How to stop cat from eating grass

My cat has been vomiting almost non stop for a month or more now..
We took him to the vet, and the vet said he was in excellent health, and said it may be due to over-eating.

He was already wormed, but the vet gave him another worming tablet to make sure it wasn't due to worms.

He doesn't have blood or mucus in his vomit, but very often I do find grass! I saw him munching away on grass in the morning. Why is he doing this, and is this causing him to vomit, or is he eating grass because he feels he needs to bring stuff back up?

He does often vomit large quantities, but not always, so I don't think its always due to that. Does anyone have any ideas? Im at a loss!!

How old is your kitty? Does he gorge, then play hard? My Harley does that..not so much now that he's older (4 years) but when he was younger I would messes to clean up every day because he would play so hard he would puke. If the vet says he's healthy, I'm going to bet that is the problem.

And, cats do crave greens, so eating grass is not abnormal. If he is eating it outside he may be eating fertilizer or pesticides that may be making him sick. You can buy "cat grass" that you can grow inside that may satisfy him when he has a craving for a salad...

http://www.citycats.biz/

I just did a quick search, but you can usually pick them up at a pet store cheaper, or check on ebay.

The grass itself (pesticides or not) does make them throw up, and they seem to need it by instinct, so I'd look in your pet stores for 'cat grass' that you can grow in a container at home to satisfy the craving... not that you want them to throw up, of course, but it goes along with the nibbling - I wonder if something isn't missing, or needs changing in the present diet.

Originally Posted by Larke

The grass itself (pesticides or not) does make them throw up, and they seem to need it by instinct, so I'd look in your pet stores for 'cat grass' that you can grow in a container at home to satisfy the craving... not that you want them to throw up, of course, but it goes along with the nibbling - I wonder if something isn't missing, or needs changing in the present diet.

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Actually eating grass does stimulate regurgitation. Often cats eat grass to clean out their system of toxins or irritants. On a regular basis is odd, have you tried changing the food? Another thing is to look for something else the cat maybe ingesting that is causing this, plastic, some toy or furniture, carpet.........

My cats eat grass but hardly ever vomit from it, if ever it's only a bit, and usually a hairball comes up!

Cats do crave grass and as long as it's pesticide free I dont see why some people think its a sin for cats to eat grass, they would in the wild.

Also, grass has fiber, which may also help with better digestion, and less constipation, at least for my cats is does.

I also sometimes give my cats indoor formula dry food or canned food with greens in them, "greenies" crunchy cat treats, and treats with "wheat grass" as an ingredient, they arent short on fiber thats for sure!

There are plenty of cat-grass growing kits, moat are really cheap. If you have a sunny window or greenhouse you can grow them all the grass they want!

Don't let your cat be an outdoor cat and the chances of eating grass are decreased.

Don't let your cat be an outdoor cat and the chances of eating grass are decreased.


I think what's more important is to first find out what is causing the vomiting. Usually grass wouldnt make a cat vomit for a whole month, I think something else is causing the vomiting.

Allergies to food or digestive problems sound like a possibility. Some cats really do eat too fast and vomit after, i've heard of that. But if that is the case it needs to be fixed somehow.

Originally Posted by Judi

Don't let your cat be an outdoor cat and the chances of eating grass are decreased.

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Some indoor - outdoor cats have safe, happy living situations.
If your kitty is vomiting daily or every other for the past month or so, this is something to be alert of. Something is irritating your kitty's stomach and the presence of grass in the vomit is a sign of self help in regurgitating it. When people say cats crave greens, this is not the same, there is very little if any source of nutrients in grass. I would be conscious of what and where your kitty is eating this grass, is it just grass? Like others have mentioned, it could be due to chemically treated lawn, or possibly poisonous plants. Some for whatever reason like to chew on green whether it be grass, vegetation, or plants indoor or outdoor. I would keep a close eye on your kitty, watch where and what he is eating green. When you say you see grass is his vomit, is it actually pieces of grass? Or is it green colored? Is it foamy, liquid, yellow or other color? Or is it more after eating and looks like undigested food? Does it happen indoors or outdoors more, nighttime versus daytime? Does he use his litter box regularly or shown signs of change in basic behavioral patterns?

His food is usually undigested, which is why we though he may be overeating. However, there have been times when he had vomited up smaller amounts.

I also thought it may be because he has hairballs in his stomach that are preventing the food from moving properly. He has a tendency to eat anything and everything, but what could be lingering for over a month in his belly? It doesnt seem to bother him the rest of the time, as he is frisky, playful, and always looking for his next treat! We have this malt based paste for him, which doesnt seem to have made a difference!

I don't think his food is to blame, as he shares food with 4 others, and they've been on this diet for all their lives (they are 3 and 2 - he is 2 and a half). He eats nutro complete, and various brands of wet food.

It is def grass, often seen in his vomit, but not always. There is no blood or mucus, just partially undigested food, and fluids.

The vet told us to take him back in a couple of weeks if things did not improve, which we will do, but in the meantime, does anyone have any ideas? We are desperate!

Are you free-feeding the dry food? If so, you could try giving measured amounts at specific
times. Have you tried raising all the food bowls, for example by placing them on thick telephone directories or books? Sometimes raising the bowls prevents gobbling. If that helps, there are plenty of bowls available in raised stainless steel or wooden stands.

that sounds like a plan - ill try anything at this moment! Its hard to monitor the amount of dry food, since we free feed, and our cats are usually very good at self regulating the amount they eat. We want them to continue to do that, so are reluctant to start being over watchful of what they eat.

I will try the phonebook trick they, they do all like a good gobble at the dry food bowl, maybe this will help them slow down a bit..