Are you a cat owner? If so, I’m sure you’ve noticed your cat nibbling on the grass on several occasions. This might come out as odd behavior because cats are obligate carnivores. On most occasions, the nibbling of grass is usually followed by the cat throwing up the food it’d had. This, however, should not raise an alarm thinking that the act is toxic to your cat.
The mere act of your cat eating grass may mean that it’s looking for relief for something like constipation or stress. You should therefore not reprimand your cat for eating grass. Researchers have come up with several theories as to why eating grass is a compulsive behavior among cats such as aiding in digestion and helping a cats upset stomach.
The Top 3 Theories as to Why Your Cat Eats Grass
#1 Helps With An Upset Stomach
You will often notice that your cat will throw up moments after eating grass. This fact has led to researchers coming up with the theory that cats eat grass so that it can help them with stomach upsets.
Cats lack the suitable enzymes responsible for the digestion of grass thus the vomiting. It is thus believed that they eat grass to aid regurgitating and in return clear their digestive system of things such as feathers and bones that they were unable to digest.
#2 Grass Juice contains folic acid
Milk from a cat’s mother contains an essential vitamin, folic acid, which helps with the production of haemoglobin, digestion, and supports the growth of cells. Grass contains folic acid as well.
Lack of or reduction of these vitamins in your cat’s body will prompt them to eat grass as a countermeasure
#3 Works as a natural laxative
Grass can help relieve your cat from constipation. How? Your cat may eat something that it can’t digest and these things may end up getting stuck far down in its digestive tract.
Grass aids in the breakdown of such substances and thus makes their egestion easier.
Is It Safe For Cats to Eat Grass?
It’s safe for your cat to eat grass provided it’s done in moderation and you haven’t treated your grass with herbicides and pesticides as these may be poisonous. Eating grass in excessive amounts could however be harmful to your cat’s health as it may block their nasal tracts causing them to sneeze repeatedly. You should contact your local vet to help you with the manual removal of the grass.
You should be keen to ensure that your houseplants are non-poisonous if your cat makes a behavior of eating grass and plants. Houseplants such as Lilies and Kalanchoes can lead to mild to severe reactions as they are toxic to cats. Always take your cat to the vet in case of ingestion of poisonous plants.
You can use our harmful substances and poisonous foods guide in identifying which of your houseplants are toxic to your cat. You can also buy pots of cat grass to ensure the safety of your cat and prevent them from nibbling on your houseplants.
Why Does My Cat Eat Grass Final Thoughts
Cats are very finicky so when we see our cat eating grass naturally we start to worry. However your cat eating grass won’t harm your feline friend. In fact, eating grass might be beneficial to your cat. So next time you look out your window and see your cat munching on grass, don’t panic, for your silly cat will be just fine.
When was the last time you say your cat eating grass? Did it worry you? let us know in the comment section below and feel free to checkout our latest article!