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Hidden Tiger Stock Photos & Hidden Tiger Stock Images - Alamy. Wheatgrass For Cats 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.

Cat Grass: A Pet Parent’s Guide To Growing Greens For Your Fave Feline

If you’re a cat lover, ensuring a comfortable, healthy, and entertaining environment is the ultimate goal for your pet. If your cat is already spoiled with tons of toys and treats, cat grass is a fun and healthy item to add to your cat’s living environment!

Cat grass is the baby shoots of cereal grain plants grown indoors in a small tray. Cat grass is grown specifically for cats to enjoy, whether they simply play with it or nibble on it as well. Typically reaching a height of about 4″-6″, cat grass is usually grown from barley, wheat, rye, and/or oat seeds.

That said, what does growing cat grass entail? Well, read on to learn more about cat grass!

How To Grow Cat Grass

It’s time to learn to grow some cat grass for your beloved kitty! Fortunately, it is very easy. Here are supplies and step-by-step instructions for growing cat grass at home.

Supplies for Growing Cat Grass

Cat Grass Seeds (generally annual wheat, oat, barley, or rye): Gourmet Greens Cat Treats Seed Pack Organic Cat Grass Mix Seeds

(generally annual wheat, oat, barley, or rye): Organic potting soil

Shallow tray or repurposed container

or repurposed container Strainer or small container

or small container Spray bottle or small watering vessel

or small watering vessel Tray lid or cling wrap (optional)

“Cat grass is good for your pet’s digestive system, especially if your cat is an indoors-only pet.” Indoor Kitchen Gardening: Turn Your Home Into a Year-round Vegetable Garden, by Elizabeth Millard

“eyeballing it” – I like to have enough seeds to cover more than 50% of the tray surface area, but not so many that there is no empty space between them.

I’ve placed two tablespoons of wheat seeds in this take-out container, which seems like the right amount of surface area coverage.

Step 1: Measure Out Seeds

The first step is to measure out an appropriate number of seeds for your tray. This is not an exact process. You can grow the seeds very sparsely or fill the whole area up. I like to use enough seeds so the grass is full and thick, but the roots and shoots still each have a bit of room. See the photo above, where I’ve decided on 2 Tbsp of dry wheat seeds (Hard Red Spring Wheat).

Most individual-sized take-out trays grow best with 1-2 Tbsp of dry seed. Jot down how many seeds you’ve used so you can make adjustments in the future if need be.

Pouring clean water into the tray to soak the catgrass seeds

Here are the seeds 8 hours after soaking – they are starting to sprout a tiny bit!

Step 2: Soak Seeds In Water

The next step is to pour some clean water into the tray with the seeds. Seeds for cat grass can be soaked for 6-8 hours (before planting them) to give them a kick-start on germination. Let the seeds sit submerged in the water so the moisture can soften the outer layer of the seeds and encourage sprouting.

While 6-8 hours of soaking time is probably a good target, I have had similar success with seeds soaked for only 4 hours and with seeds soaked for 12 hours in clean fresh water.

Step 3: Prep Soil Tray

Remove the seeds from the tray at this point so you can add the potting soil. I like to pour the seeds and water through a strainer in the sink and then use the sink tap to gently wash the soaking water off the seeds. Set aside seeds.

Fill the tray/container with a thin layer of potting soil. The amount of soil you use is mostly a matter of personal preference. You could put a few inches of depth into a particularly deep tray or use absolutely no potting soil at all (it’s finicky but totally doable). I used about a 1/2 inch (1 cm) depth of potting soil in the batch shown in the photos.

Use your spray bottle or water vessel to moisten the potting soil. The goal is for the soil to be damp, but not wet like a mud puddle. Imagine it as a sponge that has been placed under the tap of water and then wrung out. Like the sponge, your soil should contain some moisture, but also pockets of air. The roots of cat grass need immediate access to both air and water!

Step 4: Plant Cat Grass Seeds

Now that the seeds have been soaked and washed, they’re ready to be planted. Gently transfer the damp seeds from the strainer onto the surface of the soil. The seeds need to be treated with care at this point as they have delicate, tiny little buds that are the beginnings of all future growth. Be gentle with them!

Sprinkle the seeds on the soil by hand and carefully move them around if there are too many in one spot. Coverage will never be perfectly even, but it doesn’t have to be for the full-grown grass to look full and thick.

If you like, you can gently push the seeds down into the soil, but they’ll also grow perfectly well while sitting on top of the soil. In the batch pictured below, some of the seeds are mixed in with the dirt while some of them are sitting on top of the potting soil. And that’s just fine.

Step 5: Water, Cover, and Set Aside

Now that the seeds are planted, make any final adjustments like shifting the seeds around or adding a bit more water (or pouring off some water if there is too much).

At this point, the cat grass is off to a great start. Some cat-lovers like to cover the tray at this point to create a mini-greenhouse for the seeds. You can use a tray cover, cling wrap, or repurposed plastic bag. Or you can just leave the tray open to the air. Either way, you’ll be checking on the tray each morning and evening.

Find a warm, sunny spot to serve as your cat grass growing station. A well-insulated sunny windowsill works well, and light can always be improved with a mini plant light. We’re looking for somewhere cozy and bright with good air circulation.

