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on Cat Grass: What It Is, How To Grow It, And More

Even though cats are carnivores, many cats like to nibble on plants or grass. However, eating grass and plant material isn’t always good for cats.

Some houseplants and flowers are toxic to cats, and grass from your lawn can contain dangerous fertilizers, pesticides and weed killer. Luckily, there’s a safe alternative: cat grass.

What Is Cat Grass?

Cat grass, sometimes called kitty grass, is a special cat-safe grass intended to be used as a treat or snack for your indoor cat. Cat grass can be purchased already grown, or you can buy kits with trays or bags of seeds for you to water and sprout yourself right in the container.

The term “cat grass” describes not one specific type of grass, but a variety of grasses that are safe and nutritious for cats.

Some popular varieties include wheatgrass, oat grass, rye grass, barley grass, alfalfa grass, and flax grass.

Cat grass is not the same as catnip (Nepeta cataria), which is an herb in the mint family that cats find intoxicating.

Read More: Catnip: What Is It and Why Do Cats Love It?

Where To Buy Cat Grass?

You can find cat grass in more places than you might think.

Most pet-supply stores sell already-sprouted grass, as do many veterinary hospitals, grocery stores, hardware stores, and nurseries. You can also purchase kits to grow the grass at home.

Cat grass kits are available from online retailers like Amazon, Chewy and Petco, and come with everything you need to grow cat grass, including a container (tray, bag or box), soil, and seeds. All you need to add is water and sunlight.

How To Grow Cat Grass?

If you’re looking for simplicity, purchase a tray of cat grass that’s already grown at your local pet store. If you can’t find grown cat grass, buy a cat grass kit and follow the instructions on the package.

The directions may vary somewhat depending on the kit you buy.

Start By Dampening The Grass

To grow cat grass, you usually start by dampening the seeds with water and wait for them to sprout, which can take anywhere from a few days to a week.

Lightly Water Daily

Lightly water your sprouted cat grass daily. You want to keep the soil moist but not wet. Watering with a spray bottle can ensure you don’t use too much water. Place the cat grass in a warm spot in your house that gets indirect sun.

Avoid Direct Sunlight

Avoid placing cat grass in direct sunlight, which can burn the grass.

Let It Grow

Don’t let your cat eat the cat grass until it grows tall enough (about 4 to 6 inches high). It will take about one to two weeks for the cat grass to be ready for your cat to nibble.

Make Your Own Cat Grass Garden

Cat owners who have green thumbs may enjoy growing DIY cat grass at home without purchasing a specific cat grass product.

Start With Seeds

Simply buy cat grass seeds of any cat-safe grass (wheat, oat, rye, barley, alfalfa or flax), fill a container with potting soil, place the seeds on top and water lightly.

Choose Your Location

Make sure the container you choose is deep enough to allow the roots to grow and has holes for good drainage. Place the container in indirect sun and water lightly with a spray bottle every day until you see the seeds sprouting.

Wait Patiently

Your cat can enjoy the cat grass once it is 4 to 6 inches high.

You can grow one type of cat grass or mix cat grass seeds together to grow a variety. You might even try growing different types of cat grass in different containers to see which type of cat grass your kitty likes best.

Stagger the planting of your different grasses so you always have fresh cat grass ready for kitty to enjoy!

Keeping Your Cat Grass Healthy

The most important part of taking care of cat grass is making sure it doesn’t become moldy. Avoid overwatering the grass. Too much moisture is the main reason cat grass might begin to grow mold.

Inspect the cat grass daily for mold, and throw it away at the first sign of mold. Healthy, well-maintained cat grass lasts anywhere from one to three weeks. If the tips of the grass dry out and yellow a little, simply trim about 1 inch off the top of the grass.

Once the grass begins to wilt or turn yellow all over, it’s time to toss it. Always throw out any cat grass that develops mold.

I am a houseplant and gardening enthusiast with an equally enthusiastic cat, so I grow wheatgrass for her to save my plants!

Fresh wheatgrass keeps Lucy out of my potted plants! Suzanne Bennett

Wheatgrass Is Healthy for Cats and Cheap to Grow

My cat, Lucy, loves fresh greenery, and she has made short work of a good many plants. When Lucy goes after a plant, she tears up the leaves, knocks it over, pulls all the soil out of the pot, and strews it far and wide. For this reason, I've had to set up all my plants in areas where they can be behind a closed door when I'm not there to supervise. Even so, occasionally Lucy gets shut in with the plants and mayhem ensues.

I wanted to give her an alternative, so I looked into grass-growing kits for cats and found that they are outrageously expensive. For $10 or more, you get a small plastic tray and a handful of seed. The cat enjoys it for a few days and then it's gone. Then one day, when I was doing research for an article on growing sprouts, I hit upon the idea of growing wheatgrass for Lucy. You probably already have almost everything you need for this project. Here's what I figured out.

The only thing you have to buy specially is the big bag of wheat grass seed. Suzanne Bennett

Reuse Veggie Packaging to Make Your Wheatgrass Trays

Supplies

Growing wheatgrass is an excellent way to reuse the little tubs that are used as mushroom packaging. You'll need two.

