Healthy Pet Treat

While I had heard that juicing wheatgrass is very healthy for us, I did not realize that it would be so beneficial for my cat, Spaz, or that he would simply love it so much. I started to realize that he was missing something from his diet when on walks around our backyard (yes, I walk my cat on a leash sometimes!), he would always try to eat grass and weeds. Unfortunately, though, this would sometimes cause him to throw up later so I always tried to stop him.

I asked our vet at Spaz’s next appointment about the grass fetish and she stated that outdoor cats simply have that as part of their diet and that some cats just like the taste. Unfortunately, most indoor cats don’t really get this type of living food anymore as most of their food is meat-based, cooked, and dry.

After further research, I learned that providing cats wheatgrass can actually improve their digestion and that this need or desire that they have for greens can be why they sometimes enjoy chewing on houseplants- much to any owners dismay! I am currently testing to see if keeping the tasty wheatgrass out where Spaz can reach it will keep him out of my apparently very tempting spider plant.

Now, if you don’t have a cat, no worries, wheatgrass is also a healthy treat for dogs, rabbits, and even birds. Wheatgrass is considered a complete food and actually retains 92/102 minerals from the soil. It is also loaded with amino acids and vitamins including C, A, E, K, and B-complex.

While I’ve purchased small containers of wheatgrass from my local store and Spaz loved it (not getting sick at all!), I finally I decided that I wanted to grow it myself, which is actually much more economical in the long run anyway.

I found that my local health store carries the berries, but if you stop at a pet store, they should have kits or fresh grass that you can purchase if you prefer. Also, there are kits on Amazon that also include everything you need including berries, soil, trays, and instruction.

Now, if you are thinking that wheatgrass requires a green thumb to grow- that is entirely not true! I am normally terrible with plants, but simply filled a vegetable crisper (this worked great because of the drainage holes in the bottom) with container mix suitable for growing veggies and planted the soaked (about 12 hours) and drained (about 12 more hours) organic wheatberries on top. I sprinkled a little more soil on them, added some water, and placed them in front of an open window.

The next day the berries were already starting to sprout and over the next couple of days (to my extreme surprise and amazement!) the wheat grass shot up like crazy and there was even a plethora of roots visible. I was thrilled that I had used a clear container my first time growing so I could see all this!

And now Spaz is extremely happy as he grazes in his own personal field of wheatgrass. And when he’s not eating it throughout the day, he often rolls around relaxed on the floor by it. I really do believe that sometimes animals have better instincts about healthy foods than we do as humans!

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/wheatgrassinformation.html