Growing a Kitty Garden

Do your houseplants look as if someone took a lawn mower to one side? Or do they have little puncture wounds on their leaves? Then chances are you have a cat.

Cats may chew on plants as a form of entertainment, but chewing on plants can be dangerous. There are hundreds of plants that can produce toxic reactions in your feline.

A safe alternative is to grow an indoor mini-lawn for your cats to nibble on. While outside grass can be loaded with deadly fertilizers and pesticides, and indoor mini-lawn provides your cat with a safe, edible source of greenery. Special feline gardens are available commercially or you can start your own kitty garden using a bowl, soil, and some grass seed.

You can grow catnip, too, but monitor how much your cat chews. While catnip isn't generally toxic to cats, too much of the fresh plant can overstimulate the central nervous system and may cause a cat to actually injure herself.