Conference misery::feline_v1

    I grow grass for my cats from a plastic sack provided with the seeds.
    The product is called Snack Sac and is made by a company in Colorado
    I think.  I bought it at a local drugstore here in California but
    have also seen it in the mail order pet supplies catalogs.  The
    cats love the stuff, it is a sweet grass and they just eat it up.
    
    About the cat trees, I have found that some of the nicest cat trees
    are offered for sale at the cat shows.  The are usually a little
    less expensive and the greatest part is that you can see how they
    are made and test their durability before buying.  Or if there is
    anyone who is handy with a staple gun and hammer in the house, they
    are easy to build.  My husband built ours for us.  The cost of the
    materials for a 8-9 ft cat tree with three shelves was about $35.00.
    
    Jo

    I tried the "Kitty Grass" a while back, and found that it didn't
    last long; the cats would grab some grass and pull, and the entire
    chunk of growing medium - plus all the grass - would pop out of
    the container. This year I put the little plastic container on a
    saucer and stretched a rubber band around it, and the extra weight
    has kept the grass where it belongs.
    
    The cats don't seem to be in ecstacy, exactly, but they do chew
    on it fairly often. Now that it's spring, though, all they want
    is *out*, and they ignore the (now yellowing) bowl of grass...

    -b

    The kitty gyms are great, but most of the ones that you see in a
    pet store are cardboard and don't last real well. You'd be better
    off spending a little more money and getting one with solid wood
    construction, especially if you have a heavy cat, or a cat that
    likes to do pouncing acrobatics from one location onto one of the
    shelves on a cat tree. Also, look for something that uses nails
    instead of staples, and make sure that they use a quality carpet.
    
    A few notes back someone mentioned that they will custom build them
    for you cat. You may want to send mail
    
    Personally, we have a Delux Kitty Playground II by Abetta Pet in
    North Carolina (?). We've had it for about 4 years now and I'm very
    impressed with the durability. It is solid, heavy wood, and they
    used very good quality carpet (custom matched to a sample I sent
    them of my own carpet). They used nails, not staples so we hav't
    had any accedents. Also, the cubbyhole boxes on it are made so that
    the bottom carpeting just pulls out and you can easily vaccuum.
    It was a bit expensive, but it was well worth it. The only thing
    I can fault them on was it took about two months to get (but then
    it was custom built). You can save 5% on the price by sending them
    a check with your order (instead of a credit card or COD).
    
    Deb

    I grow the garden cress (human type) and sprout
    alfafa for my cats all year. They love it.
    You can find the cress seeds at the feed stores.
    Just sow a little so it is fresh-it grows quickabout
    4-5 days to eating size and the cats love it.I like
    it on my salads also.
    The pet shop in the Manchester Mall had some large 
    gyms there the last time I was up there but they
    were 80.00.
    

    Here's any easy solution.  Wild bird food sprouts very easily in
    a little dirt.  I used to use one of the trays you place under a
    plant, put about 1/2" dirt in it, sprinkle the seeds on top, water,
    and in a couple of days--sprouts!  It seems to last longer than
    grass, and also tastes better.  Yes, I did try tasting both grass
    and seed sprouts, and if I were a cat ("Heaven forbid!", say Munch
    and Mutu), I would prefer the sprouts!
    
    Just a suggestion on a Friday at the end of a *very* long week!
    

    See note 452...the best kitty gyms I've ever seen!  I have a 5 foot
    tall climbing tree that Barbara's husband made for my boys and they
    love it.  It is very well constructed...it's so solid, it took the
    three of us to get it in the house!
    
    As for kitty grass, I grew some once for Honey.  He seemed to gobble
    it up...and then "re-presented" it on the rug.  End of experiement!
    
    Mary

    When you grow the grass yourself, do you use regular potting soil
    and seeds??  Also, I saw some packaged grass called Kitty Greens
    in a Pet store - it was awful small and has some chemical in it
    called Monoxin and Tamlin sp?? and recommended not giving the seeds
    themselves to cats.  Do all seeds have some kind of chemical treatment?
    
    cathy

    A word to the wise...just in case:
    
    Cosette and Fantine several years ago suddenly "discovered" the
    potting soil in the many planters around the house.  Cosette and
    Fantine, indoor cats, decided that soil was better than that silly
    imitation stuff: cat litter.
    
    Now all of my plants have marble chips scattered on top of the soil,
    and there has been no further interest (er, no *detected* interest,
    I should say) in the plant-as-toilet.
    
    So beware large grass pots!

    RE: -1
    
    Marble chips had no effect when Pip decided that my (late) Norfolk
    Pine could double as a litterbox. Marble chips had no effect (she
    played with them like little rubber balls). I got some little tiny
    pine cones and speard them on the soil, and that kept her off.
    
    Deb

    
    I've been growing catnip for the "kids" using one of the SNACK SACS
    mentioned in an earlier note. I finally had to hang the plant out
    of reach since the cats were letting the greens get abut 2" and
    then were harvesting the crop. Which meant I had to vacuum up the
    dirt from the overturned pot. 
    
    The SNACK SAC contains what looks like regular potting soil and
    I didn't even check for other contents....(oh well).
    
    As far as plants being used as as alternate cat box, I too had this
    problem. Not to mention Merlin just liked playing with the dirt! He
    would sit with his haunches on the floor and his front paws digging in
    the dirt, batting it around (onto the floor, of course). I tried some
    of the CAT NO spray that Hartz puts out -it smelled worse then the cat
    wizz, so I didn't use it after that once. Then I tried putting screen
    over the dirt, cutting out where the plant comes through. I could
    still water the plant through the screen, but occasionally when
    digging, Merlin would hook the screen with a claw and then screen
    and dirt ended up on the floor.  The way I finally solved the problem
    was to buy the clear plastic saucers that are meant to be placed
    under the plant to catch water....well I cut a hole in them for
    the plant and placed them, upside-down on the pot. So far, after
    2 years, this has solved the dirt-play and potty use of the plants.
    I think it has even been long enough now that I could uncover the
    pots, but a nice benefit of the cover is that the plants don't have
    to be watered as often!  (he nevered bothered the small plants!)

    good luck with the grazing!
    
    janet b.

    I've found that to avoid my cats' cravings for my spider plant,
    breaking up small pieces of iceberg lettuce in their canned food
    (which they get for dinner) seems to satisfy their desire for greens.
    My female, Holly, can't seem to wait until I mix it in her food
    and begs for a leaf while I'm preparing it (which I usually give
    her).  I've found that my dog(s) have always liked it mixed in their
    food also.
    
    

    I give our dog, Casey Jones, lettuce.  He loves it, pulls litle
    tiny pieces off with the front teeth and gobbles them down.  I never
    thought of giving it to the cats, they will usually eat anything...
    I think I will try giving it to them too.  Thanks for the suggestion!
    
    Mary-Lynn