Growing cat grass is a way to provide a healthy and nutritional treat year-round for your feline friends. Cats often crave greens, and growing grass yourself is often a safer and healthier option than letting cats graze outdoors. Grass and other greens found in a yard can have little nutritional value and can potentially harm an animal if the plants are toxic or tainted with weed killer or other chemicals. Cat grass is available in several varieties, including wheat, rye and barley.
Select the appropriate cat grass for your growing conditions. Most cat grasses can be grown indoor in containers, such as pots and trays. Some grasses can be planted outdoors as well, as long as the climate and soil are conducive to growing the selected type of grass. Outdoor grass typically requires protection from animals and insects.
For added pet protection, choose to grow organic seed, when possible. The goal of feeding cat grass to your felines is to promote health. Using seeds that are not organic means there is the potential of the seed having unwanted or unhealthy ingredients, such as pesticides.
Seeds for cat grass are available at pet and health food stores, as well as online. Wheat grass is a favorite for many cats, and it contains vitamins, amino acids and minerals, providing plenty of nutrition. The seeds are soaked before being spread onto dirt in a pot or tray, watered and allowed to take root. Once the seeds sprout, they will need water and sunlight to grow. As soon as the grass is established, you can invite your cat to nibble on the “salad.”
Other suitable grasses for cats include barley and rye. In addition to growing cat grasses, some varieties are available for purchase in trays when they are a few inches or centimeters tall. The types of seeds used for cat grass typically do not re-seed the soil, so the grass dies off a short time after reaching maturity. Some cat owners keep two trays growing at all times so when one tray dries up, another is ready to devour.
When first introducing cat grass to your cat, you may opt to present a few choices. Once your cat establishes a preference for one kind of grass over the other, you can concentrate your efforts on keeping a fresh supply of the preferred type on hand. A mixture of different types of seeds planted in one tray can also help to accommodate multiple cats without having multiple trays.