Patch Of Grass For Cats - Why Do Cats Eat Grass?
VETERINARY ASSOCIATES OF CAPE COD: Grow A Garden For Your Pet.
Growing cat grass is a great way to keep your kitties occupied and indoors during the cold and snowy days of winter. You can grow grass for cats indoors, in all seasons. Planting cat grass is simple and rewarding when the felines in the household pounce and devour it.
Grass for Cats
You may wonder why your cats insist on going outside, no matter the weather. When you look, you’ll often find them munching and chewing on blades of grass in the yard. Cats often do this when there is a deficiency in their diet or possibly just to fulfill some long-established instinct. (Dogs may do this as well.)
You can easily fulfill their needs with a few containers of freshly grown grass placed throughout the household. This may also stop undesirable behaviors, like your animals chewing on or eating your indoor plants.
If you find damaged houseplants regularly, this is an incentive to grow cat grass as an alternative to the felines eating your houseplants.
What is Cat Grass?
Cat grass is normally a mix of seeds of grasses like wheat, oat, barley, or rye. These can be planted and grown indoors in a bright, sunny window. It is a different plant than catnip. If your outdoor temperatures don’t get to freezing in winter, you might be able to grow it outside.
Ideally, this grass grows in temperatures around 70 degrees F. (21 C.), but it will grow in lower temperatures too. Experiment with growing temps for this plant to learn what is best in your location.
How to Grow Cat Grass
Purchase seeds at your local pet store or home improvement center. You may also find kits that include everything you need. If you purchase seeds only, you’ll need soil and containers in which to plant. Plastic containers are safest if they’ll be getting knocked or pulled about by the animal.
Add a few drain holes in the bottom. Fill halfway with soil and plant seeds an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm.) deep. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy until seeds sprout (within three days). Reduce watering at this point.
Move to a bright spot with morning sun. Allow the grass to grow for about a week and position it for the feline. As you know, it may take a day or so for interest to develop in a new plant. Immediately start a new container growing.
Growing cat grass indoors is a great way to help keep your animals safe from the elements. It may also prevent them from eating outdoor grass that contains fertilizers or pesticides. Hopefully, it will stop them from damaging other indoor plants.
It is easy to grow, so if they like it, it is a win-win for all concerned.
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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