Pet owners know it as cat grass, but it is really wheat berries and can be found at your local health food store. For a variety of cat grass, make a salad using oat, flax, barley, and catnip. Cats go nuts for this easy to grow grass. It helps with digestive issues and keeps cats from eating potentially harmful house plants. Cats love to eat grass, it helps with hairballs and adds roughage to their diets. In the wild, the big cats consume other animals that eat vegetation, thereby getting their vegetation second-hand. Since your little cat is not about to take down a goat or deer, you will have to provide the vegetation for him.
Things You'll Need
- Wheat seeds (found at health food stores)
- Container (low profile about 4 to 6 in. deep)
- Soil formulated for edible vegetation (preferably organic)
- Water
- Dark closet
- Sunlit space
Instructions
How to Grow Cat Grass
Soak 2 tbsp. of wheat berries in enough room temperature water to fully cover the seeds for about 6 to 8 hours. This will help soften the hull of the seeds. Do not soak longer to keep wheat from developing mold. If you are growing the seeds to give to a friend, use a pretty Asian-inspired bowl. Just make sure the sides are relatively low.
Fill the container with soil, almost to the top and moisten it lightly. Distribute the wet seeds evenly over soil. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of soil. Lightly water again.
Cover the container lightly with plastic wrap. Place it in a dark place (like a closet). Check on your seeds daily to make sure the soil stays moist.
Remove the plastic and place your plant in sunny place like a windowsill as soon as you see the seeds sprout. Within a week or so, the grass should be a few inches tall and ready for your cat.