Why Cats Eat Grass

When cats eat grass, it is due to the fact that the strength of their digestive juices, can cause an overproduction of acids, thereby imbalancing the enzymes within the body. The grass (herbage) is alkaline based, and therefore rebalances the enzyme mixture, by causing the cat to vomit the excess acid, which the grass wraps around, in order to give a “solid base” for the necessary vomiting to take place. The vomiting to rid the body of excess acid is vital, for if this were not to take place, the acid could potentially damage the walls of the digestive system, causing long term health problems. The cause of over acidity is usually due to the fact of the cat’s diet not requiring the amount of acidic digestive juices to break it down, thereby leaving an excess within the cat’s digestive system. With modern foodstuffs, this is becoming increasingly common, as the amount and strength of digestive juices required to break down cereal based foods, are not as great as the juices required to break down the cat’s natural diet of meat, bone and gristle. Another very relevant factor to be taken into account is the fact of “foreign bodies” i.e. hairballs or other undesirable objects a cat may have ingested, will also be vomited up with the grass, saving a potentially seriously ill cat! In summary,  cats are best on a diet richer in meat, than carbohydrates; for example, the ratio of two thirds meat and one third carbohydrate, plus some from of available greenery, to complete the digestive process, is ideal for most cats, to enable them to be “bright eyed and bushy tailed”!