The indoor domesticated cat has a variety of needs that have to be filled in order to ensure a healthy life, longevity, and a strong bond between cat and owner. Most of these needs can be easily met with a proper diet, routine veterinary checks and common sense. But sometimes, it’s what cat owners don’t know that can result in devastating errors. Almost every American home is likely to have common items in the house that appear safe, but are really harmful to cats–one of these being common household plants. Retailers can be of great help to cat owners by providing them with a toxic plant list and encouraging them to purchase alternative chewing opportunities by starting their own indoor cat garden.


The Need for Grass
Much has been written in regard to the importance of providing cat grass to feline pets. In fact, there is a great deal controversy as to the importance of cat grass–why cats eat it and if it has any value for a healthy, active cat. That being said, everyone will agree that cats do like to eat grass, and there are some real benefits a domestic feline derives from ingesting it. And, it is a lot more fun than feeding fiber from a bag of food.

Cats derive fiber in a natural state from grasses. Cats that capture and eat their prey often ingest grass from the stomach and intestines of the animal they are feeding upon. They can benefit from the additional vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and folic acid traditionally found in grass. The additional fiber aids in prevention of constipation and buildup of hair in the gut, resulting in more hair moving through the intestine, which means fewer hairballs. In addition, newly grown grass, which is a rich, dark green in color, is loaded with chlorophyll, a natural breath freshener.

Overall, grass can provide a tasty source of additional nutrients for cats and can help them maintain a balanced digestive system, while providing a healthy and enjoyable way to satisfy a natural craving.


In the Cat Aisle
For a retailer, space should not be an issue with this product line. Cat grass will not require a great deal of room or inventory in the store. Since cat grass almost always comes in tubs or small self-contained packaging, these items can be pegged or stacked, making them easy to inventory and convenient for the customer.

Each grass product will be different in terms of contents. Retailers will want to inventory a variety of manufacturers, all of which use different blends of seeds. Wheat grass and oat grass are the most popular. These are the same plants that produce the seeds we use for our breakfast cereals. There are also varieties that consist of different blends of wheat, oats, barley and rye.

Another reason to provide more than one type of cat grass is in the design of the container itself. Manufacturers offer these products in uniquely designed containers that are specifically designed for customer ease and guaranteed success in growing grass. Each container is, in essence, a kit consisting of seeds, a planting medium and a receptacle for feeding. By following simple instructions–adding water, sunlight and a little TLC–owners can offer their cats homegrown grass in a short amount of time. There are all types of designs to choose from, such as pots that hang on the window, designer pots and basic plastic tubs.

Certified-organic cat grass kits and certified-organic seeds are must-have inventory choices. Just stocking the seeds is also important for the do-it-yourselfers. And no in-home cat garden would be complete without the ever-popular catnip. Being a perennial herb and member of the mint family makes this a popular choice for many gardens.

Cat grass is a great product for the pet retailer. Regardless of the different views on why cats eat grass or whether there is any actual benefit of grass, the reality is that grass is safe, nutritional, easy to sell, and cats enjoy it. Why deprive them of that?

John Tyson is a freelance writer and photographer who resides in Houston, Texas. He has 20 years combined experience in the pet industry as multi-store owner, general manager and industry journalist.