Microgreens query for kitty

January 16, 2021 7:47 AM

In summer my cat nibbles on grass. For some reason I haven't had much luck growing oatgrass for my cat this winter so she's taken to nibbling on houseplants best left alone. The food delivery service I use offers some growing microgreens. Which one do I get for kitty?

There's broccoli, kale, red cabbage, radish, arugula, sunflower. No wheatgrass. All priced the same – I just want to pick one that she's and will be good for her. Opinions?

Cat tax!

posted by zadcat to Pets & Animals (9 answers total)

Can you get some wheat berries (i.e. unground wheat / wheat seeds) and grow 2-3 pots of that in rotation? I have had some success with wheat growing, but it does either go bad or dry out (outgrow the container) pretty fast. I know it might give you some of the same troubles as the oats, but I thought I'd mention it in case it worked better for you.

If you buy a bunch of wheat berries and they don't grow well, at least you can boil the rest and eat them yourself.

Also, grains don't keep forever at room temperature; make sure the seeds/oats you are trying to grow are fresh enough.

Also - check with pet stores in your area. Here, they deliver, too, and they often have had cat grass growing in the store. Ask a human in the actual store to make sure the greens are in good condition.
posted by amtho at 8:14 AM on January 16, 2021

I had a cat who begged for bits of leaf off our broccoli.

I should also mention that broccoli, kale, and cabbage are all technically the same species (Brassica oleracea).
posted by heatherlogan at 8:46 AM on January 16, 2021 [2 favorites]

A Google suggests that cats can eat broccoli.

We too had better luck with growing wheatgrass than oatgrass; we use Todd's Seeds.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:46 AM on January 16, 2021

Response by poster: Ordered wheatgrass seeds from a reliable Canadian seed company, plus 2 kinds of microgreens already growing (kale and sunflower) to try in the meantime. Thanks all for advice.
posted by zadcat at 11:19 AM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

I've also had good kitty luck with Cyperus Zumula, which grows quickly and loves watering to swamp levels.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 2:34 AM on January 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Cyperus Zumula seeds also on order. Kitty will be very happy!
posted by zadcat at 8:53 AM on January 17, 2021

My cat LOVES cabbage and will try to steal it off my plate.
posted by augustimagination at 12:50 PM on January 17, 2021

Make sure sunflower plant is non-toxic for cats. It's in a different family than the cruciferous (cabbage/broccoli/kale) plants.
posted by amtho at 6:18 PM on January 17, 2021

Response by poster: Sunflower is not toxic. I got the 2 little flats on Monday and she's tried both the kale and the sunflower microgreens, and seems to prefer the sunflower.

Now I'll see how well they grow, although ordering a $3 flat with my weekly orders will be doable.
posted by zadcat at 5:55 PM on January 20, 2021