Growing cat grass indoors will keep your cats busy and entertain them. This way they don’t need to go outside for grazing, where the grass may be treated with pesticides and fertilizer!
Growing cat grass indoors will keep your cats from going outside to look for grass to satisfy their craving. The grass grown outside may have been treated with pesticides that can be toxic to your feline friend.
What is Cat Grass
Cat grass is something cats love to gnaw on; it’s healthy too. Usually, grown from a mix of seeds of wheat, oat, barley or rye. Growing cat grass indoors is also possible.
Oat Grass
Oats grass is mildly sweet, healthy and tastes better than wheat grass or any other cat grass. It requires direct sunlight to grow well.
Wheat Grass
Wheatgrass contains minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. It’s not only beneficial for your cat but also helps human living a healthy life if added in the diet.
Rye Grass
Ryegrass has smaller blades compared to the other types of cat grass. Perfect for creating a grass tray that the cat can lounge on.
Barley Grass
This grass provides vital minerals, enzymes, vitamins, and amino acids and the nutrients that are readily absorbed into the bloodstream.
Also Read: How to Start an Indoor Cat Garden
Requirements for Growing Cat Grass Indoors
To grow, all you need is a right container (window box is good), plastic wrap, sterilized organic soil, cat grass seeds, and water. It is important to use organic soil to provide your cat with healthy grass and safe soil to dig into. Fertilizer is not required since the grass will grow and dies in a few weeks itself.
Planting
To grow the cat grass indoors, fill the pot with soil just about 2 inches from the top then scatter some seeds on top of the soil and put a thin layer of soil over it to about ¼ inch.
Germination and Growing Cat Grass
Take a sprayer or using hands spill the water to make the soil moist, remember to do this gently or else the seeds will be dispersed. Once the soil is evenly moist, cover the container with a plastic wrap, allow some perforations for air flow. Set the container aside in a cool and dark place to help the seeds germinate
In two to three days you’ll be able to see the tiny sprouts emerging, while ensuring the soil is moist, remove the plastic wrap carefully and start to keep the pot in the desired spot. Usually, in a place where your germinating sprouts can receive some sun and indirect light, a windowsill is perfect for this. Continue to wait until about ten to twelve days, when the grass starts to grow above 4 to 6 inches high, reduce it to this height. If you let it rise higher than this, your cat may pick up all the plants, wreak havoc and destroy her cat grass garden.
Growing cat grass indoors is a fantastic job aimed at making your cat happy and healthy. Here’re a few more tips to help you with that!
- Before sprouting, keep the seeds evenly moist but don’t soak them. After sprouting, reduce watering to keep the soil slightly moist only.
- Keeping it in a naturally well-lit place will make it grow well with regular watering. You can also use grow lights.
- Don’t overwater!
- As soon as the grass begins to turn color or wilt, renew the planting again.
Also Read: Growing Chives Indoors
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Where can you Buy the Cat Grass Seeds???
I sell cat grass seeds in my pet’s store so I would say try your local pet’s store. If they don’t sell it, try a gardening center.
I use Bob’s Red Mill red wheat berries from my local supermarket, it’s 10x cheaper not to buy the ones labeled for cat grass/sprouting.
Thank you for this information. I’m about to give it a try so maybe my cat will stop eating all my other ‘non cat friendly’ plants!
When should I cut the grass? Would the grass regrow after cutting? Would cats prefer first growth only? Are the regrow grass too hard or tough for the cats?
Find a blend of Oat, Barley, Rye, and Wheat grass or seeds.
Often stores and online are selling 100% wheat grass, which you should avoid.
It does not have the taste or nutritional benefit that the other types of seeds/grass do.
If you buy just the seeds to plant, I see that many people are recommending organic sterilized indoor soil to avoid chemical fertilizers etc. which seems to make sense. I’ve used whatever potting soil I’ve had around the house in the past, but I guess I’ll have to start to hunt for the correct soil in the future.
A combination of Oat, Barley, Rye, and Wheat is the healthiest and also the best tasting for cats.
How you renew planting? Pullinh out al lthe dead and dry grass and repeat the procedure?