Answer: Although cats are essentially meat eaters, they will eat a litter grass from time to time if given the opportunity, especially young growing grass. It may be that the purpose is to obtain additional minerals or vitamins. For instance, cooked meat diets are often rather low in their content of folic acid, a member of the vitamin B group, which is present in grass. It also seems likely that it is eaten to provide fibrous bulk in the diet, possibly to avoid constipation. Certainly in the wild cats eat grass, and also the innards of grass-eating animals which they have killed. Some domestic cats will even eat other plants such as young runner beans, house plants flowers in a vase.
Cats suffering from some alimentary disturbance will often consume a lot of grass and vomit afterwards; i.e. they use grass as a natural emetic. Presumably, they do this because they feel nauseous and wish to provoke vomiting in order to obtain some relief.
Therefore, although it’s not absolutely essential, there certainly seems to be no harm in your cat eating grass, unless of course the grass has previously been treated with herbicide. It is, however, possible to purchase kits for growing a tray of grass indoor which avoids the dangers of toxic spray and provides a convenient source of grass for burn cats, particularly those which need to be trained not to eat house plants.
