With the advent of the cat in the house the owner has to think about purchasing different things. However, few people pay attention to the need to buy grass for your pet, to which practically any member of the cat family is interested. The material in this article will tell readers what kind of grass cats love, how it is called and how to grow it properly.
Why do cats need grass?
The interest of cats in the grass is due to various reasons. You should not take it as an alternative to food - in fact, it is necessary for cats:
- as ballast in the stomach;
- as an emetic;
- with the disease.
The opinion that an animal eats grass from nothing to do is wrong. A cat never does anything for nothing - it will not eat grass without a specific reason. For example, as for the first reason, grass is needed in order to create a feeling of fullness. This is especially important for sterilized individuals leading a sedentary lifestyle. Eating grass, they will not be eroded, therefore, in this case, the probability of obesity is excluded.
As for the gagging urges that are necessary for an animal, the reason is more simple. Not everything that an animal eats is successfully digested in the stomach. For example, bones, the skin of mice and bird feathers are poorly digested.
To help itself, the cat is forced to eat grass, which, enveloping the gathered mass, will provoke the urge to vomit.
This is the need to eliminate the accumulating wool, which is collected in the cat's stomach from the fact that the animal licks dead wool. Thus, she cleans her intestines from knitted wool. It also helps your digestive system.
Someone thinks that cats eat grass to get rid of parasites, others are sure that it acts on fluffs as a laxative, helping to cleanse the walls from stagnant food debris. It is also believed that grass is essential for cats during pregnancy. According to this theory, it fills the blood with oxygen, contributes to the proper formation of the fetus.
However, the fact remains: pets do not eat all the grass, and houseplants do not interest them at all.
If you follow the pet carefully, you can see how he gnaws blades of grass without swallowing them. Some herb attracts them with its taste. And often they like not some special, but ordinary weed. Sometimes it is noticeable that the animal feels bad, can refuse food, but, having found grass, comes to life noticeably.
What plants do cats eat?
The cat will never eat anything: even if it is still winter outside, he will not eat indoor plants. In the summer, he will not eat wormwood, dope, bleached hair, and buttercup, but will not ignore the creeping wheat grass. This herb is literally everywhere, it is effective in treating gastritis, and also contributes to the normalization of metabolism in the feline body. Moreover, wheatgrass has the necessary rigidity for pets, activating peristalsis.
In addition to wheatgrass, cats like nettle, which helps to improve lactation during the feeding of kittens. They also love parsley, using it as a diuretic. It is worth noting that Parsley also soothes pets.
Lemongrass helps to relieve pain, improves digestion, cleanses the body.
Pets love sprouted barley, oats and wheat. This grass can be grown at home on the windowsill at any time of the year. With the means to buy, in extreme cases, you can buy already germinated "lawn". Of course, she will quickly lose a fresh look, but she will be able to help out a pet when it’s urgently needed.
At the same time, you should not try to treat your pet with such intoxicating herbs like valerian, lemon balm or peppermint. This is explained by the fact that this herb, in fact, is not beneficial. Moreover, it is scientifically proven that it can provoke not only relaxation and intoxication, but also aggression. In addition, cats do not eat this grass, they only sniff it.
How to choose?
A caring owner can buy weed for his pet at a specialty store. The seller will select the desired option, taking into account the sex of the pet, as well as based on the nuances of the texture of wool and the frequency of molting. If the owner decided to grow the grass independently, for a start, you can buy oats or wheat. It is sold in packages and has the name "Grass for Cats".
So that the cat does not experience a lack of greenery, the lawn can be enriched with other herbs. For example, in one pot you can grow grass of three types: wheat, barley and oats. So the pet can diversify its "green" menu.
In a separate pot you can grow lemon grass or lemongrass, which is a natural antibiotic or antiseptic with a diuretic effect.
Despite the fact that cats and cats sometimes require quite tough grass, a pet owner relatively recently should purchase grass without ears or sharp notches on the foliage or feathers. A pet living in an apartment can be injured on such grass. Ideally, the grass should be young and juicy, as rough and old often does not have the desired effect for the pet. Of course, he will eat it in the absence of other greenery, but for the care to be effective, the owner must take note of this nuance.
In addition, the dosage must be considered. Pet does not eat grass every day, and therefore it is not necessary to buy grass in armfuls, because as long as it becomes necessary, it can grow old.
Also, the choice will have to take into account the appointment: there is no grass for all problems at once. If necessary, you have to plant a specific one. For example, with frequent shedding, it is better to have germinated sprouts of cereal in the house - they do an excellent job of removing puffy hair from the stomach. As for wheatgrass, it is desirable that this grass was one of those that grow in the house constantly. The cat has a pronounced interest in it, it will definitely come in handy to him.
