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Curiosity may have killed some cats, but others thrive even in precarious situations. Food is one of the most tempting things you can put in front of your cat. Many will eat just about anything offered to them, even things that are bad for them. Wheatgrass is a common addition to pet foods and a tempting treat for your cats. Luckily, it’s perfectly safe for them to eat in small amounts. Read on to learn more about the benefits of wheatgrass!
Cat Nutrition Made Simple
The health benefits cats get from wheatgrass may surprise some cat owners. As obligate carnivores, cats lack the proper enzymes to break down plant material into nutrients. These missing enzymes help the animal’s stomach break down plant materials into the basic nutrients that sustain its body. Since cats don’t have these enzymes, they don’t get the same amount of nutrients from eating plant material that omnivorous or herbivorous animals do.
The working scientific theory is that in the wild, cats and dogs would derive most of their plant-based nutrients directly from the stomachs of their prey. Since cats, especially, eat all the bones and organs of their prey, they would benefit from the enzymes present in the stomachs of their prey — much like humans when they take supplements.
This nutrient source would be lost in domestic cats fed food from a bag or can and don’t hunt their prey. As a result, the nutrients that cats need to get from their prey’s diets are lost on the domestic cat, which could be a reason why domestic cats live five years less, on average, than they’re supposed to (a healthy cat should live 18 to 20 years, while most domestic cats live 12 to 15 years.)
Wheatgrass is one plant that shouldn’t take much convincing for your cat to eat. It’s a tasty treat that cats and dogs seem to love, and luckily for us, this treat is healthy for cats in moderation.
What Is Wheatgrass?
Despite the name, wheatgrass does not contain wheat gluten. Wheatgrass is a leafy green vegetable harvested from wheat plants before the plant becomes a gluten-forming grain. It’s rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that most animals could use a little more of in their diets.
Wheatgrass is one plant that cats seem to like to eat. Wheat plants are an essential part of the cat grass mixture. Cats will nibble on this leafy green happily, unlike many other plants.
Health Benefits of Wheatgrass for Cats
Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, carotene, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that make a great addition to any cat’s diet. These nutrients support the healthy development of blood and muscle tissues. The additional fiber from the wheatgrass also supports healthy digestive function and can help cats pass gastric obstructions like hairballs more easily.
Wheatgrass contains vitamins A, E, C, K, and B. Vitamin A helps maintain your cat’s vision and promote healthy eyes. Vitamin E helps them have a shiny, luxurious coat. Vitamin C can boost their immune system, while vitamin B boosts metabolism. Lastly, vitamin K helps promote good liver function! These vitamins are great for keeping your cat healthy and happy!
Additionally, wheatgrass plants provide a healthy alternative for cats who love to eat your houseplants. If you have issues with your cat taking bites out of your beloved houseplants, consider planting some cat grass or wheatgrass to give them something to eat that won’t harm them or your home decor.
Safely Feeding Wheatgrass
One of the most accessible ways to get your cat eating wheatgrass is by purchasing a cat grass plant from the pet store. Cat grass is a mixture of grass seeds, including barley, rye, and wheatgrass. This is a great way to get your cat some healthy grass they can eat. You can allow them to eat the live plant if they like to do that, or you can clip some of the plants and serve them to your cats with their regular food.
Clipping your wheatgrass is a great way to serve wheatgrass to a cat who likes to overindulge in the live plants. Keep the grass out of reach of your cats and help them with some clippings with their regular food.
Other Cat-Safe Plants for Your Home
If you have a cat who is constantly curious about your houseplants, one of the best things you can do is keep plants that won’t harm your cats if they take a curious nibble. There are a lot of plants that are safe for cats to ingest, whether accidentally or on purpose. Here is a list of some of those plants:
Catnip – While most cat parents are familiar with the dried herb version you can purchase in most pet stores, you can plant and keep catnip plants! Cats can eat and play with the plant, both fresh and dried. So, if you have a little catnip addict, growing your catnip might help you cut down on costs!
