Plants poisonous to cats aren’t always easy to spot simply because the ones that are harmless to us, can prove to be dangerous for them.
Why do cats eat plants?
Primarily as an addition to their diet. Not everything can be found in meat or the food provided to them by their owner so it’s very good that cats can manage on their own.
Just like humans, cats can sense that their body is in need for something specific and they go out to find it. They simply have the need for it in this case.
On the other hand there are certain plants that are dangerous for them, and their curiosity wins out and puts them in danger. Cats are excelled climbers so keeping them away from anything can be quite challenging.
Common household plants can prove to be poisonous to cats, especially the kind that have any toxic material in them.
If you have a plant that has toxic substances in it, even in the slightest amount, you should keep it away from your cat. Although the cat might not necessarily sink its teeth in the plant, it might come in contact with it, most frequently while sniffing, which can cause an irritation of the eyes or a more complex reaction.
On the other hand there are plants that some people use daily which seem harmless however they can be quite poisonous to cats. For example marijuana, which is more or less to be expected, or plants more attractive to the eye such as lilies.
Plants poisonous to cats really do come in all shapes and sizes so you should definitely research the ones that you have at home.
Cats can also show allergic reactions to not only plants but also perfume or cigarette ash. If you find that your kitty may be sneezing occasionally in the house, this is definitely a place to start your research.
Why do cats eat grass?
This is commonly viewed as strange behavior in cats. Plants like vegetables are understandable simply because they contain nutrients that the cat’s body needs, however grass is a very different story.
In most cases a cat will chew on a decent amount of grass, before throwing it up. This is viewed as strange behavior and cat owners tend to worry that something is wrong, however this is not an alarming situation. Many studies have proved that grass in no way harms cats, both when they’re eating it as well as when regurgitate.
The main purpose of this action is to clean the digestive system of any indigestible matter that your cat’s body cannot process. This is a very important process because cats eat their prey from head to toe, including bones and hair. Although you may treat your kitty like royal blood, an occasional mouse hunt is a natural occurrence.
Grass has juices that contain folic acid. It helps with the production of hemoglobin which is responsible for integrating oxygen into the blood. Ingesting it without the occurrence of a regurgitation is also nothing alarming.
Much like human bodies, cats can detect if something is wrong with their digestive system and they choose to react. In many cases the indigestible matter such as bones or hair tend to move deeper in the digestion and cats use grass and it’s juices to help their bodies to expel the matter on the other end…
Grass is a definite plus!
If you have an indoor cat, you might want to plant some regular grass somewhere inside for your cat to use. You could of course let your cat go out however be sure that the grass your cat “feasts” on is free from pesticides and other chemicals.