{"id":2022,"date":"2026-05-27T10:17:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T07:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/?p=2022"},"modified":"2026-05-27T10:17:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T07:17:01","slug":"gardening-for-pets-two-plants-that-make-cats-and-dogs-happy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/?p=2022","title":{"rendered":"GARDENING FOR PETS: TWO PLANTS THAT MAKE CATS AND DOGS HAPPY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"cb-itemprop\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Cats and dogs need a little grass in their diets especially if they don\u2019t spend a lot of time outdoors. Grow these herbs in an accessible spot where your pets can help themselves.<\/h4>\n<p><em><strong>More gardening for pets:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/how-tos\/arthritic-relief-for-older-dogs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Arthritic relief for older dogs<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Catnip (<em>Nepeta cataria<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Known as catnip or catmint, this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/kitchen-gardening\/growing-mint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">member of the mint family<\/a> has an almost magical effect on cats, causing them to roll in it, rub their faces in it and even chew it, while purring happily. The chemical compound called nepetalactone found in the leaves and stems is the reason for the attraction. However, kittens are not affected by it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28557 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/decvegseedherb02ghCatmintCr.jpg\" alt=\"gardening for pets - catmint - SA Garden and Home\" width=\"800\" height=\"724\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/decvegseedherb02ghCatmintCr.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/decvegseedherb02ghCatmintCr-300x272.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/decvegseedherb02ghCatmintCr-768x695.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><strong>About catnip<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Catnip makes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/groundcovers-and-why-its-a-good-idea-to-grow-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a good groundcover<\/a> and edging plant so plant it where it\u2019s easily accessible to your cat. A perennial with aromatic grey leaves and spikes of mauve or white flowers, it\u2019s evergreen and frost hardy.<\/p>\n<p><em>Nepeta mussinii<\/em> bears pretty blue-violet, edible flowers.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/how-tos\/3-indigenous-groundcovers-to-grow-from-cuttings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3 Indigenous groundcovers to grow from cuttings<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to grow it<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Sow seeds directly in a moist, sunny position. It isn\u2019t fussy about soil and doesn\u2019t mind a little shade.<\/li>\n<li>Protect seedlings from cats as they can destroy them.<\/li>\n<li>Trim regularly to keep it in shape.<\/li>\n<li>Grow it from division or seed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Pet grass (<em>Dactylis glomerata<\/em>) <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Most dogs and cats are partial to munching on a little grass periodically. It aids digestion, provides fibre, minerals and vitamins, cleans the breath and helps cats with hairballs. Often when a dog or cat eats grass it will vomit, perpetuating the idea that the animal feels unwell or has a gastro-intestinal problem. But as eating grass hasn\u2019t been linked to any disorder, some conclude that they simply enjoy it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28558 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Pet-Grass2473.jpg\" alt=\"SA Garden and Home - Gardening for pets - Pet grass\" width=\"720\" height=\"756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Pet-Grass2473.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Pet-Grass2473-286x300.jpg 286w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><strong>About pet grass <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Easy to grow, pet grass makes an excellent groundcover.\u00a0 As lawns are often coated with chemical-based pesticides and fertilisers, which can be toxic, pet grass is a healthy alternative. It can also be grown in containers indoors and out, and to ensure a regular supply, plant it successively in more than one pot. Rabbits, birds and guinea pigs also love pet grass.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to g<\/strong><strong>row it <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u2022 Plant it full sun, although it tolerates some shade, in well-draining, evenly moist soil.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 In containers, keep roots relatively moist, and to reduce nutrient loss from excess water, make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom; place a tray under the container. Too much water can lead to rotting roots.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 To ensure it gets sufficient nutrients, plant in nutrient-rich soil and mulch with compost. Don\u2019t use fertiliser.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 If leaves become a little tough, cut them down to 10cm to encourage new growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTE:<\/strong> The same dietary rules for humans also apply to pets: Everything in moderation!<\/p>\n<p><strong>ALSO SEE:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/are-orchids-toxic-to-cats-heres-what-you-should-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Are Orchids toxic to cats? Here\u2019s what you should know<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"sm1OmPVtCP\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/are-orchids-toxic-to-cats-heres-what-you-should-know\/\">Are Orchids toxic to cats? Here\u2019s what you should know<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.margaretroberts.co.za\/\"><strong>More on herb gardening for pets<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/gardening-for-pets-two-plants-that-make-cats-and-dogs-happy\/\">GARDENING FOR PETS: TWO PLANTS THAT MAKE CATS AND DOGS HAPPY<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/\">SA Garden and Home<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cats and dogs need a little grass in their diets especially if they don\u2019t spend a lot of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2023,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2022"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}