Why do cats eat grass?

Anne Miller wrote:We have a "feral" cat we took in, Tiny Kitty.

She eats grass, I assume for the same reason dogs eat grass.

This is what I have been told was the reason dogs eat grass is to help with digestion and help with poop.

Think of grass as a vegetable being nutritious and filling.

Olga Booker wrote:Every time my cat eats grass, she will throw up shortly after.  My understanding is that it's to get rid of the fur stuck in their gullet after intensive cleaning/grooming.  My daughter's aged cat who could no longer go outside, had problems with fur balls blocking her bowels and had to be seen by a vet.  Some cats do not always vomit after eating grass, and it is said  that it is to get rid of intestinal parasites.  It is quite a natural thing for many carnivores to do.  The danger lies in  what has been sprayed on the grass?

Vinnie Cappitani wrote:
Now I'm thinking about buying a cat grass for my cats to eat

Denise Kersting wrote:

Vinnie Cappitani wrote:
Now I'm thinking about buying a cat grass for my cats to eat

You can just use regular wheat berries to sprout and grow if you happen to grind your own grain. My kitty loves fresh wheatgrass, my yard grass, and especially lemongrass. I bring a pot of lemongrass inside in the winter because it lasts longer than the wheat or cat grass varieties inside. Make sure whatever you plant in is sturdy/heavy enough to resist being knocked over by an exuberant furball

Heather Sharpe wrote:Cats and many other animals possess zoopharmacognosy. That's just a fancy word meaning that they can sense what plants have medicinal benefits for them. It sure is fun to say. I have watched my own cat do this many times. She has had problems with asthma and when she did, chose to eat hackberry leaves and ragweed, both of which are good for respiratory health and allergies. My dog does this too. She's been going around my yard eating goldenrod and hackberry, again, for her allergies. She even ate white vervain, which is intensely bitter tasting and also a nervine, which is interesting, since she has anxiety. There are tons of other instances of animals doing this if you observe animals with access to plants or if you read about it.

I wonder if cats and dogs eating grass is them trying to exercise their zoopharmacognosy, but because most often, people have monocultures of grass and/or tend to keep their animals away from any unknown plants, they just settle for grass? Most people aren't growing lots of wild or medicinal plants in their yard, so most cats and dogs probably don't have other options.

You can give your cat the chance to practice this inside by laying out some fresh or dried cat safe herbs for them on a towel or blanket with some space between each herb, that way they can investigate and choose what they like. Here's a website with a little more information and lists of cat safe herbs to offer: https://drjudymorgan.com/blogs/blog/supporting-your-cats-healing-through-self-selection-principles
I'm sure something similar could be done for dogs. Or of course, if you have a garden full of medicinal plants and you know what is safe for your pet, you can just walk around with them and see what they choose. I think we can learn a lot about our animal companions and plants this way!

Heather Sharpe wrote:Cats and many other animals possess zoopharmacognosy. That's just a fancy word meaning that they can sense what plants have medicinal benefits for them. It sure is fun to say. I have watched my own cat do this many times. She has had problems with asthma and when she did, chose to eat hackberry leaves and ragweed, both of which are good for respiratory health and allergies. My dog does this too. She's been going around my yard eating goldenrod and hackberry, again, for her allergies. She even ate white vervain, which is intensely bitter tasting and also a nervine, which is interesting, since she has anxiety. There are tons of other instances of animals doing this if you observe animals with access to plants or if you read about it.

I wonder if cats and dogs eating grass is them trying to exercise their zoopharmacognosy, but because most often, people have monocultures of grass and/or tend to keep their animals away from any unknown plants, they just settle for grass? Most people aren't growing lots of wild or medicinal plants in their yard, so most cats and dogs probably don't have other options.

You can give your cat the chance to practice this inside by laying out some fresh or dried cat safe herbs for them on a towel or blanket with some space between each herb, that way they can investigate and choose what they like. Here's a website with a little more information and lists of cat safe herbs to offer: https://drjudymorgan.com/blogs/blog/supporting-your-cats-healing-through-self-selection-principles
I'm sure something similar could be done for dogs. Or of course, if you have a garden full of medicinal plants and you know what is safe for your pet, you can just walk around with them and see what they choose. I think we can learn a lot about our animal companions and plants this way!