Growing rules
You can grow grass for a pet in different ways. For example, can be taken as a basis for landing technique using soil. To do this, in a specialized shop you need to purchase weed itself, a balanced soil mixture, as well as capacity. If you do not want to buy a pot, it can be made from the improvised material.
In addition, for planting need polyethylene, which completely closes the container. As it can use a regular plastic bag. In order for the plant root system to develop properly, it is necessary to ensure good drainage. The seeds themselves can simply soak or germinate to accelerate the growth.
After planting, they should be sprinkled with earth and moistened with water at room temperature, sprinkled with a spray bottle. Then planted seeds should be covered with plastic wrap, creating a greenhouse effect. After friendly shoots, the film is removed, however, if the room where the grass is grown is very dry, at first it will be necessary to cover the shoots with a film. This is necessary so that they do not dry out, as this will lead to the death of the roots.
It is possible to plant grass for cats without land, and this method is considered more simple.To implement it, you need two plastic plates of different sizes. Bottom one is necessary to pierce to create drainage and discharge of excess water. The holed plate is placed on the whole in such a way that it does not rest on the bottom entirely.
Some cotton is put on the bottom, then the cotton is moistened, and then seeds are laid on it. From above, the seeds are covered with gauze with large holes through which the sprouts can sprout. To speed up germination and prevent drying, cover the plate with plastic wrap. The method is convenient because with all their desire, pets do not scatter the ground, and besides, the breeder does not have to prepare a substrate for planting.
For an improvised lawn, instead of a substrate, you can use a certain cat litter (for example, from compressed sawdust). It is soaked to obtain a homogeneous consistency, and then used as earth. The rest of the method is no different from the option of planting in a pot with soil.
Use for cultivation need unused filler: otherwise the cat will never pay attention to the grass grown in it.
After the emergence of shoots, the grass must provide proper care, which will accelerate its growth, affect fast rooting, as well as juiciness.
- It is necessary to water the land daily, but in such a way that it does not stand in water. At first, it should be moistened with a fine water spray. Water for irrigation must be filtered or boiled.
- You can not put a container with sprouts in a hot place, as this will lead to the rapid evaporation of water from the soil (cotton wool, filler).
- The place for the container must be chosen correctly: drafts that can freeze the grass are not allowed (this is true in the winter period for plants on the windowsill).
- Cat's grass grows on average 2 weeks. There is no need to grow the grass for months: after the time comes, it will start to age, lose juiciness, it needs to be updated so that the cat always has a fresh portion.
- The layer of soil, which is sprinkled with grass when planting, should not be thick, otherwise the seeds will be difficult to germinate through the soil. In addition, with a large layer of germination will be delayed for a long time. It is a mistake to assume that it should be up to 3 cm: ideally, 1 cm is enough.
- The lack of light and temperature during cultivation will result in a stunted grass. For optimal growth and a set of succulence, it needs to ensure all aspects of care, including not only watering, but also light and moderate temperature.
- In summer, you can grow grass on the windowsill or on the street. However, it is worth considering that it will have to be treated from dust, so that the pet inadvertently along with the necessary substances does not eat it either.
- To speed up germination, seeds selected for planting can be soaked in water. Soaking time usually does not exceed 2 hours. Water should not be too hot, it is desirable to take separated or filtered.
What to consider?
To grow high-quality and juicy grass for a pet, you need to follow several rules. For example, the capacity for growing should not be too high and wide. A cat should easily get to every blade of grass he needs. A good cat package can be a small cat tray.
Sometimes the owners prefer to harvest grass for future use. You can not call it an effective way to provide the pet with the necessary weed: she needs her green and fresh. Often, cats, like cats, do not pay attention to it, trying to solve their problems by searching for something else. However, seeds can stock up on summer - this will allow them to grow at home at any time.
No need to put cat grass next to houseplants. Some of them have a specific smell that scares pets and drowns the smell of the grass itself.
It is important to note that some indoor plants not only do not have any benefit for domestic animals, but can lead to diseases and, in some cases, even to death. For example, such plants as geranium, Decembrist, azalea and begonia are contraindicated in pets.
What kind of grass can cats eat?
Despite the fact that street grass is considered the most juicy, today it can not only benefit the pet, but also cause its poisoning. This is due to several factors. For example, the main one is the environmental background in the region. The foliage of blades of grass can be poisonous, and besides, the grass, like a sponge, absorbs harmful substances in the air.
This and exhaust gas from passing cars, and pesticides sprayed nearby. The body of an already weakened animal may not cope with such problems, thereby aggravating the situation. In addition, few people thought that helminth eggs are often present on street grass. And these are new, but extremely undesirable problems for a pet.
To learn how to grow your own grass for cats, see the video below.
