Common Oat

PLANT 593Google

No confirmed rating for cats

NO DATA

It isn't on the ASPCA list, so we can't call it safe. What is known so far is explained below.

Common Oat

Avena sativa · Poaceae

How it looks

An annual grass with slender, upright linear leaves, reaching 60–120 cm at maturity. Its drooping panicles carry inconspicuous flowers. Native to western Asia; for pets it is grown from seed and used as young shoots about 10–15 cm tall.

No toxicity data available

Oat is not listed in the ASPCA's toxic plants list for cats, and NC State Extension has no toxicity data for it either. With no confirmed evidence either way, we cannot call it safe — exercise caution if your cat has access to it.

Guide for parents

Oat has no official toxicity data, so it is hard to say for certain whether it is safe.

Oat sprouts are what most "cat grass" products actually are. Note that cat grass is not a species name — it is a catch-all for the young shoots of oat, wheat, and barley, so two products with the same label may be different plants.

Being widely grown and sold is not the same as being harmless to cats, and neither is the fact that people eat the grain. The only evidence this app treats as grounds for calling something safe is a pet-specific assessment, and oat does not appear in one.

Chewing grass is ordinary cat behavior, but a large amount at once can bring on vomiting. If you do offer it, keep each amount small, and remove any shoots that mold or go soft. If vomiting repeats or appetite drops, contact your vet.