i was wondering, if i mix a little catnip in with the morning wet food, will my cats still need to eat cat grass or will the cat nip take care of their vegetation needs?
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catnip and cat grass
- Thread starter jaycee
- Start Date
To the best of my knowledge, catnip and cat grass are not the same things, but I could be mistaken. However, cats are obligate carnivores -- they don't have any vegetation needs, so far as I know, and what needs they do have should be filled by quality cat food. My own cats eat only canned and dry cat food, with dried catnip (and occasionally fresh 'nip, if we have any that hasn't already been demolished!) as a treat. I don't believe catnip or cat grass fulfill any dietary requirements; they're just treats.
I don't think that cats eat catnip...I would not encourage them to eat catnip...
Catnip dosn't actually have anything of what grass has. Grass acts as a digestive aid and contains quite a bit of moisture. Catnip in its fresh form contains a bit of moisture but it's more or a stimulant than a digestive aid. I would continue giving your cat grass to chew on, and catnip as a special treat.
What exactly is cat nip? There was a packet with the scratching board I bought for Lusa and it smelled sort of like green tea? I thought she'd go crazy for it, but she's not impressed
Maybe it's stale?
Does anyone grow their own cat grass? Is it safe for kittens to chew on?
Does anyone grow their own cat grass? Is it safe for kittens to chew on?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
yes, it is perfectly alright for them to eat it. when eaten it has a calming affect rather than a stimulant.
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- #7
yes, they do have some vegetatin needs (cat grass), it helps with digestion.
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- #8
when smelled it is a stimulant, when ingested has a calming affect, or no affect.
Hope looooves catnip. She loves eating it anyway. All cats react to varying degrees to catnip. Kittens don't usually react until they are older. Not all cats inherit the gene that responds to catnip. Meeka only has a mild interest in the smell. Autumn will get little spurts of energy. Hope gets wired. Yogi will start rolling like crazy. Clover likes to bury his face in whatever has it in it but dosen't last long. Garfield never responded to it. Every cat is different.
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- #10
do you have an opinion of whether or not it will work as a digestion aid?
Catnip is harmless to the cat, though they can get 'high' on it!
Cat grass (actually oat, or barley grass) is used as a digestive aid. The problem I have is keeping it alive in the house. I got two live catnip plants for Gizmo and dry catnip is always available for her. Catgrass doesn't sprout if I try it here and the stuff from the pet store is dead in a week's time.
Catnip should not be mixed into their food, but left as a treat in a special area. Gizmo loves to roll in it and then lick it off her fur!
Cat grass (actually oat, or barley grass) is used as a digestive aid. The problem I have is keeping it alive in the house. I got two live catnip plants for Gizmo and dry catnip is always available for her. Catgrass doesn't sprout if I try it here and the stuff from the pet store is dead in a week's time.
Catnip should not be mixed into their food, but left as a treat in a special area. Gizmo loves to roll in it and then lick it off her fur!
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- #12
why should it not be mixed into the food? one of my cats goes crazy when he smells it, so i mix into the food so he doesnt smell it because i dont like him being hyper like that, he plays too rough. plus i dont think they would eat it otherwise. and i want them to eat it, i think its good for them. i dont see why it wouldnt help with digestion the same way as cat grass, they re both plants.
Are you mixing fresh catnip in or dry?
I don't see how the dried catnip would work as the cat grass does because the cat grass kind of acts as a lubricant for digestion.
As Sibohan2005 mentioned:
I don't see how the dried catnip would work as the cat grass does because the cat grass kind of acts as a lubricant for digestion.
As Sibohan2005 mentioned:
My MIL leaves a bowl of nip she has dried for her cats to eat as they wish. We have it growing wild here. Sometimes I will break off some of the fresh for my cats. I have a bag of ginely ground nip that I purchase elsewhere and sprinkle on toys, etc. for mine. All catnip is not the same and while a cat may not react to one bag of nip the next of a different brand and grind may really get them going.
I'm not sure about catnip being a digestive aid
But my vet did recommend giving villy catnip to help her chill out, as she is quite an anxious cat. She has her own plant and I take the leaves off and tear them up for her. She chews them and rolls in it and it seems to make her happy.
But my vet did recommend giving villy catnip to help her chill out, as she is quite an anxious cat. She has her own plant and I take the leaves off and tear them up for her. She chews them and rolls in it and it seems to make her happy.
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- #15
well, i would try the cat grass along with the catnip if it werent for the fact that NO vegetation whatsoever lives at my house so ill just have to rely on the dried catnip. every living plant i have ever bought here dies no matter what. i know its something about the place because everything i touched thrived in other places ive lived.
i read it was the roughage from the cat grass that is what aids with the digestion and that is why i thought catnip would do the same thing.
i read it was the roughage from the cat grass that is what aids with the digestion and that is why i thought catnip would do the same thing.
Catnip is in the mint family. Mint is a stomach soother, so I always thought catnip helped digestion too.
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Yes catnip can and should be given as a stomach aid... cat grass is a regular digestive aid .. Cats require 3-5% of total diet of veggtation or veggie matter ...
Catnip is usually provided as a recreational aid outside the food dish. It won't hurt them to mix it in.
Prego enjoys eating catnip, either fresh or dry. He doesn't really respond to it, just loves eating it.
I grow a pot of oat grass for Prego and Polly. Both love it. Prego actually eats some; Polly just chews on it. I have to plant a new pot about once a week or so. What I do is have two growing at once, one on the floor full of grass for them, and one in the windowsill waiting to sprout.
I grow a pot of oat grass for Prego and Polly. Both love it. Prego actually eats some; Polly just chews on it. I have to plant a new pot about once a week or so. What I do is have two growing at once, one on the floor full of grass for them, and one in the windowsill waiting to sprout.
Stoli loves his oat grass. he chews on it mostly but does eat it every once in a while. i have a catnip plant outside and stoli 'kinda' likes it but the cat next door has DEMOLISHED it. He's this big ol fat cat and it's so funny to see him rub his face and body ALL over the plant. it even attracted another cat from down the road.
