Cat Grass (Avena sativa)
Avena sativa

Annual (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright, Clump-Forming in the Poaceae Family
A fast-growing oat grass sown as a safe, nutritious nibbling treat for cats — sprouts on a sunny windowsill in days.

Cat Grass is the common name for a small planting of common oat (Avena sativa), grown specifically as a safe, edible treat for cats. Sown thickly in a shallow pot or tray, it sprouts within days into a dense mat of tender green blades that cats love to chew. Unlike outdoor lawn grass, it's grown indoors without pesticides, making it a worry-free way to satisfy a cat's natural urge to graze on greenery. If left unharvested and grown outdoors, the plant matures into an upright grass 2-3 feet tall with slender, drooping oat panicles, but as sold it's almost always kept young and leafy, well before it ever reaches that stage.

Pros

  • Fast, easy to sprout from seed — ready for cats to nibble within 1-2 weeks
  • A safe, natural source of fiber and folic acid that can aid digestion and hairball control
  • Thrives indoors on a sunny windowsill, no garden required
  • Inexpensive and simple to regrow from a fresh batch of seed

Cons

  • Short-lived as a product — plants yellow and decline within a few weeks and need replacing
  • Cats may over-graze it quickly if not given a fresh tray regularly
  • Overwatering the tray can lead to mold or root rot
Why Like

A genuinely useful, purpose-grown plant for cat owners — an easy, safe outlet for a cat's instinct to nibble on grass, without the pesticides or unknown plants found in an outdoor lawn. It also doubles as an easy, fast-germinating grass for anyone wanting a quick, kid-friendly indoor growing project.
Highlights
  • One of the most common and widely recommended grasses for cats, alongside wheat and barley grass
  • Sprouts and is ready to use faster than almost any other houseplant
  • A simple, low-cost way to add enrichment and dietary fiber to an indoor cat's routine
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 8 - 10 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Partial Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet:

Needs consistently moist soil during germination and early growth; established blades tolerate brief drying between waterings but perform best with regular watering.
Zones 4a - 9b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Adaptable, Annual, Annual in Chicago, Container, Deciduous, Edible Foliage, Edibles, Fast Growth Rate, Full Sun, Good for Beginners, Grown as Annuals, Herb, Low Maintenance, Medium, Partial Sun, Well-Drained Soil, Wet
Bloom Period Late Spring (rarely blooms as cat grass)
Flower Color Tan, Golden-Brown
Foliage Color Green
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/10
2024 : 02/08 - 06/15
2023 : 05/04 - 06/04

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!