Why is my cat eating grass? A quick guide to whether you should worry

Cat eating grass

You let your kitty out the back door to get some fresh air and explore nature. But when you look around, he’s chewing steadily on some grass. Surprise and concern shoot through you – is he feeling sick? Is he trying to make himself vomit? What’s going on?

Well, what’s going on is not that unusual. While our feline friends are designed to eat a meat-based diet, it’s pretty common for them to eat grass. There are a number of reasons why this could be happening, but unfortunately no scientific, definitive answers. Since we’re talking about cats, what else would you expect besides another mystery about their behavior?

All kidding aside, while there are no clear answers, there are lots of good theories. Here are 5 of the top contenders onwhy cats would eat grass:

#1: Your furry friend is feeling ill or nauseated

Cat with stomach ache

Cats are not cows and don’t have the right enzymes to digest grass. So, the grass is often vomited. Yourcat eating grasscould possibly be a sign of gastrointestinal disease. If your kitty suddenly starts eating grass frequently and vomiting, check it out with a vet. She can help rule out inflammatory bowel disease with fecal and blood tests.

However, don’t immediately assume your cat is sick. There are a number of other good, non-alarming reasons she could be chewing your lawn. Read on.

#2: It helps with digestion

Grass can act as a natural “cleaning agent” in the gut for cats. Eating grass can help your kitty regurgitate indigestible materials like hairballs or little bones or feathers (from prey).  In addition, when eaten in small amounts, the fiber in the grass can act as a natural laxative and relieve mild constipation.

#3 It helps them get rid of internal parasites

Scientists believe that some wild animals instinctively eat grass to help reduce internal parasites. In fact, worms wrapped in plant materials have been found in the stool of wolves, chimps and other animals. The grass increases muscle activity in the digestive tract, since it has to work hard to expel the fiber. This could trigger the digestive tract to bounce those parasites out!

Whileyour kitty might be eating grass on purpose to do this, it’s most likely a leftover instinct from her wild forebears.

#4: It may provide paws-itive nutritional benefits

Cat enjoying grass

Grass is not like one-a-day vitamin pill,butit does contain certain low-level nutrients and enzymes.  The most important of these is folic acid. Your fur baby could possibly eat grass to supplement nutrients that may be missing from her regular diet. For this reason, it’s important to make sure she is on a well-balanced diet to avoid vitamin deficiencies.

#5: She likes it!

Some cats just plain enjoy eating grass and leafy greens. They like the taste – and it provides a break from the ho-hum of everyday life. Your pussycat might think eating grass is entertaining!

Is it safe for mycat to eat grass?

Grass is normally not dangerous for cats to eat.However, watch out! It all depends on what kind of pesticides or fertilizers have been put on that grass. These chemicals CAN be dangerous, even in small amounts:

If your cat has eaten grass treated with pesticides or herbicides, pay close attention. Watch for vomiting or diarrhea, mouth lesions, lethargy, lack of appetite, seizures, or foaming at the mouth. These could indicate poisoning, so contact your vet or animal poison control immediately.

Moreover, if your cat is eating large amounts of grass, pay attention. Those long fibers can result in intestinal blockages.Alsomake sure she’s is not ingesting soil or potting materials when she’s out “grazing.”

What about indoor grass?

Cat eating grass indoors

Eating grass appears to be a natural thing for your pawsome pal to do, and some kitties may feel an instinctual craving for it. If he’s an indoor cat or can’t eat the chemically treated grass outside, this craving could go unsatisfied.Subsequently, it could result in chewing on houseplants – NOT a good thing! These can be very toxic, in fact.

To prevent this problem, you can grow indoor grass for kitty’s pleasure. You can get a cat grass kit online or at your local pet shop. The kit contains edible grasses like non-toxic wheat or oat grass.It’s pretty easy to grow. Just put some water in the grass container, put it near a window and let it sprout.This is a safe option – and could even save your house plants!

The bottom line

Banixx Pet Care: Your trusted solution

Banixx Pet Spray

Although Banixx won’t cure your cat from eating grass, it will help with a lot of other things! If she has an ear infection, hot spot or skin infection that keeps her scratching and miserable, never fear!Banixx Pet Carecan help you treat these fungal and bacterial ailments and promote better sleep. The potent but tissue-friendly spray is:

Find out more about Banixx Pet Care productshere.

We hope you enjoyed reading about cats and grass in our catblog.  We’ve got lots of other informative and fun posts, including:

And we’ve got great blogs focusing on dogs, horses, goats, chickens – visit them all!

Sources

https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/why-do-cats-eat-grass

https://cats.com/why-do-cats-eat-grass

https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/pets/why-do-cats-eat-grass

https://www.science.org/content/article/mystery-solved-why-cats-eat-grass