Cat Veggies

Cats are Carnivores.  But there's no reason why you shouldn't plant some cat 'veggies'.

despite having access to a lawn currently, my cats choose to
eat the wheat grass I have planted in a bowl

There are many theories, but no consensus on why cats eat grass.  What we can agree on, is that most cat owners are well used to finding regurgitated grass on the carpets.  Anecdotally, providing a more easily digested grass type, will reduce, if not entirely eliminate, these nasty surprises. 

Lawns aren't actually very good for the environment, and they're rather hard work (all that weeding, feeding and mowing).  Grass that doesn't feed my horses, is really rather lost on me, so I'm replacing all my lawn with garden.  I'd much rather have lots of birds, bees and insects in my garden. 

My garden does include grasses; natives and ornamentals that can grow as they like.  These long grasses are for running, and hiding. They naturally grow in clumps, creating great tunnels to creep along, and spring out from, or maybe just to take a snooze under. 

I've recently moved some of the native 'wind grasses' for the cats to play in
to the bottom of the newly built play area.
They love to stalk and hide through the long grasses. 

I do also plan to have a small patch specifically for the cats; replacing the current lawn with wheat grass, oat and barley grass.  

I have seen some sites also include ryegrass in their list of cat grasses.  Ryegrass can be problematic, as it grows an endophyte that can affect herbivores.  So I don't trust it with a non-herbivore.  Yes, cats will be eating much less.  Yes, there are only specific conditions that cause toxicity.  But why risk it when there is no advantage to using ryegrass.

While you may not wish to replace your entire lawn, and some love their lawnmowers and the look of neatly cut grass, you can still grow soft grasses in pots and containers for your indoor, or outdoor cats. 

What else? Catnip, and some cat mints.  Cat mints are all the (many) plants in the Nepeta family. 

There are many, and some will be very pleasing to cats, and may even cause some of the effects of true catnip.  True catnip Nepeta cataria is the one that contains the most  nepetalactone which some, not all, (approx 1/3 don't react at all) cats respond to as if it is a recreational drug. 

Lily doesn't know what all the fuss is about.  Noomi is a catnip addict and seeks out plants I have around the place. Many become stumps quite quickly, so I always try to have a backup growing out of reach somewhere.