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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.
Wheatgrass Cat Food
How to grow wheatgrass for cats
Growing wheatgrass for your cats is a great way to provide them with an organic, healthy snack.
It's also perfect for those looking to reduce the amount of food they feed their cats or want to put less strain on their digestive systems.
If you're ready to learn how easy it is to grow this type of grass, read on.
How to grow wheatgrass for cats?
The first step to growing wheatgrass for cats is to soak the seeds overnight.
After soaking, drain them and spread them out on a paper towel or cloth dish napkin to dry overnight.
After your seed is dried, it can be planted in pots filled with good quality potting soil (i like organic).
Plant one seed per container about an inch deep into the soil and keep moist.
You can also use a spray bottle to mist them daily, so they don't dry out.
After the wheatgrass starts sprouting, you need to thin it by removing some of the plants to be about an inch between them.
Once your cat grass has several inches tall, you can start harvesting small amounts for your cat.
As the wheatgrass continues to grow, you can use scissors or a knife to cut it at about one-inch height for your cat's consumption.
Cutting the fresh grass daily will ensure that your cats are getting maximum nutrition from their cat grass.
If you have larger containers of soil with several plants growing, then you can let your cat graze on the grass for up to a few hours.
Make sure you don't give them too much wheatgrass in one sitting since it is very rich in nutrients and vitamins.
This will cause digestive issues like bloating or diarrhea.
Watering your wheatgrass should be done at least once a day.
If you live in an area where it is very hot and dry, then watering twice a day may be necessary to keep the soil moist at all times.
Fertilize your wheatgrass once a week with an organic fertilizer.
This will ensure that your cat grass has the proper nutrients and vitamins to keep it healthy and growing properly for your cats.
Also, make sure that you are not taking all of it when harvesting fresh cat grass daily.
Leave several inches of wheatgrass so your plants can continue to grow and provide fresh cat grass for your feline's consumption.
How do you prepare the soil for growing wheatgrass for cats?
Soil is what you should prepare before planting wheatgrass.
Wheatgrass grows best in loose, well-drained soil rich with organic matter and has a pH of around seven (neutral).
You can mix your garden compost or use store-bought potting soil as long as it contains peat moss and perlite to keep the soil loose and full of air pockets.
When do you grow wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass is best grown indoors in the wintertime.
If you live in a climate where it's warm year-round, you can grow your wheatgrass outdoors for most of the year and bring it inside during colder months.
Wheatgrass also grows very well with artificial light when there isn't enough natural light available.
How do you propagate wheatgrass?
You can start by purchasing a container of wheatgrass seeds.
You should be able to find the seeds at any pet store or even your local grocery store.
The containers will need soil, water, and sunlight for them to grow properly.
Place the container on a tray or saucer that will catch any water that may drain from the bottom of your container.
Then, pour water into it until you see some draining out of the holes in the bottom of your container.
Pour off half after all drainage has stopped and replaced with new water.
Repeat this step until there is no water coming out of your container.
Place the wheatgrass in a window that will get sunlight for at least five hours each day.
If you do not have access to natural light, place it under one of your artificial grow lights.
How much light does wheatgrass need?
Wheatgrass has a very high photosynthesis rate, so that it can be grown in low light areas.
It does best with six hours of sunlight every day.
How do you water wheatgrass?
You can water wheatgrass a few ways, but leaving it in a glass of water overnight is the easiest way.
This allows for excess pulp and trash from your seeds to float away while also hydrating the grass itself so that you have more juice leftover as opposed to just dry seeds on top of some stale-tasting water.
Another way to do it would be to soak your seeds, pulp and all, in a small amount of liquid for some time before planting them or even eating them raw (if they're organic).
However, this method might take longer because you don't want the grass itself drowning while trying to get rid of the pulp.
How do you fertilize wheatgrass?
Fertilizing wheatgrass is not necessary because it grows quickly even without added nutrients.
If you fertilize, dilute your fertilizer to half strength and apply once per week until plants are established (usually after the first four weeks).
You can fertilize your wheatgrass at any time during its growing cycle.
However, it is recommended to start with a half-strength solution once weekly until the grass becomes established (usually after four weeks).
After that point, you may up the dosage as needed.
If you see signs of nitrogen deficiency, including yellowing or curling leaves, you can fertilize more frequently.
How long does it take to grow wheatgrass for cats?
Wheatgrass usually takes about ten days to grow.
However, it depends on the temperature of your home and how often you water it.
Make sure that you give about two teaspoons full for every cat in your household.
Conclusion
It is difficult to say which way of growing wheatgrass for cats will be the best.
You can try different methods and choose the one that seems most convenient for you.
If you are not sure about starting this project, it would be wise to ask your vet what they think before making any choices.
There is an endless number of benefits for your cat in growing wheatgrass.
It is nutritious, has no chemicals that are dangerous to cats, and can also be used as a training tool when you want the cat to do something specific on the grass before entering the house.
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