– While most cat parents are familiar with the dried herb version you can purchase in most pet stores, you can plant and keep catnip plants! Cats can eat and play with the plant, both fresh and dried. So, if you have a little catnip addict, growing your catnip might help you cut down on costs! Cat Grass – Cat grass is an excellent plant option for pet parents who have a cat who loves to eat their houseplants. Cat grass is a blend of grass seeds including barley, rye, and wheat that cats can snack on for health benefits! Since the cats will eat the wheat when it’s still wheatgrass — a leafy green that grows before the wheat turns into gluten-forming grains — which is exceptionally healthy for cats and could even be considered an essential part of their diet.
– Cat grass is an excellent plant option for pet parents who have a cat who loves to eat their houseplants. Cat grass is a blend of grass seeds including barley, rye, and wheat that cats can snack on for health benefits! Since the cats will eat the wheat when it’s still wheatgrass — a leafy green that grows before the wheat turns into gluten-forming grains — which is exceptionally healthy for cats and could even be considered an essential part of their diet. Mint – Mint is another excellent cat-safe plant that cat parents can grow or add to their cooking repertoire. Catnip is in the mint family. So, if your cats enjoy a bit of the ‘nip, they might also find themselves in awe of its fresh-smelling cousin.
– Mint is another excellent cat-safe plant that cat parents can grow or add to their cooking repertoire. Catnip is in the mint family. So, if your cats enjoy a bit of the ‘nip, they might also find themselves in awe of its fresh-smelling cousin. Lemongrass – Lemongrass is a fantastic choice for pet parents who hate mosquitoes and love citrus scents because this citrus plant is well known for its mosquito-repelling quality. Lemongrass also makes great tea if you’re into teas!
– Lemongrass is a fantastic choice for pet parents who hate mosquitoes and love citrus scents because this citrus plant is well known for its mosquito-repelling quality. Lemongrass also makes great tea if you’re into teas! Lemon Thyme – Lemon thyme is another option for pet parents who like citrus scents. However, lemon thyme doesn’t repel mosquitoes as lemongrass does. Fortunately, it is straightforward to raise; you only need to place it in a location that regularly gets lots of sun and water for it to thrive. You can add this herb to your cooking, too.
– Lemon thyme is another option for pet parents who like citrus scents. However, lemon thyme doesn’t repel mosquitoes as lemongrass does. Fortunately, it is straightforward to raise; you only need to place it in a location that regularly gets lots of sun and water for it to thrive. You can add this herb to your cooking, too. Valerian – Valerian is the cat-safe plant for cat parents who desire a beautiful home. Every part of the valerian plant — stems, leaves, and flowers — are safe for your cat to ingest, and the valerian flowers are a gorgeous, elegant, purple flower that will add to any room! They can be grown indoors or outdoors if you want to beautify your yard while you’re at it!
Final Thoughts
Curiosity doesn’t have to kill the cat! Adorning our homes with cat-safe plants can protect our furred companions from their interests. Wheatgrass is a safe and healthy additive, whether you see it on the ingredient list for your cat’s food or grow it at home for their enjoyment.
If you’re worried about something your cat has ingested, it’s always best to contact your veterinarian. They can use the information you have to best provide you with guidance on ensuring that your cat stays healthy and happy. If there are any concerns with their health, a veterinarian has the best ability to stabilize the situation and minimize the damage done.
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Featured Image Credit: Boumen Japet, Shutterstock
Shannon Cutts takes a look at wheatgrass for cats and answers questions including “Can cats eat wheatgrass?”, “Is wheatgrass good for cats?”, and “Are there any wheatgrass for cats side effects?”
Have you ever seen a cat eating grass? It is a weird sight, right?!
After all, cats are known as hunters and meat eaters….so the effect of seeing a cat chowing down on grass is similar to watching your normally steak-loving partner suddenly digging into a big salad!
So what is the deal with cats and wheatgrass?
Is there a difference between cat grass vs wheatgrass?
