Cat Grass Growing Guide: Wheat, Oat, Barley — the Evidence Differs

If your cat keeps nibbling the leaves of your houseplants, one approach is to give them something else to chew and steer their interest away from dangerous foliage plants. Cat grass is what many people use for that. But cat grass isn't one specific plant — it's a general term for the young sprouts of grains like oats, wheat, and barley, so you can't call cat grass as a whole safe. What has been confirmed for cats differs from grain to grain. This guide covers what has been confirmed for each, and how to grow it, where to place it, and what to watch out for.

What Is Cat Grass?

Cat grass usually refers to the sprouts of oats, wheat, barley, or rye. All you need is seed, and green blades push up from soil or water within a few days — so even a first-time plant grower can hardly fail. Garden centers and online shops sell "cat grass kits" that bundle the seed and soil together, making them easy to find. It's a different plant from catnip, which people often confuse it with. Catnip is an herb that excites cats with its scent, while cat grass is a plant that gives them the texture of chewing and tearing. The ASPCA lists catnip as toxic to cats, and flower cat grades it as caution. Eating a lot of the leaf can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

What Has Been Confirmed for Each Grain

The grains sold as cat grass do not share the same evidence for cats. That is why the three can't be lumped together as "safe."

• Wheat — the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) classifies wheat as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That mention, though, comes from an article about fall decorations and uses the common name "wheat," so it is one step weaker than a species entry on the ASPCA plant list. The article is also about dried decorative wheat, while cat grass is fresh wheat shoots.
• Oat — not on the ASPCA list, with no confirmed cat-specific verdict.
• Barley — not on the ASPCA list, with no confirmed source where cats are concerned.
• Rye — no confirmed source where cats are concerned.

In a separate article on pet snacks, the ASPCA recommends cat grass: "Cat nip and cat grass can actually be beneficial for your cat's health and are kind of like wheat or oats." That is a recommendation, not a toxicity verdict. The same sentence also recommends catnip, which the ASPCA plant list names as toxic to cats — which shows the difference. So we don't raise oat or barley on the strength of that sentence. If you buy a cat grass product, check the packaging for which grain it is. Two products sold under the same "cat grass" label can be different species.

Separate from Toxicity: Warnings in the Same Article

The APCC article that classifies wheat as non-toxic flags two more things in the same paragraph: mold on grains, where "even small ingestions can cause significant side effects to the nervous system," and "large ingestions of leaves, seeds or corn cobs can become lodged in the intestinal tract" and cause a blockage. It also notes that grains can trigger allergies in pets with a sensitivity to them.

Why Do Cats Chew Grass?

There's no single explanation for why cats chew grass. The commonly cited ideas are that it helps them throw up the fur they swallow while grooming, that it aids digestion or supplements missing trace nutrients, and that they simply enjoy the texture and the act of chewing. Whatever the reason, the urge to chew grass is a natural behavior in itself. The problem arises when the only thing indoors to satisfy that urge is a dangerous foliage plant. We cover the reasons cats chew plants in more detail in Why Cats Chew Plants and How to Stop It.

How to Grow Cat Grass

You can grow cat grass easily by following these steps.

• Fill a wide, shallow pot with soil, scatter the seed evenly, then cover it with a thin layer of soil.
• Mist the soil with a spray bottle until it's moist, and place it somewhere bright but out of harsh direct sunlight.
• Sprouts usually appear in three or four days, and within a week to ten days the grass grows to a good length for your cat to chew.
• Mist it lightly every day so the soil doesn't dry out. If the blades yellow and wilt or you see mold, don't hesitate to toss it and start fresh. Replace the whole tray, too, if water pools in it or the shoots turn soggy. Seed is cheap, so the cost is low, and if you grow two or three pots on a staggered schedule you'll always have fresh cat grass on hand.

Where to Put It — Placement Tips

Place cat grass where your cat usually spends time — a sunny windowsill or near the cat tower — and they'll seek it out naturally. Conversely, if you put it near a dangerous foliage plant, it's hard to tell which one your cat is chewing, so keep the cat grass somewhere low and visible while moving dangerous plants up high and out of reach. If your cat has a habit of digging in soil, they may dig up the pot. We cover how to handle digging behavior in When Your Cat Digs in Potting Soil.

Watch Out for Overeating

Eating a lot of cat grass at once can bring on vomiting, and the article above notes that large amounts of leaves can cause an intestinal blockage. Offer small amounts at a time. If vomiting repeats or appetite drops, contact your vet. If your cat keeps chewing other pots even after you've provided cat grass, it's worth checking for other factors in the environment.

Conclusion

Your cat's urge to chew isn't a problem to block — it's an instinct to redirect. Remove dangerous plants, and if you use cat grass, check which grain it is, offer a little at a time, and replace it as soon as you see mold. Of the grains sold as cat grass, only wheat has confirmed evidence for cats — and even that is weaker than a plant-list entry.

Related guides

• Why Cats Chew Plants and How to Stop It
• When Your Cat Digs in Potting Soil
• A Guide to Indoor Plants You Can Keep With Cats

→ See the full list of cat-safe flowers and plants