Grow a Green Treat for Your Cat
Catnip and cat grasses are easy to grow and can help keep your kitty from chewing on everything else
Cats (and some dogs) love to nibble at grass, but it’s not a good idea to let them chew on the lawn — particularly if the lawn’s been treated with non-organic amendments or pesticides. Planting a pot of grasses especially for your pets will encourage them to leave other plants alone (particularly indoor cats that sometimes nibble out of boredom). Just about any annual cereal grass can be grown in a container as a green treat, but some seed companies sell packets of grass mixes especially for cats. Most cats find these combinations of rye, oats, barley, and wheat very appealing.
Growing annual grasses
Choose a wide, shallow pot with a drainage hole, such as a bulb pot. Fill it up to about an inch from the top with potting soil (do not use soil taken straight from the garden), then sprinkle the grass seeds over the top. Aim to space the seeds about ¼ inch apart. Cover the seeds with about ½ inch of potting mix and press to get good contact between the soil and seeds. Water well and place where it will get at least a half-day of sun. Keep evenly moist and seeds should germinate within a week. Wait until the grass is a couple of inches high before giving it to…