Why Do Cats Eat Grass? Scientists Might Have Figured It Out
BY JAKE ROSSEN AUGUST 12, 2019Published on Mentalfloss.com"Dogs are nature’s garbage disposals. They eat anything from table food to foreign objects to poop. Cats are more discriminating, though both of these domesticated animals seem to enjoy munching on grass. We have a pretty good idea why dogs do this—it’s often to relieve stomach discomfort and induce vomiting—but why cats like to nibble on lawns has largely remained a mystery. Now, scientists believe they have an answer.A presentation last week at the International Society for Applied Ethology annual meeting in Bergen, Norway offered evidence on this peculiar behavior, which many cat owners attribute to the animals' urge to fix an upset stomach. Researchers at the University of California, Davis conducted a survey of 1021 cat owners who spent at least three hours a day observing their pet’s activities and found that of the 71 percent of cats caught chomping on grass, about a quarter wound up vomiting afterward—but roughly 91 percent of respondents reported that their cats did not appear to be ill before dining out on roughage.So if they weren’t self-medicating a sick stomach, what happened? The scientists argue it’s evolutionary behavior that is not intended to provoke vomiting. Instead, cats are motivated to eat grass because this is how their ancestors expelled intestinal parasites. Grass consumption increases muscle activity in the digestive tract, which could force out unwanted contents. Cats have traditionally had to deal with parasites like hookworms or roundworms as a byproduct of devouring rodents, though it’s likely that most cats who aren’t on a diet of rat meat don’t have any parasites to treat. Still, the instinct to chew grass remains.The survey also indicated cats younger than 3 years old were more likely to eat grass than older cats, but tend to vomit less afterward. If you have an outdoor cat who likes to supplement its diet with backyard salads, it might be best to offer up some grass grown indoors that is free of pesticides and other contaminants."
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| Angel's Wheatgrass |
Um...yeah...let's all be thankful that these scientists MIGHT have figured it out...right?!?
Thanks to Mentalfloss.com for the report.
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Well isn't that interesting! My internals must be okay since I never really cared for grass. Thanks for joining the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
ReplyDeleteEveryone has a theory.
ReplyDeleteInteresting ! Purrs
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. Works for me.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous Thankful Thursday. ♥
out of context; to a degree, but my grandparents had a rottweiler that ate, of all things; chives that grew wild at the back of the house.... ♥♥☺☺
ReplyDeleteWell that's a new twist on an old assumption!
ReplyDeleteI always assumed that to be the case. Been years since we've cats, but maybe the Vet told us that years ago? Or I remember it from childhood when we had dogs. Bigger questions is why do they throw up right in the middle of the room, lol. Swinging by for Thankful Thursday. LOVE your blog background very pretty cone flowres. I'm exciting just planted some last year and some of them made it back this year...I think deer got some of them. Will have to spray maybe next year.
ReplyDeleteSandy, thanks for visiting my blog! Alas, the cone flowers are from a neighbor's yard, however my plan is to change over my entire yard and all gardens to native species, which will attract bees, birds, and butterflies! As for deer eating your plants, my brother told me this weekend that he's putting tall, thin stakes in the ground, so when the deer put their faces in to eat, they get a poke in the nose and go away! He's tried every spray (coyote pee included) and even some sort of mesh but the deer push it away. I hope the stick trick works!
DeleteCOOL article and a different slant for me to consider!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! I've never tried to grow grass inside and have no idea if Mudpie likes it.
ReplyDeleteNo grass for us!
ReplyDeleteMom buys my wheatgrass at the grocery store. I'm 12 years old and have always loved it.
ReplyDeleteAh, fine minds think alike, good report! We're not so sure those human scientists are as smart as they think they are!
ReplyDeletePurrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto
That is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Dexter and Olive love chomping on grass, but they don't throw it up. Our dog, however, does!
ReplyDelete