Cat eating grass -- need help please

My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?
2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?
3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?

Thanks.

I'm pretty sure puking is the whole point of eating the grass in the first
place. Remember cats do not find that as disgusting as we do.

Jo
"Singer709" wrote in message
om...
My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?
2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?
3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?

Thanks.

On 31 Jan 2004 12:31:36 -0800, (Singer709) wrote:

My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?
If they have access to coarse grass all the time, they eat small
amounts frequently and throw up less often. If they are successful
hunters, they get much of their vegetable matter from the last meals
of the mice they eat and so eat less grass.

2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?
Most coarse grasses/grains will do: wheat, oats, and very young corn
shoots are popular with cats. You can make corn sprouts from popcorn
and wet paper towels in a glass or jar - feed to the cat when about
4-6 inches long.
3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?
Nothing - cats puke. Get used to it. Frequent through grooming will
help.


T.E.D. - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body)

On 31 Jan 2004 12:31:36 -0800, (Singer709) wrote:

My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?
To drive the slaves crazy
2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?
Probably
3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?
Nothing

OK, the above replies are meant as a joke. We don't have PetCo here,
but they sell cat grass that you can grow in our local rinky-dink pet
stores. What we have here come small styrofoam containers. I tried
them, but found that Sammy tried to eat the container instead of the
grass.

My three all eat grass when they're out, and they all puke shortly
afterwards. I just go with the flow and let them do it. As long as I
make sure they having been grazing within 5 minutes or so the carpet
is safe.

BTW of our grass here they all seem to prefer fescue to bermuda.
Actually, I seem to remember that the store bought grass is a
rye/wheat mix.
--
Steve Touchstone,
faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky

[remove Junk for email]
Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html
Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html

Singer709 wrote:

My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?

Because they need an emetic?

2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?

Yes, most of them sell little pots of grass for indoor cats (although
you can grow your own from scratch easily enough - I think rye grass is
the favored one).

3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?

Nothing, that's the purpose for eating the stuff (it is for dogs, too).
They usually don't keep it in their stomachs for long - just make sure
he's still outdoors or in an easily cleanable area until he's gotten rid
of it, again.

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message ...
Singer709 wrote:

My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?

Because they need an emetic?

2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?

Yes, most of them sell little pots of grass for indoor cats (although
you can grow your own from scratch easily enough - I think rye grass is
the favored one).

3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?

Nothing, that's the purpose for eating the stuff (it is for dogs, too).
They usually don't keep it in their stomachs for long - just make sure
he's still outdoors or in an easily cleanable area until he's gotten rid
of it, again.

Thanks to all the advice and news from everyone.

1-- The fence is 8 feet and is smooth redwood. RJ cannot find any hold
as he has no front claws. There are no vines or any other paw-holds
either. But of course I keep my eye on him.

2-- Yes cats do seem to find the exact place to puke that will create
the most havoc. Our new apt. however is all tile floor so he can't go
wrong (or right -- ha ha) -- any place is the same as another (grin)
and he just goes on the floor.

3-- He is well groomed and brushed, and he rarely has hairballs as a
result -- but being a near-longhair it's expected. Here's RJ's pic for
those who haven't seen him. He's a big boy at 18+ pounds:

http://www.waas.us/images/cats/rj-4.jpg

4-- I don't mind cleaning up after him, as I love him and cleaning up
after is part of cat ownership -- I just don't want him unhappy or his
tummy unduly upset. I cannot understand why a cat will eat grass that
makes it puke after. It doesn't seem to be a positive evolutionary
move. It seems counterproductive. But cats still seek out that grass
-- as soon as I let RJ out, he goes for the small blades of grass.
Then it's upchuck time. I don't object to the cleaning up as much as I
wonder/worry about the whole process.

5-- If I buy a natural grass container at the pet supply shop, won't
he still eat & puke? In other words, is the eating of grass causing
the puking, or is it the type of grass, being free-growing and maybe
not the ideal variety? Will a store-bought pet-friendly variety be any
better? What's your experience?

Thanks again!

Singer709 wrote:
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
(snip)

tummy unduly upset. I cannot understand why a cat will eat grass that
makes it puke after.

Perhaps you don't understand the word "emetic". It makes you puke. It's
natural for a cat to do this. Dogs, too. Sort of cleans out the system, I
gather.

Think of it this way. When I was 19 I went out with a friend and had WAAAY
too much to drink. I felt like crap the next morning. My mom gave me a
glass of Alka-Seltzer. Said, "Here, this will make you feel better." I
drank it down, and 5 minutes later was hurling. I asked, "Why on earth did
you give that to me?" She smiled and said, "You feel better now, don't
you?" As a matter of fact, I did! ROFL

Jill


It doesn't seem to be a positive evolutionary
move. It seems counterproductive. But cats still seek out that grass
-- as soon as I let RJ out, he goes for the small blades of grass.
Then it's upchuck time. I don't object to the cleaning up as much as I
wonder/worry about the whole process.

5-- If I buy a natural grass container at the pet supply shop, won't
he still eat & puke? In other words, is the eating of grass causing
the puking, or is it the type of grass, being free-growing and maybe
not the ideal variety? Will a store-bought pet-friendly variety be any
better? What's your experience?

Thanks again!

