You may have caught your cat eating blades of grass on many occasions – your cat has then most probably thrown up in the aftermath. This leads many cat owners to wonder why their cat eats grass in the first place.
HOW EATING GRASS HELPS YOUR CAT
No one knows for certain, but some experts believe that eating grass may actually be beneficial for your favourite feline. Others have suggested that it may simply be a trait inherited from their wild ancestors.
There are several reasons why your cat might be eating grass:
1) Your cat may be trying to throw up. While it may not be pleasant for you or your cat, being sick is a way for them to clear out their digestive tract. If your cat is an outdoor cat, they may have consumed indigestible parts of their prey – such as bones, feathers, etc.
Cats also find their own fur extremely difficult to digest, so this may be another reason your cat is trying to regurgitate something.
2) It appears that grass acts as a natural laxative. Therefore, if fur or other tough to digest matter has moved further through your cat’s digestive system then eating grass may help to work this through.
3) Grass is a source of folic acid. Folic acid is essential for many of your cat’s bodily processes, including the production of haemoglobin.
4) Your cat may simply like the taste!
TAKING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Though grass is feline-friendly, it’s important to ensure that your cat isn’t exposed to any garden dangers, such as poisonous plants.
If your cat seems to be repeatedly making itself sick, be sure to take them to the vets for a check-up.
WHAT ABOUT INDOOR CATS?
Now that we’ve looked at some of the ways that eating grass can benefit your cat, you might be wondering whether indoor cats – or cats with limited access to the outside – might be missing out.
There are a variety of indoor grass products you can buy that allow your cat access to fresh grass shoots, whilst also diverting their attention away from any house plants you might have!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Understandably, when you see your cat being sick, you immediately think the worst. The most important thing to know is that it’s probably nothing to worry about.
As long as your cat is not doing this repeatedly, day-in day-out, eating grass in itself isn’t a problem.