Growing a Quick Pet Treat: Wheatgrass
Owning pets like cats and dogs is a huge blessing that many people enjoy. Pets come in all different sizes and grow on us as they stay with us. The company that pets provide for us is irreplaceable at times, similar to spending time with near and dear ones. As such, it falls right in line to treat our pets every so often. The love and company they provide us needs to be rewarded on a continuous basis.
Many pet owners want to treat their pets by giving their pets sweet treats. This is a great way to reward good behavior and other pet accomplishments, but as a pet owner you must keep in mind to make sure that giving your pets sweet treats doesn’t become a norm. By norm, we mean, giving sweet treats to your pets everyday and that too several times a day. This is hazardous for your pet’s health because according to animal health experts, only around 10% of your pet’s diet should consist of sweet treats. Always keep in mind that cats and dogs would in fact prefer other rewards such as more affection, more playtime and more loving words or praise thrown their way. This will also help to strengthen the bond between you and your pets.
With sweet treats not such a great option, one great treat option for your pets is growing wheatgrass. This is a simple task that can be grown by using wheatgrass seeds and a container, with great outcomes that are amazing treats for pets such as cats.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is recognized as the early grass coming from the wheat plant known as Triticum Aestivum. This is a plant greatly loved by cats and they love to eat it in great bunches. Growing wheatgrass is as simple as taking wheatgrass seeds and planting them in a shallow container. Allow the seeds to grow into a thick green patch of grass that your pet will love. Those of you who have other plants around the house, growing wheatgrass will help divert your pet’s attention so they don’t end up ruining your plants every few days.
One of the best things about wheatgrass is the fact that there are numerous ways you can display your wheatgrass so that it looks catchy and attractive. Not only will your pets be impressed but family and friends who drop in may be equally impressed as well! Not to mention, growing wheatgrass can help beautify your home in addition to providing a treat for your pets.
Buying Wheatgrass
If you are ready to start growing wheatgrass, you can purchase the wheatgrass seeds from many different places, ranging from agricultural supply stores to pet stores. In pet shops you can usually find wheatgrass seeds where the cats are since cats are known to have a thing for eating grass. Once you plant the seeds, it should take around 8 to 10 days for the grass to start growing.
If you don’t want to wait for 8 to 10 days, you can always choose to purchase wheatgrass that has already been grown, but keep in mind that buying seeds is usually much cheaper than buying the pre-grown wheatgrass. You can check online shops for wheatgrass as well, ranging from Amazon to other online shops that cater to different household items.
Planting Wheatgrass
When planting wheatgrass for your pets, keep it simple. There really is no need to go all fancy for pets. Remember they find the grass interesting, not the designs! A simple container will do just fine. You can even purchase trays (these will be easier for your pet to have access to once they are placed on the floor or other reachable areas post growing).
The container can also be something you are recycling, such as plastic bottles. You will need to poke a few holes at the bottom of the container in order to allow drainage. After this is done, place a small layer of rocks inside the container. Then add another layer of soil and simply scatter the wheatgrass seeds over the soil. Finish off with another layer of potting soil. Make sure you put in a lot of seeds in order to get a more lush/thick setting of grass. Once you’ve placed these layers, you are ready to grow your wheatgrass!
Remember, keeping your seeds moist is very important. You may choose to soak the seeds for 8-12 hours overnight and then rinse them before placing them on the soil to grow.
Showcasing Wheatgrass
Once your wheatgrass has grown you will probably wonder, “What’s the best way to showcase or display your wheatgrass?” Well, there are several different ways you can display your wheatgrass. If you’re a creative person, you will probably have your own ideas of how to do it best. It can always help to discuss with friends on what they think works best for your home setting. It never hurts to try out different things until you find what works and looks best.
You can display this using a trendy glass container that has modern works on it or by planting the wheatgrass in different sized containers. You can paint the containers in order to make them look more presentable and catchy for viewers. If your pet has a favorite color that you know of, it’s definitely a good idea to decorate the container according to their favorite color. It’s also not a bad idea to hire an artistic family member or friend to help out with the drawing and designing on the container. You’re free to try yourself or get help as needed.
You can even choose eggshells to grow the wheatgrass in. This can be taken as a project that you get family and friends to chip in on. Simply get a few dry eggshells, clean them, add on the potting material and wheatgrass seeds. You can design the shells prior to planting the wheatgrass. Play around with this just like with the containers.
Offering Wheatgrass
Offer your pets the wheatgrass by placing it in spots such as on your windowsills, tables in the kitchen that are of reach or on a newspaper on the kitchen floor, allowing your cat or dog to have easy access to it.
Your pet is bound to love the new green treat you have in store for them!
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