"Singer709" wrote in message
om...
My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?
2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?
3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?

Thanks.

Re the regurgitating of grass, I found among our cats that some never do,
and others almost always do.

There's quite a bit of web info on cats eating grass. Here's an example -
with a warning. It's a product plug for a commercial grass you grow for your
cats at home. However there's info in it that sounds reasonable, and it's
echoed by other, non-commercial websites.
_________

"Cats need greens to provide vitamins (folic acid), aid their digestion,
assist in removing fur balls and increase roughage in their diet. Eating
grass is a natural craving for cats. Healthy and natural cat grass provides
an excellent source of vegetation. Our grass is easy to grow, just plant
the seeds and within a few days - viola! Cats are naturally drawn to grass
and they love ours.

"Natural grass helps prevent your cat from eating house plants which may be
poisonous. Outdoor cats can satisfy their desire for fresh vegetation, but
when cats are kept indoors all the time, they have no opportunity to eat
tender grass as nature intended. So they satisfy their craving by chewing on
houseplants and some can be deadly to cats. Your first impulse might be to
just remove your house plants but cats still need to satisfy their natural
cravings.

"Our Natural Grass is special and cats love the sweet taste. It can be grown
indoors all year round on any window sill. It does not need direct
sunlight.

"Our Natural Grass is not just for cats. Customers grow it for dogs,
rabbits, reptiles and birds. One customer even grows it for her Wallaby. Our
grass is so safe that humans juice it for the quality natural nutrients it
contains."

http://www.citycats.biz/

in article , Singer709 at
wrote on 2/1/04 9:36 AM:

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...
Singer709 wrote:

My big orange fuzzbuddy "RJ" is clawless (former owner) and has zero
survival skills, so I never let him outside. Besides I live in the
city and cats get run over all the time.

Anyway I now have a private patio w. high fence, so he can go out
there to play unsupervised.

He immediately runs for the grass and chomps up a lot, always puking
afterward. He's otherwise in excellent health and rarely throws up
hairballs. He's fed good quality premium food and has a great
appetite.

My questions --

1-- Why do cats always go for the grass and then puke?

Because they need an emetic?

2-- Is there some commercially available growth plant (at PetCo) I can
get for RJ to eat?

Yes, most of them sell little pots of grass for indoor cats (although
you can grow your own from scratch easily enough - I think rye grass is
the favored one).

3-- What's to keep him from puking that up also?

Nothing, that's the purpose for eating the stuff (it is for dogs, too).
They usually don't keep it in their stomachs for long - just make sure
he's still outdoors or in an easily cleanable area until he's gotten rid
of it, again.

Thanks to all the advice and news from everyone.

1-- The fence is 8 feet and is smooth redwood. RJ cannot find any hold
as he has no front claws. There are no vines or any other paw-holds
either. But of course I keep my eye on him.

2-- Yes cats do seem to find the exact place to puke that will create
the most havoc. Our new apt. however is all tile floor so he can't go
wrong (or right -- ha ha) -- any place is the same as another (grin)
and he just goes on the floor.

3-- He is well groomed and brushed, and he rarely has hairballs as a
result -- but being a near-longhair it's expected. Here's RJ's pic for
those who haven't seen him. He's a big boy at 18+ pounds:

http://www.waas.us/images/cats/rj-4.jpg

4-- I don't mind cleaning up after him, as I love him and cleaning up
after is part of cat ownership -- I just don't want him unhappy or his
tummy unduly upset. I cannot understand why a cat will eat grass that
makes it puke after. It doesn't seem to be a positive evolutionary
move. It seems counterproductive. But cats still seek out that grass
-- as soon as I let RJ out, he goes for the small blades of grass.
Then it's upchuck time. I don't object to the cleaning up as much as I
wonder/worry about the whole process.

5-- If I buy a natural grass container at the pet supply shop, won't
he still eat & puke? In other words, is the eating of grass causing
the puking, or is it the type of grass, being free-growing and maybe
not the ideal variety? Will a store-bought pet-friendly variety be any
better? What's your experience?

Thanks again!

My cats have only occassionally thrown up the wheat grass I have bought at
the store, where as lawn grass always made my cats throw up. It's kind of a
compulsion. One time, Grant was having hairballs that wouldn't come up and
he was frantically trying to eat fake grass that I had around a fake flower
arrangement. I felt so bad for him. It really does seem to be a natural
instinct to help get furballs out, whether they have them or not.


Karen

I have two indoor cats. My one cat loves grass and green things - she will
often beg me for pieces of lettuce from my salad. She likes only the dark
green leaves.

From the insistence with which she begs me for grass and lettuce, I am
fairly certain it is the vitamins, minerals, fiber, chlorophyll, etc. that
she really wants.

I have found that if I tear the grass or lettuce into small pieces, she
does not puke afterwards. But if the blades of grass are too big, she
pukes. But only grass comes up - no hair.

A fiber supplement may be useful in reducing the desire for grass and the
subsequent puking/hairballs. One supplement that I feed my cats is called
The Missing Link Feline Formula. It contains flax seed and rice bran,
dried beef liver, alfalfa, etc. which provides fiber plus plant nutrients
and essential fatty acids. I mix this into their food (either their usual
raw chicken or a can of cat food).

Dee