3 Reasons Why Cats Like to Eat Grass
Sometimes we often catch cats eating grass while drying clothes, sweeping the yard or doing various activities that we usually do outdoors. When a cat eats grass, it often refuses to be invited into the house or called.
Even when forced to lift, the cat often runs away and returns to the grass that he just ate. This indicates as if the cat really likes or likes to eat grass. But there's actually a reason behind why cats like to eat grass.
After eating grass, sometimes cats also like to hunt insects, lizards and lizards outside the house to eat. Cats not only like to eat grass, but actually cats have other reasons or goals that cause cats to eat grass every day.
So that you don't wonder why cats like to eat grass, please see the explanation below.
Why Do Cats Like To Eat Grass ?
Maybe some of us think that the cat lacks work because he likes to eat grass and also the cat is dirty because he eats grass that is usually stepped on by other people. This thought usually comes to mind for someone who still doesn't understand what the benefits of chewing grass are for cats.
And this is quite reasonable considering one's lack of knowledge about the world of catfishing, hehehe. Then what are the reasons or benefits of grass for cats who like to chew grass. Here are some reasons cats like to eat grass :
1. Good For Cat Digestion
Grass contains folic acid which is usually found in mother cat's milk, not only that grass also contains essential vitamins which are considered very good for cat digestion, helping the production of hemoglobin and supporting cell growth.
When the cat feels that its body needs this vitamin, the cat will naturally look for the nearest grass around it and then eat it.
2. Cat Stomach Pain Medicine
Eating grass for cats turns out to work as a stomach ache medicine. When the cat feels that his stomach is in trouble, the cat will immediately go outside the house to find grass to eat.
After eating grass, the cat's body will naturally vomit the entire contents of its stomach due to the lack of enzymes that are useful for digesting grass. This is usually done by cats to clean their digestive tract of objects that are difficult for the body to digest, such as fur, bones and similar objects
In addition to cleaning its stomach, cats also like to eat grass with the aim of overcoming various disorders that occur in their digestion. One of them is overcoming the problem of constipation.
3. Natural Laxative
For cats, grass is a natural laxative. Therefore, when the cat has difficulty defecating, the cat will eat grass. By eating grass, a cat's natural instinct is to believe that it will be easier for him to defecate and his digestive tract will be cleaner and healthier.
Does Eating Grass Cause Side Effects Or Harm To Cats ?
Eating grass, of course, will not cause harm or side effects for cats, even if cats eat grass often, it will not cause health problems for them. It's just that we have to be sure that the grass that cats eat is grass that is safe and not contaminated with harmful chemicals such as poison herbicides and insecticides.
Because if the grass is contaminated with harmful compounds, cats can be mildly poisoned or severely poisoned. That is why before letting cats eat grass in the yard, we should make sure that grass is safe for cats to eat.
Oh yeah, also make sure your cat doesn't eat grass in your neighbor's yard. This is to avoid cat poisoning as well. Because we certainly don't know whether the grass in the yard or the neighbor's yard has been sprayed with herbicides or not. It's dangerous if a cat swallows grass that has been sprayed with plant poison, the cat might be poisoned because of our ignorance.
What If The Cat Vomits After Eating Grass ?
Don't worry because this is not dangerous for the cat's health. As explained above that as soon as the cat finishes eating grass, the cat will start vomiting and sometimes even vomit yellow.
This reaction is normal for cats and cats who vomit their stomach contents are not because they are sick. Cats regurgitate their stomach contents with the aim of cleaning the digestive tract and stomach of objects that are difficult to digest such as fur balls, bones and the like.
This reaction is normal provided the cat has just eaten grass. But if it turns out that the cat is vomiting not because he just ate grass, it could be the result of a certain disease. When this happens, you should immediately check the cat to the nearest vet.
What To Pay Attention To When a Cat Will Eat Grass ?
The things that need to be considered according to the members themselves are as follows:
Make sure the lawn grass is safe to eat
Make sure the grass is not sprayed with plant poisons (herbicides) and the like
Make sure there are no sharp and dangerous objects in the grass if swallowed by a cat
Make sure there are no insects in the grass, because cats can get diarrhea if they eat the wrong insects
Make sure the cat doesn't eat the neighbor's grass to avoid the cat eating the poisoned grass accidentally and without our knowledge
That's all you need to pay attention to so that the cat is okay after eating grass. Angora recommends that you always do the above if you don't want the cat to get sick and die.
What If The Cat Is Poisoned After Eating Grass ?
The best solution according to Angora is to take the cat to the vet. Whether it's mild poisoning or even severe poisoning, it's better to take the cat to the vet. This will increase the cat's recovery percentage and reduce the cat's risk of death.
What Are The Characteristics Of Grass Poisoned Cats ?
If the cat has already eaten grass and is poisoned, there will certainly be certain signs or characteristics that appear. Check to see if your cat is really poisoned by looking for the following signs:
Cat diarrhea and vomiting
Looks weak
Out of breath
Gums look pale
Convulsions
Enlarged Pupils
Cough
Drink often
Black urine
Shivering
Stagger
No appetite
Drooling or foaming at the mouth
Maybe that's all the discussion about the reasons why cats really like to eat grass. If you find this article useful, you can share it with relatives, other cat lovers or your social media.