Step 6: Check Cat Grass Twice Per Day

Whether you’ve covered your tray or not, check it twice per day (generally in the morning and in the evening). The idea is to make sure the tiny roots have access to both air and water.

The tray shouldn’t feel too light or too heavy. The soil shouldn’t be dry and it shouldn’t be muddy. Somewhere in the middle is best.

Trays that aren’t covered or are in really dry homes may need quite a bit of water added to them every 12 hours. Try not to let the soil and seeds dry out completely.

Covered trays or trays grown in more humid spots may only need a bit of water every day or two. In these environments, good air circulation is critical. Even if the tray doesn’t require watering, take off the cover or move it to a breezy spot for a bit to ensure the baby plants have access to fresh air.

Time to enjoy the fresh cat grass!

Step 7: Give Cat Grass To Cat & Start The Next Tray

The cat grass generally grows a tiny bit each day for the first few days, and then really shoots up towards the end of the week. Cat grass can grow tall enough to use in as little as 5 days in optimal conditions, while it might take two weeks in sub-par environments. A week is a great rule-of-thumb for time to harvest for catgrass.

Most cat owners tend to plant one tray of catgrass each week per cat. For instance, Sunday might be your cat grass day. Every Sunday, you’ll soak the seeds for 6-8 hours, making sure they’re planted before you go to bed in the evening. Then kitty will have a fresh tray to enjoy during each subsequent weekend.

What is Cat Grass?

Cat grass is annual cereal grass (or a mix of grasses) grown indoors in a small tray specifically for cats to enjoy. Typically grown to a height of about 4″-6″, cat grass is usually grown from barley, wheat, rye, and/or oat seeds. Here are some cat grass seed mixes for you to check out as examples:

Cat grass is most commonly grown organically, without any synthetic fertilizer or pesticides. A tray of cat grass takes about a week to grow. A single tray of cat grass can live for 2-4 weeks, depending on the inputs from both the growing environment and the cat enjoying it.

Why Do Cats Eat Grass?

Nibbling on grass is a natural behavior for cats. Cats supposedly eat grass to aid in digestion, as it can help with moving hairballs along. While it’s not integral to their diet, they may gain micronutrients or simply enjoy the sensation of nibbling.

“Cat grass is not a required part of a cat’s diet if the food they are eating is well-balanced, but it is something that many cats enjoy,” Teller said. “Especially for indoor cats, it can be a source of environmental enrichment. In some cases, it may provide some micronutrients, such as vitamins A and D.” Eating Your Greens: The Basics of Cat Grass, Pet Talk with Dr. Lori Teller, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University

If you have an outdoor cat, chances are that nibbling on grass is part of your kitty’s daily routine. But if your pet spends all of its time indoors (like most domestic cats), you may want to consider growing cat grass in your home.

Having organically-grown cat grass available to your pet is important when other sources of green plant matter are less than safe. Outdoor lawn grass is often fertilized with chemicals and treated with pesticides. Many indoor houseplants are toxic to cats. Simply having a tray of cat grass as an option for your cat may help them steer clear of these environmental toxins (and protect your precious plant babies from your precious fur-baby)!

Dry wheat seeds ready to be soaked and grown into cat grass

Growing Cat Grass Without Potting Soil

One very common question about growing cat grass is whether or not potting soil is really required. It is completely possible to grow cat grass without potting soil, but the potting soil does make it easier. The potting soil acts as a moisture buffer so the seeds don’t dry out as quickly as they would if there were no soil. That said, if you keep the seeds moist, they will sprout up into cat grass without any soil at all.

Same seeds, same growing environment, but the one on the left simply had no soil to grow in. It’s not half bad! But it was a bit tricky keeping the seeds moist without the lovely soil moisture buffer.

The photo above shows two trays of cat grass that were planted on the same day from the same batch of soaked wheat seeds – one without soil and one with potting soil.

The tray on the left, without soil, formed a ~1″-thick root layer below the seeds. While the blades of grass aren’t quite as long as the tray with soil, the resulting wheatgrass from the no-soil tray seems just fine. The trickiest part is keeping the seeds moist all week!

Is Cat Grass The Same As Regular Lawn Grass?

Cat grass is not the same as a regular outdoor lawn grass. Cat grass is grown indoors from cereal grain seeds like oats, barley, wheat, and rye. Lawn grass is grown from grass species like fescue, bluegrass, zoysia, and bermuda, which have been bred for ornamental value and durability underfoot.

Is Cat Grass Just Wheat Grass?

Wheat grass is one variety of cat grass. Wheat grass grown for humans could certainly be used instead as cat grass. Bulk wheatgrass seeds may be significantly cheaper than specialty “catgrass” seeds.

Cat grass can be grown from wheat seeds (just like wheatgrass), but it can also be grown from other cereal grains like oats, barley, and rye. Most commonly, cat grass is a mixture of grasses. Here are some examples of cat grass seeds.

Is Cat Grass The Same As Catnip?

Cat grass is not the same as catnip.

Catgrass is grown from annual cereal grains like oats, wheat, barley, and rye. Catnip is a perennial herbal plant in the mint family. Cat grass tends to look like grass (see photo below), while catnip tends to look a lot like a leafy peppermint plant. A tray of cat grass rarely lasts more than a month, while catnip plants live for many years.

Here are seeds for growing catnip (it’s easy!): Organic Heirloom Catnip Seeds

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