I need to plant plants indoors for my indoor cat..can you suggest more than catnip?

Question

what are SAFE plants to have around my indoor cat so he

will like his enviornment and be able to eat some of the

leaves..etc... besides catnip .

Answer 1

Indoor cats like to chew on grass. Sometimes I buy some wheat grass for them, and they mow it down. I have heard this helps them with hairballs. This can be expensive to buy at the pet store. Some health food stores sell the seed, but they call them wheat berries.

Be very careful of tropical household plants from garden supply stores, almost all of them are poisonous in some degree to cats.

Catnip is in the mint family of plants. They also sell a Catmint, and your cat might enjoy something different. Catnip is has a drug-like effect on cats. Maybe if you only have it available once in a while it will be like a treat.

I also like those Greenies treats they sell at the petstore, and they have some nutrients they would normally get in the wild.

Paul, thanks for the directions on planting seeds. very important

Answer 2

You can get bags of kitty grass seeds at pet stores. This is basically a wheat grass that cats find irresistible. You just plant the kitty grass seeds in a standard 4 to 6-inch plant container. Put in about 3/4 full of potting soil and tamp it down, spread a complete layer of seeds on that, and then cover with about 1/4 inch of potting soil. Keep it in a sunny location and water it every day until the seeds sprout (preferrably out of reach of kitty, until the grass is long enough). When the grass is about 6 inches long, put the pot somewhere the cat can reach it. It will be kitty's favorite hangout until the grass dies (usually in a week or two).

You can get multiple containers and stagger planting the seeds every week or so. That way, you always have a fresh pot of kitty grass going at any time.

Answer 3

Unfortunately the natural instinct for a cat will be to use the pot as a toilet. Cats need cat type toys, like a scratch pole, soft toys, chewy toys. Certainly get plants but place them out of reach as the cat will dig in the soil and put it everywhere.

Answer 4

A neighbour of mine actually attaches a leash to her cat's collar and takes it outside for a walk and to tumble/play on the lawn. This keeps the cat from running away and the cat can play on the lawn. If any other outdoor animals come nearby she just collects her cat and goes back inside.

Answer 5

I'd just plant some small pots of regular grass.