It seems so contradictory given their pointy meat-intended teeth but these obligate carnivores can often be found chomping down on an herbivore’s delight.
The Theories
Some veterinarians have developed a theory that eating grass helps clear out intestinal parasites (nematodes), sort of like a rake for the stomach. Others believe they just like the sweet taste of some moist grass – especially given their propensity to eat fresh spring grass as opposed to dried summer blades.
In general, the most commonly accepted reason is it seems to relieve some stomach troubles, parasites or some have even said infections. I could not find any studies in veterinary literature that confirmed or denied this but did find some surveys performed on clients of a veterinary hospital and mention of an ongoing study.
Don’t Worry
Basically, it’s typical, nothing to worry about as long as they aren’t throwing up afterward (far more common in dogs) and just keep an eye on them. In fact, it’s so popular that most big box pet stores and mom and pop shops sell cat grass – grass you can grow year round just for your cat to munch on.
The true danger is if they chow down on a plant that isn’t cat-safe. To consult a list of plants that are toxic to our feline friends, check out the ASPCA’s thorough list.
If It’s Not Cat Safe Then Stay Away
A general rule of thumb, if it doesn’t say “cat safe”, don’t bring it inside your house, otherwise, let them enjoy a little grazing throughout their day.
Comments
I agree with the last sentence 100%
If it isn’t absolutely cat safe then don’t bring it inside of your house or keep it anywhere where a cat can reach it. I have a friend who is a veterinarian and she always scares me by telling me how often it happens that a cat got plant poisoning.
But yeah, cats do like eating plants and it is best to give them some cat safe grass. Why do they do it? We may never know but lets hope that those studies they are doing will shed some light on this weird cat behavior 🙂
Totally agree with Mary, keep an eye on our kitties and feed them safe grass if they want. Thanks for helpful post!