it. A yard is going to have a bunch of different kinds of plants, from clovers to flowers to weeds, and you never know what's safe and what isn't in that mix.
• The cleanliness. Cat grass grown on your own can be carefully controlled for what you put on it. Cat grass from a store likely only used some mild fertilizer, if anything, and is free from harmful pesticides and chemicals that your cat could ingest if they eat grass outside. Oops; spoilers for the purpose of cat grass there.

Cat grass is meant to be a safe way for a cat to indulge in certain urges, while getting some health benefits at the same time.

What Species is Cat Grass?

Cat grass can technically be any species of grass grown for use as a cat treat. Cat grass growers generally pick one of a few common grass species, however.

These species include:

• Arrhenatherum elatius, the oatgrass.
• Hordeum vulgare, the barley grass.
• Triticum aestivum, the wheatgrass.
• Lolium perenne, the ryegrass.

Sometimes, a packet of cat grass seeds might be a mixture of some or all of these rather than just one.

These are all generally known to be safe for cats to consume, and they're relatively fast and easy to grow without having to set up special care conditions. Cat grass can grow just fine with consistent watering and some light from a window, and you don't need much more than that.

What is Cat Grass Used For?

I already spoiled it up above, but it's basically just a treat for cats.

If you're wondering why grass, a plant, can be a treat for obligate carnivores (that is, meat-eaters), it's not actually something we know. There are some theories, though.

The biggest is just that cats were formerly wild animals, and wild animals need to stalk, hunt, and kill their prey to survive. Whether it's a lion hunting a wildebeest in the African savannahs or your neighbor's feral cat colony hunting the local population of songbirds, they pounce, they kill, and they eat what they kill.

Sometimes, a cat will take their prey back to where they live, to feed kittens (or to try to teach you how to hunt.) Other times, they just eat where they sit, if they feel comfortable enough in their position to do so.

Well, while a cat is chowing down on their prey right there in the grasslands or the yard, they aren't exactly being cautious with it. They're probably getting bits of grass in those bites, along with the meat of the creature they caught.

Over time, cats developed the habit of eating more grass after they ate their prey. As it turns out, evolutionarily speaking, cats that ate grass alongside their meals had less digestive upset, had an easier time coughing up hairballs and passing the little bones and hair and feathers caught in their systems, and were generally healthier. So, cats that ate grass passed that habit along, and now most cats have that urge to get a little grass in their diets.

What Are the Benefits of Cat Grass for Cats?

I already kind of mentioned some of these in that last paragraph, but let's go over them in a bit more detail.

Cat grass helps with digestion. This is especially true for cats that eat rodents or birds, because they're going to end up eating things like fur, feathers, and small bones that will otherwise mess with their digestive systems and need to be expelled. Cat grass helps handle these without causing more problems down the line.

Cat grass provides dietary fiber. Fiber is great for helping your fur baby absorb more water when they drink and for helping smooth out digestion in other ways. It's also very helpful for cats that are sick or have diarrhea, as it can help pull water out of their intestines and firm up their stool.

Cat grass contains trace vitamins and minerals. A variety of nutrients cats can use, including folic acid, vitamins A and D, and a handful of trace minerals, are all present in cat grass. Your cat can get what they need from the food you give them, but wild cats get some of it from grass as well, and the instinct to consume grass will stay even if your cat has robust food at home.

Cat grass can help soothe the stomach. Grass can also help steady your fur baby's stomach when they're eating, especially if they ate too fast and now they've got some tummy rumbles bothering them.

Cat grass might potentially help ease pain. Chlorophyll, the thing that makes plants green, has some antibiotic, anti-pain, and anti-inflammation properties. It's nowhere near strong enough to replace modern medicine, but it's something that can help a cat that just isn't feeling quite comfortable.

There's also some thinking that if a cat has internal parasites in the digestive system, like a tapeworm, the grass can actually wrap around and pull out that parasite. Again, it's not as valuable as an actual antiparasitic medication, but it's not nothing.

Other than the dietary and health benefits, there are a few behavioral benefits. Finding, playing with, and chewing on cat grass can be an enrichment activity, especially if you move where you keep the grass. Some people find that cats who eat cat grass have better breath. And, of course, if your cat is busy chewing on cat grass, they aren't eating the plants you want to keep around.

