Dr. Janet Jackson Answers Your Question About Foods to avoid
I recently heard that cats should not eat grass because it is constipating. My friend took her cat to the animal clinic and was given this advice. She had to give her cat pumpkin with his food in order to relieve his constipation. Do you agree that cats should not be given grass to eat?
A:
Dr. Janet answered:
I have not heard that eating grass will cause constipation. A greater concern with cats eating grass is the potential for ingestion of harmful chemicals if the grass was treated with fertilizers or insecticides. It is for this reason that we usually recommend that cats not be allowed to eat grass. Many pet stores now sell grass that you can grow indoors that is safe for cats to eat. It is unknown as to why some cats crave grass, especially since many cats will vomit the grass up not too long after eating it. Some nutritionists think this is a mechanism by which cats "cleanse" their system. Many times after eating grass, the cats will not only vomit the grass, but also a hairball will be expelled. Pumpkin is sometimes recommended by vets to relieve constipation. Pumpkin is very high in fiber and can help material pass through the gastrointestinal tract. Pumpkin is also very palatable to cats, so getting a cat to eat it is usually not a problem.