Styrofoam veggie trays* make good drainage trays after watering. Use the kind that veggies come in, not meat. Styrofoam trays that have held meat may harbor dangerous bacteria. *Update, November 2021: Actually, I have found that the Styrofoam tray is unnecessary. I just allow the water to run through the holes in the bottom of the inner tub before placing it in the outer tub. Doing this encourages the roots to grow in a way that holds the grass in place so kitty can't pull the whole thing out of the tub!

A single, half-size paper towel, cut in half makes your growing medium. No messy soil.

A piece of plastic wrap(or a clear plastic bag) keeps moisture in for the first couple of days.

You'll also need scissors and some sort of sharp implement to make holes in one of the mushroom tubs.

I use the tip of a heated awl to poke four holes in the corners of the inner tub. 1 / 2

1. Make Drainage Holes in One of the Mushroom Tubs

You'll need one mushroom tub to plant your seed. Begin by poking holes in the bottom of the tub to allow excess water to drain out. I use a heated awl for this purpose because I have found that using a cold implement just tears up the container. They are a little bit fragile.

Be careful using a heated implement. Make sure it has a handle that will protect you against accidental burns. Set it on a hard, non-flammable surface (like the top of your stove or in your kitchen sink) to cool off completely before putting it away.

Once you've made your drainage holes, cut your half-sized paper towel in half and line the bottom of the tub with one half.

Sow a handful of wheat grass seed on the paper towel. 1 / 3

2. Prepare Your Growing Medium and Sow Your Seed

Sprinkle a handful of seed over the piece of paper towel to result in a single layer of seed completely covering the towel. Put the other half towel over the seed and press it down.

Gently run water from the tap over the seed. I usually let it half fill the tub and then just set it in the sink to allow the excess to run out. Don't tip the tub to hurry the drainage because this will displace the seed. You want to keep it in a single layer.

Water generously and gently. Allow water to drain out gradually. 1 / 2

3. Water the Seed, Cover With Plastic Wrap, and Set Aside to Germinate

Once most of the excess water has drained out of the tub, set it on your Styrofoam tray to prevent dripping.

Cover the tub lightly with plastic wrap, or place tub and all into a clear plastic bag, to hold moisture in.

Put the tub in a warm area with bright, indirect sunlight to germinate. Run water over the seed and allow it to drain every day. You should see sprouts within a day or two.

Days 1 and 2 Day #1: You can barely see the sprouted seeds through the paper towel. 1 / 2

4. Water Daily and Give Your Sprouts Some Head Room

Every day, take the tub to the sink and run fresh water through the seeds/sprouts. This provides them with the water they need and washes away any fungus that may try to grow.

On the first day, you'll be able to see that the seeds have just started to sprout. On the second day, you'll see green. This means you can remove the top towel so the grass can start to grow upward.

Leave the plastic in place for another day or two.

Days 3 and 4 Day #3: Remove the plastic and continue watering daily. 1 / 2

5. When It Looks Like Grass, Remove the Plastic

Once green grass starts to grow, remove the plastic so that it can get tall. You'll want to let it grow for another two or three days before you give it to your cat. If you want, you can move the tub to an area that gets some direct sunlight. This will encourage it to grow a little faster and produce more chlorophyll.

Continue to wash water through the container every day to water the grass and prevent fungal growth.

Day 5 and 6 Day #5: This grass is just about ready, but I want it a little taller. 1 / 2

6. Now It's Ready to Meet Kitty

Your grass should be tall enough to give to your cat on the fifth day, but I like to give it another day to get a little taller. Before I present it to my cat, I set the planting tub into the second tub (the one without drainage holes). This prevents leaks and protects the roots, which grow out through the holes.

Lucy comes running when a fresh batch of wheat grass is ready. Suzanne Bennett

Start a Fresh Batch Right Away

I like to keep two batches of wheat grass growing at once. It's a good idea to start the second one three days after starting the first one so that you'll always have fresh grass ready. I alternate the pots of grass every day to give them a break from Lucy and make them last longer.

I let her keep one pot to chew on during my waking hours. Before I go to bed, I take that pot away and water it. The next morning I put out the alternate pot so that the one that's been chewed on can have a rest.

Doing it this way makes each pot last about a week. When one really begins looking ragged, I just let Lucy keep it until it's destroyed. I dump the grass in my compost bin, wash out the pot and start over again.

This Grass Is Ready to Be Retired This grass is a couple of weeks old altogether. 1 / 2

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 justmesuzanne

justmesuzanne (author) from Texas on November 23, 2020:

My pleasure! :) Glad I could help!

JC Scull on June 23, 2020:

I am a cat person, so I appreciate this tip. Thank you for sharing.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on March 26, 2020:

Great tips on how to grow wheat grass. I did grow wheat grass a few years ago for the Christmas tradition and succeeded however your tips are useful

Anya Ali from Rabwah, Pakistan on March 26, 2020:

Thank you for a very useful hub.

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