Is wheatgrass safe for cats? For that matter, is wheatgrass good for cats?
Let’s take a look at this confusing issue to find out the truth about wheatgrass for cats!
What is wheatgrass?
The question of “what is wheatgrass?” contains a clue to the answer right in its name – this plant is related to wheat!
In its natural raw state, wheatgrass is a thick-blade dry grass.
Wild wheatgrass grows fast and will mature in as little as 10 days.
Typically, the wheatgrass you will see in stores (which is where most people encounter wheatgrass) is harvested when the plant is very young.
Wheatgrass is also grown as graze for livestock, and wild animals like antelope and deer enjoy noshing on it as well.
Fun facts about wheatgrass
Wheatgrass has earned itself the nickname of “green blood” for its high chlorophyll content, which gives this grass an unusually vibrant green hue.
The nickname, however, actually refers to the plant’s cells, which are similar in structure to the human body’s own red blood cells.
Wheatgrass was initially cultivated by a chemist named Charles F. Schnabel.
His original goal in doing this was to save chicken lives!
Schnabel rescued a flock of ill chickens and began feeding them fresh grasses, including fresh wheatgrass; the chickens recovered and produced large crops of eggs.
Schnabel then began feeding wheatgrass to his family as well, and a new nutrition movement was born.
What nutrients does wheatgrass contain?
Wheatgrass’ reputation as a superfood and nutritional powerhouse took on a life of its own after Schnabel began promoting it in the 1930s.
Many claims made about the potential for wheatgrass to soothe or heal are exaggerated or based on very small amounts of evidence.
However, the benefit of wheatgrass across multiple fields of human and veterinary medicine remains an interesting area, and researchers might still find provable applications.
And none of the controversy changes the fact that wheatgrass still contains important nutrients, including iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and selenium.
Wheatgrass is also unusually high in protein for a plant. Protein content is especially high when the wheatgrass plant is young and decreases as the plant matures.
Wheatgrass also contains large amounts of insoluble (non-digestible) fiber, which can be very helpful to get a sluggish digestive system moving again.
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Is wheatgrass good for cats?
To answer the question “is wheatgrass good for cats?” we need to understand why your cat would ever eat grass in the first place.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means their digestive tract is extremely specialized to process animal protein.
This also means that the cat digestive system doesn’t handle vegetables, fruits or grains well.
In other words, to your cat, eating grass is like taking a fiber pill – it goes in one end and comes right out the other.
In past decades, seeing your cat chowing down on grass meant just one thing: he had an upset tummy or needed to clear out excess bones or skin, cat hair or some other potential obstruction.
Wheatgrass for cats today
Modern feline researchers are starting to rethink this theory as the sole answer for why do cats eat wheatgrass or other grasses.
Some cats may not ever touch the stuff, while others seem to make a beeline for anything green – safe or toxic, tasty or not.
One recent theory is looking at cats with an oral fixation and whether grass might satisfy a continual need to chew.
Yet another theory ponders whether cats have evolved to eat grasses to keep their digestive tracts clear, much in the same way that wild felines (lions, tigers and others) use vegetation to combat gut parasites.
Another theory is that wheatgrass for cats with kidney disease, diabetes or respiratory infection might be using their grass ingestion to flush toxins, bacteria, fungi, viral matter or poisons out of their body.
Ultimately, there is only one thing we know for sure right now: many cats seem to eat grass.
This behavior suggests wheatgrass may be good for cats in some way that has yet to be fully understood.
Is wheatgrass safe for cats?
So is wheatgrass for cats safe?
While even feline veterinarians don’t know precisely what draws cats to green growing things, the general consensus is that it isn’t anything to worry about.
If you are unsure, asking your personal vet “can cats have wheatgrass?” is definitely the way to go.
This is especially the case if you are asking is wheatgrass ok for cats because your kitty seems to be eating quite a lot of it!
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Some cat owners worry about food allergies when they see their cats eating wheatgrass.