Is Cat Grass Safe for Cats?

Now we get to the biggest question: is cat grass even safe? After all, cats are prone to chew on all kinds of plants, including plants like the toxic houseplants I listed in this guide. So, if your cat can't instinctively know when a plant is safe or not, how do you know cat grass is safe?

Fortunately, the answer is yes.

Cat grass is a selection of grasses specifically chosen because they're fast-growing, hearty, can survive being chewed on, and are safe for cats to eat. It's a lot safer than any random house plants or, worse, the grass in your yard, which could have all sorts of chemicals on it, and you'd never know.

Just make sure to get your cat grass from a trustworthy source, or grow your own. It's quite easy to grow, even.

Are There Side Effects of Cat Grass?

Not really! If your cat eats way too much grass, then they might throw up some of it, but that's basically the worst that can happen.

How Can You Grow Your Own Cat Grass?

If you don't want to keep buying cat grass every few weeks when the current batch has been eaten down and dies, you'll want to get in the habit of growing your own. Fortunately, it's very simple. All you need is:

• Small pots, preferably durable, resilient pots that won't break if your cat knocks over a pot. Some people like heavy pots that can't be tipped over, and others resign themselves to cleaning up spilled dirt on occasion. It's up to you.
• Cat grass seeds, which can be bought at nearly any nursery or at any greenhouse online.
• Dirt. A generic seed starting blend is all you need, and you can buy large sacks of it for cheap.
• A spray bottle and a small watering can.
• A good source of light. If you don't have a convenient window to grow your cat grass, you'll want to invest in a small grow light.

To grow cat grass, fill a pot with soil and scatter some grass seeds across it. You don't need a ton, but you want enough to make the pot somewhat dense with plants. Cover the seeds in another quarter inch of soil and water it thoroughly. After this, keep the soil damp but not saturated. The seeds should sprout in around 3-7 days.

After that point, make sure they get bright light, and keep them misted with a spray bottle. Once the grass is around four inches tall, you can start giving it to your cat. Start new pots every couple of weeks, so you always have one ready to go; cat grass lasts for about two weeks before your cat will either have eaten it down or it will die back on its own.

Alternatively, you can check out some of our products:

• Cat Grass Growing Kit
• Cat Grass Growing Kit Plus
• Cat Grass Growing Kit Ultimate

These kits give you everything you need to grow grass, including pots, substrate, seeds, and a spray bottle, as well as instructions on how to grow the grass and when to give it to your fur baby. We make it easy for you!

Cat Grass FAQs

Now, let's answer some of the more common questions I've seen about cat grass. If you have one that I didn't cover above, feel free to ask it in the comments, and I'll get back to you!

Are cat grass and catnip the same thing?

Not at all! Catnip is distantly related to mint and contains a chemical called nepetalactone, which is the one that drives cats wild if they're receptive to it. I have a whole guide to catnip here if you're interested in learning more. Cat grass, meanwhile, is a cereal grain plant when it's still young. Wheat, barley, rye, and oats are all cat grasses. If those plants survived long enough to seed, you'd be able to harvest those grains!

Are there different kinds of cat grass?

Yes and no. While there are different species of grasses that are called cat grass, they're all more or less the same kind of thing. All cat grasses are cereal grain plants when they're young and tender enough for a cat to enjoy taking a nibble.

Is cat grass safe to give your cats?

Yes, assuming it's actually cat grass. This is why you need to buy it from a reputable seller or grow your own. If you're buying from someone you don't know or trust, you never know if the plants you grow are actually cat grass or if they're something else that could potentially be toxic.

Additionally, you need to make sure you aren't just letting your cat out to chew on your yard. You never know what kinds of parasites, insects, chemicals, or poisons in the soil can seep into or linger on the plants in your yard, and they can make your fur baby sick. Stick with controlled grass indoors, please!

Will cat grass help prevent your cats from chewing on other plants?

Possibly! Your cat is going to explore and chew on whatever they want, so the goal is to make sure the cat grass is easier and more accessible to them whenever they want to chew on some greenery. If they can wander to their favorite sunny windowsill and find some cat grass, they're a lot more likely to be content with it when the alternative is breaking into a closed room and finding a high shelf with your other plants.

Did I miss any questions you may have about cat grass? If so, be sure to leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible!