Why Does My Pet Eat Grass?

Do you ever wonder why your well-fed cat or dog persists in munching on grass? This puzzling habit can be your pet's response to dietary and behavioral needs.

For dogs, who are omnivores requiring both meat and vegetables in their diet, eating grass is natural. Grass can provide needed roughage in their diet and aid in digestion. It can also be a behavior learned from their mothers.

What Does Eating Grass Mean?

While eating grass is normally a healthy behavior, it can also be a sign that your dog lacks stimulation. This often occurs when dogs are confined to a single environment, like a back yard or a kennel. Consequently, dogs seek stimulation by eating non nutritive material. This condition, call Pica, can be corrected by varying your dog's environment and providing appropriate chew toys.

Cats, on the other hand, are carnivores who don't need many “greens” in their diet. Cats probably eat grass for the same reason they do anything else. They just want to. It may provide needed roughage. But more than likely, cats are attracted to the taste of a particular grass.

Make Sure the Grass is Safe

While grass eating is a normal, healthy habit for cats and dogs, many lawns are treated with pesticides and herbicides that can be toxic to your pet. So watch where they eat. If you are walking your dog, it is not a good idea to let him eat grass that might be treated. To be safe, plant a garden of grasses where your pet can safely graze. Popular grasses and herbs include catnip, wheat grass, barley and rye grass.

photo by S S