After all, wheatgrass is related to wheat, and wheat contains gluten, and many people and pets have gluten allergies.
According to the Celiac Foundation, wheatgrass does not contain gluten.
It is a pure plant fiber. The gluten proteins are only found in the seeds and not in the sprouted plant.
Is wheatgrass bad for cats?
Wheatgrass is not bad for cats, although it is always good to talk with your vet if you notice your cat suddenly starting to eat more of it.
However, many other green plants are toxic for cats and pets in general, so if you do decide to allow your cat access to wheatgrass, be sure you remove any toxic green plants that he may decide to sample next!
What about wheatgrass for cats side effects?
The main side effect cat owners report is increased vomiting or pooping.
This is due to your cat’s inability to digest wheatgrass – the fiber will either prompt what is in your cat’s stomach to come out one way or the other.
Here again, it is always smart to ask your vet if your cat seems to be vomiting a lot or his litter box habits suddenly change.
How to prepare wheatgrass for cats
If you have ever tried wheatgrass, you likely didn’t pick it from the ground and start chewing.
Most probably, you drank it in the form of wheatgrass juice – what is commonly referred to as a “wheatgrass shot.”
Your cat wouldn’t know what to do with a wheatgrass shot, but if she encountered wheatgrass growing in the ground or in a pot, she might take a nibble.
Can cats eat wheatgrass every day?
Can cats eat wheatgrass daily?
At the most fundamental level, clearly some cats do eat wheatgrass daily and seem none the worse for it.
A recent article in the New York Times points to a burgeoning market for “pet salad” as proof that some pet owners are even purchasing or growing wheatgrass for cats and other pets.
Not only do some cats eat wheatgrass daily, but other cats are using it in their litter boxes!
A newer product called Cat Country organic wheatgrass litter uses wheatgrass fibers for an all-natural form of odor control that is perfume-free, chemical and polymer-free litter box material.
Wheatgrass vs cat grass
Is wheatgrass the same as cat grass?
What is the difference between wheatgrass vs cat grass?
As it turns out, there is no fundamental difference between wheatgrass and cat grass, except that wheatgrass is just one type of cat grass.
Cat grass can also come from oat, barley, rye, flax, bluegrass, fescue and other grain seeds.
All of these grasses are commonly used to make the product called cat grass.
Can cats eat wheatgrass?
Cats can and do eat wheatgrass as well as other types of grasses.
While researchers are still working on sorting out the exact reasons why cats will eat grass when they have otherwise evolved to eat only animal protein, it is clear there is some benefit!
If your cat does not eat any grass – wheatgrass or cat grass or some other type of grass – this is fine.
If your cat seems to be eating a lot of green grass, this is something you will want to talk with your vet about, because she could be trying to clear out illness or parasites or have some other health reason for seeking out grass.
And if you would like to offer your cat wheatgrass or cat grass, this is a good way to ensure that if your cat does decide to ingest plant matter, she will be eating something you know is safe for her to eat!
Has your cat eaten wheatgrass or green plants?
Do you offer cat grass or wheatgrass to your cat?
Let us know what you think about cats eating wheatgrass or cat grass!
Has it helped your cat?
Join in the conversation using the comments box below.
Sources
Olsen, N., RD, LD, ACSM EP-C, et al, “What is Wheatgrass?,” Medical News Today, 2017.
National Plant Data Center, “Western Wheatgrass Plant Guide,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2000.
Diwakar Gore, R., et al, “Wheatgrass: Green Blood can Help to Fight Cancer,” Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research/National Institutes of Health, 2017.
O’Brien, T., PhD, “Charles F. Schnabel and the Discovery of Wheatgrass,” Empowering Medicine, 2013.
Bergstrom, L., “How Does Your Cat Grass Grow? Plant a Feline-Friendly Indoor Garden,” The Humane Society, 2010.
Gaston, R., DVM, “Nutritional Management of Chronic Upper Respiratory Infection and Diabetes Mellitus in a Cat,” Whole Food Nutrition Journal, 1995.
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