digestive aid
Cat grass: What is it and what are its uses for house tigers?
Cat grass can be a sensible purchase for house tigers
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Extensive grooming causes indigestible hairballs to accumulate in a cat’s gastrointestinal tract, which it then regurgitates. To stimulate digestion, the animals usually eat a few blades of grass. House cats that don’t leave the house need a healthy alternative.
Do you wonder why your cat nibbles on the indoor plants and then throws up in the apartment? There is a simple reason for this: If there is not enough liquid in the animal’s stomach – for example because it only eats dry food – it can happen that too much hair collects in it. These are no longer digested in large quantities and are therefore choked out. Experts suspect that cats eat some grass to facilitate elimination. It should bundle the hairballs better and avoid (sometimes life-threatening) blockages. But what if the house tiger does not have free access and is only in the apartment? In case there is the so-called cat grass.
What is cat grass and what types are there?
First of all: Not every cat needs grass and not everyone likes it equally. Therefore, there is no guarantee that your pet will accept the digestive aid. But it’s definitely worth a try – especially if you’ve often seen your cat nibbling on your (perhaps not entirely non-toxic) indoor plants. In this case, you should buy the cat grass as a sensible dietary supplement. There are mature plants that you can order online, for example. Or you can go shopping set (including ceramic bowl, bamboo saucer, coconut soil and seeds) and simply grow the grass yourself. Read the next paragraph to find out how this works in detail.
Back to cat grass: are particularly suitable for rearing grain seeds (e.g. wheat, barley or oats) are particularly good because they have very soft stalks and are therefore easy to chew. Cyprus grass – called Cyperus alternifolius in botany – is also often recommended as a digestive aid for cats, as it is non-toxic. However, the stalks are sharp-edged and can therefore lead to internal cuts. However, most house tigers tolerate it very well. Alternatively, green lilies are also offered as cat grass, as they cause nausea and are therefore ideal for regurgitating hairballs. However, the plants filter nicotine from the air, which cats absorb when they eat. Therefore you should be a non-smoker.
Breeding cat grass: how to proceed step by step
In fact, growing cat grass isn’t all that difficult. For the rearing you only need a bowl, some potting soil and a handful of grain – for example wheat grains or one seed mix. However, make sure that these are untreated, i.e. not fertilized or come into contact with pesticides. Then follow these steps:
- Soak the seeds in a little water for an hour or two.
- Take the bowl and fill it with some untreated potting soil.
- Plant each seed individually two centimeters deep in the soil.
- Place the bowl in a bright spot like the window sill.
- Make sure the soil is kept moist but not too wet.
The seeds begin to germinate after just a few days, so that you will have ready-to-serve cat grass for your house tiger after two to three weeks at the latest.
Alternatives to cat grass: gas bits and malt paste
Many animal feed companies also offer so-called grass bits which consist largely of dried cat grass and minerals. They are intended to support digestion if your cat has swallowed too much hair that can no longer be excreted. They are to be understood as a kind of snack that are usually well accepted by velvet paws. But what if a cat doesn’t like grass but still has trouble choking up old balls of hair? In that case, the oily and high-fiber malt paste be a healthy supplement to the feed. It stimulates digestion, making it easier for hair to be excreted in the faeces, but without causing vomiting – which many pet owners will certainly appreciate.
And one final note: When cats choke up bundles of hair, the sound isn’t very pretty – neither is the sight. However, this process is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. However, if your house tiger vomits several times a week and the vomit contains more than just hair and grass, it is better to consult a veterinarian.
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