All cat owners will surely have seen their cat eating grass in the garden, or chewing on plant leaves. that they find in the house. This behavior, in addition to arousing astonishment, often also causes a little concern, as it is known that the cat is a strictly carnivorous animal ( in depth: dog and cat have always been carnivores ).

Meanwhile, we want to reassure you immediately, saying that this is a common gesture in cats, inherent in their DNA and therefore should not (in most cases) cause any concern.

The cat’s body is also predisposed to digest vegetable type fibers . It is not unusual, in fact, that our kittens, from time to time, feel the need to consume foods other than meat, such as fruit or vegetables.

This is why Life has created a line of foods that have, in addition to meat or fish, also a small dose of fruit or vegetables.. Precisely to meet all the nutritional and physiological needs of the animal (if you are curious to understand which products we are talking about, here is the Cat Natural line 85 g cans ).

MAIN REASONS WHY CATS EAT GRASS

That said, we just have to understand what are the reasons that push our beloved feline to chew and eat grass or plants from time to time.

1- CATS EAT GRASS TO ENCOURAGE DIGESTION AND PURIFY

Once cats, when they were not yet pets and lived in nature, used to hunt for food. The prey they captured were consumed almost completely, without making many distinctions between the digestible and the less digestible parts (such as fur, fur or feathers).

To be able to digest – or expel – the most indigestible parts, the cats helped themselves by eating grass. and plants. So they purified themselves and their organism was able to regulate itself: naturally vomiting all those parts of the prey that it would not be able to digest, and at the same time, thanks to the fibers, helping the stomach in the digestion of the others.

The same thing happens when the cat, during its daily care, ingests too much hair ( in depth: how to help the cat when it loses its hair). Its stomach, in fact, is able to digest a certain amount, but in periods of moulting in the stomach real hairballs are formed which make the animal feel bad and can also be very dangerous. And it is at this point that the cat uses grass to be able to throw up excess hairballs and thus return to being well.

2- CATS EAT GRASS AS A NATURAL LAXATIVE

In addition to this, another important function of the herb is to be of help to the cat in case of constipation problems , since the fibers it contains are very useful for promoting intestinal mobility.

If the cat therefore suffers from this problem, it will therefore be inclined, from time to time, to eat some grass just to help facilitate intestinal transit and thus regulate the functions of the last tract of the digestive system.

3- CATS EAT GRASS AS A SOURCE OF NUTRITIONAL SUBSTANCES

Plants, in addition to being rich in fiber, also contain many very important nutritional elements , such as minerals and vitamins. In particular, they are rich in folic acid , vitamin D and vitamin B which helps in cell regeneration and strengthens the immune system.

Here is another reason why our furry ones sometimes feed on grass or plants: precisely to supplement these nutrients essential for their needs and their health.

CAT GRASS: WHAT IT IS, PROPERTIES AND UTILITIES FOR THE CAT

Generally, cats tend to get the grass or plants they need on their own. However, if we do not want him to spoil the plants in the garden or we are not sure of the healthiness of those we have at home (some houseplants are toxic, such as the poinsettia), we will take care to provide him with something that is for him. edible. The most famous and useful plant for our cat is definitely the Cat Grass , so called not by chance.

But what is Cat Grass?

Nepeta cataria , commonly known as “Cat’s Grass” is a perennial herbaceous plant of the same family as aromatic plants. One of the other names by which it is known, in fact, is also “Mint of Cats” .

This plant has many vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances such as nepetalactone. It is an element that works just like pheromones, and is therefore able to provide in the animal good mood and relaxation .

In addition to the Cat Grass, which is certainly the most suitable for its many virtues, there are also other edible and useful plants for our feline. Among these we find dandelion, chamomile, valerian , but also aromatic plants such as rosemary or basil.

Obviously the quantity ingested must accompany the basic diet , which remains purely carnivorous .