Cat Grass Questions...

hey folks,

Due to some recent plant demolition... Even with the plant in a room the cats are usually not allowed in... I am now considering getting some cat grass, to tempt them to eat plants they are supposed to rather than other, not-so-tastey ones. But before I buy, I have some questions.

1. Have you found that your cat prefers to munch on the grass rather than other plants?

2. Which type of cat grass do you have and does your cat prefer?

3. How often do you have to reseed or replace the grass?

4. Do you give the grass some "away time" to regrow?

5. How is your grass potted (plastic, clay, etc.)?

6. Do you have the store-bought pre-grown grass or did you buy seeds and plant them yourself?

7. Any problems with diarrhea, constipation, or throwing up post-grass consumption?

8. Did your cats become MORE interested in eating your other plants after eating the grass?

9. Best place (cheapest, etc.) to get grass?

10. Any other suggestions for someone getting cat grass?


Thanks folks!
Art

I buy the pre-grown stuff and also plant my own for them in pods. You can buy the pods for about $8 apc and they fit right in your drinkwell fountain.

but... I like the pre-grown stuff better. It's much fuller, growing your own tends to come up a little scraggly. It's not expensive, I pay about $3 a pot and it'll last several weeks. I put the plastic pot inside a ceramic pot with no hole at the bottom so it can sit in water. It dries out very quickly and if it's not sitting in water it'll only last about a week or so. Get a lot more life out of it this way.
The pre-grown is usually a mix of alfalfa and wheat grass.

My bengals love to eat my plants and I find the cat grass kind of deters them. They'll still bite my other plants occasionally but not like they do when there's no cat grass. I also have a catnip plant up there next to it which also helps distract some.

Once the grass starts to die there's nothing you can do for it. Just chuck it and buy a new one.
I buy mine at Whole Foods or Petfood Express. It's too expensive at Petco, about $5 or $6.

I grow my own... Started the pot in a room he wasn't allowed in and waited until stable... add new seeds periodically and it's been good since Christmas, thus far. He likes it. I put it in the tub so if he (or the dog) spill it, it's easy to clean.

1. Have you found that your cat prefers to munch on the grass rather than other plants?
They would still eat house plants so I no longer have anything other than cat grass inside

2. Which type of cat grass do you have and does your cat prefer?
Mine eat oat or wheat grass, don't seem to have a preference

3. How often do you have to reseed or replace the grass?
I have rotating pots and plant every 2 weeks

4. Do you give the grass some "away time" to regrow?
I put it outside every few days

5. How is your grass potted (plastic, clay, etc.)?
Clay pot

6. Do you have the store-bought pre-grown grass or did you buy seeds and plant them yourself?
Grow my own with seeds from the health food shop, much cheaper than pet store grass seeds

7. Any problems with diarrhea, constipation, or throwing up post-grass consumption?
Nope, mine have never vomited up cat grass - outside lawn yes, but not the indoor grass

8. Did your cats become MORE interested in eating your other plants after eating the grass?
No, remained about the same

10. Any other suggestions for someone getting cat grass?
I grow mine outside year round but when I lived in Canada I'd grow in on the bathroom window ledge in the winter, the heat/humidity from the shower seemed to help

1. Have you found that your cat prefers to munch on the grass rather than other plants? Yes

2. Which type of cat grass do you have and does your cat prefer? I sometimes buy pre-grown, and sometimes grow my own, usually a mix of oat and wheat.

3. How often do you have to reseed or replace the grass? Every two weeks on average.

4. Do you give the grass some "away time" to regrow? No, I start a fresh pot and toss out the old, as cat grass has a LOT of roots that grow fast and clog the pot, taking all the nutrients from the soil.

5. How is your grass potted (plastic, clay, etc.)? I love the Chia Cat Grass pot the best, as it is weighted so the cats can't walk off with it or drag it around as they do with plastic pots.

6. Do you have the store-bought pre-grown grass or did you buy seeds and plant them yourself? Both.

7. Any problems with diarrhea, constipation, or throwing up post-grass consumption? In general, no. An occasional "grass ball" is puked up if they eat too much of it too fast, or if they ate it specifically to aid in getting a hairball up.

8. Did your cats become MORE interested in eating your other plants after eating the grass? Nope, a lot LESS interested, and I have a LOT of houseplants.

9. Best place (cheapest, etc.) to get grass? I buy the seeds from eBay.

10. Any other suggestions for someone getting cat grass? Nope, I think the info I gave covers it!

Thanks for the info!
Looks like I'm set to go and buy some grass (or seeds). Hopefully my hairball-prone cat will take to eating it to help with said hairballs.

Art