Why do some cats eat plants?

[notyoueither]

Zeb (the little female, about 9 months old) nibbles at the aloe vera and eats lettuce if I give it to her.

Why?

[KrazyHorse]

She's a witch. Burn her.

[Asher]

General consensus is vitamin/minerals available outside of meat and helps get rid of fur swallowed while grooming.

[notyoueither]

She's a witch. Burn her.

She is black, but has a little white spot on her tummy. So does her brother.

I am counting on that if I ever have to answer to a mob.

[notyoueither]

General consensus is vitamin/minerals available outside of meat and helps get rid of fur swallowed while grooming.

Good to know.

I need to learn more about cats. It's been a long time.

[Asher]

Some plants, as I'm sure you know, are fatal to cats. Be careful

[SlowwHand]

I have 7 cats.

Some cat owners make the mistake of preventing their cat from eating grass. There are various reasons for this, one being that they think it makes their cat ill or upsets their stomach. This is an incorrect assumption and in fact the eating of grass followed by regurgitation is a perfectly natural behavior for all cats.

Cats do not possess the ability to separate meat from fur bones or feathers before eating like we do so they have to eat the digestible parts along with the indigestible parts. When the cat has finished digesting what he can the rest has to be removed from the system. To try and pass this through the digestive tract could cause obstruction and severe illness so this is where grass eating comes in.

The habit of eating grass triggers the natural process of regurgitation of indigestible foods including its own fur balls which would otherwise obstruct the system. This can appear to us humans as if the cat is being violently ill but this is not the case and in fact is very beneficial to the cat.

What about other plants and vegetables?

Cats cannot produce the enzymes needed to break down plant matter. Even when pureed or powdered, vegetables simply pass through the digestive tract without leaving any of their nutritional content. This alone is not harmful to your cat, but when undigested plant matter mixes with highly digestible food such as meat, indigestion and other complications may occur. Grass is an exception however; some cats compulsively eat grass when you leave them outdoors. This will cause them to regurgitate the indigestible matter, including raw vegetables.

If your cat is unable to get access to grass he may attempt to eat your house plants instead. This could be dangerous because some house plants and flowers are toxic to cats, so if you have a house cat like a Ragdoll cat for example you should provide a regular supply of potted grass to prevent him looking elsewhere. And most importantly do not punish your cat for regurgitating on to you carpet because he will not know why you are punishing him. Regurgitation is an involuntary action of your cat’s stomach so he could not stop it happening even if he tried. Cleaning up after the occasional regurgitation should be an accepted part of being a loving cat owner as they are only doing what comes naturally.
Drew is the author of 'The Complete Ragdoll Cat Keepers Handbook' to find out more visit:

http://www.ragdoll-cat-care.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Drew_Pilton

[Aeson]

The real reason is your cat hates you and wants to be able to puke on your rug as often as possible.

[notyoueither]

Some plants, as I'm sure you know, are fatal to cats. Be careful

Which ones?

I have an aloe (I'm sure that's not toxic as people use it medicinally). I also have some vines. Eb went after the vines early, but I've put them up and he has left them alone recently.

I don't have any exotic flowering stuff. My plants are the ones that are too stubborn to die.

[notyoueither]

The real reason is your cat hates you and wants to be able to puke on your rug as often as possible.

I would buy that except my cats are full of love, love, love... and there's been no puking, yet.

[Asher]

Aloe is actually on the list of toxic plants to cats

http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/plants.htm

[notyoueither]

I have 7 cats.

Thanks for that. Good info.

[Aeson]

I would buy that except my cats are full of love, love, love... and there's been no puking, yet.

Well then, maybe you got a defective cat?

[notyoueither]

Aloe is actually on the list of toxic plants to cats

http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/plants.htm

****.

Thanks for the link.

I guess I'll have to suspend the thing. That'll be tricky as the plant is quite old and spills out all over the place.

[Jon Miller]

Sloww is like a male version of the cat woman.

I can beleive it, most things that are active are in some way toxic.

By the way, I have eaten Aloe Vera several times, it is a bit strange.

JM