{{Short description|Grasses grown for domestic cats to eat}}
thumb|A cat and cat grass '''Cat grass''' is the colloquial term for trays or pots of young cereal grasses, most commonly wheat (''Triticum aestivum''), barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), oat (''Avena sativa''), and sometimes rye (''Secale cereale''), that are grown indoors for cats to chew. Catnip (''Nepeta cataria'') and other iridoid-rich plants are usually not included in the term, as they primarily elicit rubbing and rolling behavior rather than ingestion.<ref name="PetMD-Types">{{cite web |title=5 Types of Cat Grass You Can Grow |website=PetMD |date=8 February 2018 |url=https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/5-types-cat-grass-you-can-grow |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref><ref name="Uenoyama2021">{{cite journal |last1=Uenoyama |first1=R. |last2=Miyazaki |first2=T. |last3=Hatanaka |first3=A. |title=The characteristic response of domestic cats to plant iridoids allows them to gain chemical defense against mosquitoes |journal=Science Advances |year=2021 |volume=7 |issue=5 |article-number=eabd9135 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abd9135 |pmid=33523929 |pmc=7817105 |bibcode=2021SciA....7.9135U }}</ref>
The most common stated benefit of cat grass for the pet is to aid the passing of hairballs.<ref name="petmd">{{Cite web|url=https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/evr_ct_how-to-grow-cat-grass|title=What is Cat Grass? Learn How to Grow Cat Grass for Your Pet|website=www.petmd.com}}</ref>
== Cultivation and availability == Commercial and home-grown cat grass typically comprises wheatgrass, barley grass, oat grass, and/or rye, sown densely and cut or presented at the sprout/microgreen stage (about 7–14 days).<ref name="PetMD-Types"/> Cereal grasses at this stage of growth are rich in fiber (including soluble fractions), chlorophyll, and water-soluble vitamins (e.g. some B vitamins).<ref>{{cite journal |last=Eissa |first=H. |title=Nutritional value and impact of wheatgrass juice ("green blood") |journal=Bulletin of the National Research Centre |year=2020 |volume=44 |page=115 |doi=10.1186/s42269-020-0272-x |doi-access=free }}</ref>
Cat grass is widely available in seed kits,{{cn|date=January 2026}} ready-to-grow pouches,<ref name=PetGreens>{{cite web |title=Cat Grass: The Ultimate Guide (PDF) |website=Pet Greens |date=2025 |url=https://www.petgreens.com/pdfs/Cat-Grass-Ultimate-Guide.pdf |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref> and live trays.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sprouties (UAE) — Fresh cat grass |website=Sprouties.ae |url=https://sprouties.ae/ |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2026}}
Cat grass can be grown indoors year-round in shallow trays using potting media or hydroponic mats. The process is similar to growing wheatgrass microgreens, and advice for the latter is commonly repurposed to guide "cat grass" cultivation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Directions for How to Grow a Wheatgrass Pet Pal (PDF) |website=Oregon State University Extension |year=2019 |url=https://workspace.oregonstate.edu/hubfs/Extension/Directions%20for%20How%20to%20Grow%20a%20Wheatgrass%20Pet%20Pal.pdf |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref> General microgreen guidance recommends dense sowing, 1–3 days of dark "germination" with high humidity, bright light after emergence, good air movement to reduce mold, and harvest/presentation within 1–2 weeks.<ref>{{cite web |title=A step-by-step guide for growing microgreens at home |website=Penn State Extension |date=9 November 2023 |url=https://extension.psu.edu/a-step-by-step-guide-for-growing-microgreens-at-home/ |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Grow Microgreens at Home |website=Purdue Extension |date=1 February 2022 |url=https://extension.purdue.edu/news/county/allen/2022/02/grow-microgreens-at-home.html |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref>
== Use == {{External media |float=right |width=280px |image1=[https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1558787825000784-ga1.jpg Scanning electron micrograph: leaf serrations/trichomes interlocking with hair]<ref name="Bensel2025"/> }} Cat grass use by domestic cats is common, and is viewed positively in many cultures.{{cn|date=January 2026}}
Many "carnivorous" species also ingest plants, with ethological function dependent on species, context, and plant type.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yoshimura |first1=H. |last2=Shimada |first2=R. |last3=Kawabe |first3=R. |title=Plant-eating carnivores: Multispecies analysis on factors affecting plant occurrence in scats and stomach contents |journal=Ecology and Evolution |year=2021 |volume=11 |issue=18 |pages=12225–12239 |doi=10.1002/ece3.7885|pmid=34429895 |pmc=8366844 }}</ref> Domestic cats are believed to consume grasses primarily for their fiber content. In this regard, cat grass supplants nibbling on houseplants or lawn grasses.<ref name=PetGreens/>
Cats may use plant fibers to help pass hairballs. A 2025 microscopy study of regurgitated matter found leaf trichomes interlocked with hair.<ref name="Bensel2025">{{cite journal |last1=Bensel |first1=K. N. |last2=Rudock Bowman |first2=M. E. |last3=Hughes |first3=N. M. |title=Plant eating behavior in domestic cats: support for the hair evacuation hypothesis |journal=Journal of Veterinary Behavior |year=2025 |volume=80 |pages=71–76 |doi=10.1016/j.jveb.2025.08.002 |ssrn=5243632 }}</ref> Nevertheless, pet cat owners in surveys have not observed behavioral changes to support this hypothesis.<ref name="Hart2021">{{cite journal |last1=Hart |first1=B. L. |last2=Hart |first2=L. A. |last3=Thigpen |first3=A. P. |last4=Willits |first4=N. H. |title=Characteristics of Plant Eating in Domestic Cats |journal=Animals |year=2021 |volume=11 |issue=7 |page=1853 |doi=10.3390/ani11071853 |doi-access=free |pmid=34206345 |pmc=8300339}}</ref>
Persistent vomiting warrants clinical evaluation to rule out gastrointestinal disease.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cat-Safe Houseplants and Safety Tips |website=VCA Animal Hospitals |url=https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/household-plants |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref>
== See also == * Catnip * {{slink|Cat|Hunting and feeding}} * Environmental enrichment (animals)
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{cite web |title=Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List |website=ASPCA |url=https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants |access-date=7 November 2025}} * {{cite web |title=A step-by-step guide for growing microgreens at home |website=Penn State Extension |url=https://extension.psu.edu/a-step-by-step-guide-for-growing-microgreens-at-home/ |access-date=7 November 2025}}
Category:Cats Category:Poaceae