Where To Buy Cat Grass
“Where To Buy Cat Grass?” or “Where Should I Buy Cat Grass?” is simple once you know the questions you should be asking before you buy. With our easy to follow, yet detailed buyers guide, we hope you will be better informed about where to buy cat grass.
How We Chose The brands We Compared
We have compiled a list of the most common and popular Cat Grass brands on the UK market today. We have have selected those which comply with most EU & UK legislation on cat grass, so you may find some noticeable absences from the list. We will update the list as we become aware of new products, as long as they comply with EU and UK legislation on pet feed.
“I just buy my cat grass off eBay or Amazon because it’s cheap! can’t I just buy it there?”
The short answer is yes, but we don’t recommend it! We do cover this topic in a dedicated section at the bottom of this page for those that would like to learn more, but suffice it to say there are significant risks to buying from these marketing platforms, where an estimated 90% of listings are illegal and pose serious health risks to your cat.
How to use our Where to Buy Cat Grass Guide
You can use the buying table to review the summary information for each brand and use the links (in bold text) to find further information on the main topics in our review. For example; click on “Growing Mediums” and you will be taken to the section of the buying guide that discuses what you need to know about and to look out for regarding growing mediums, when buying cat grass. Other sections include, Seed Viability, How to tell if a feed business is legitimate and registered, we review 5 brands of grow your own kits and much more…
Use the Buyers Guide Table below or Read the full Article
| Features / Brands | My Cat Grass | Catit | Vitakraft | Trixie | Pussy Lawn | Gim Cat | Cosmic Catnip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||||||
| Sells Ready Grown Cat Grass | from £9.99 | × | × | × | × | × | × |
| Sells Grow Your Own Kits | from £4.99 | £8.99 | £2.89 | £5.49 | £4.67 | £1.75 | £5.39 |
| Sells Cat Grass Seed Pouches | from £2.99 | £8.99 | × | £1.75 mixed with vermiculite | × | × | × |
| Sells Cat Grass Station | Buy Here | Buy Here | × | × | × | × | × |
| Growing Medium | |||||||
| Soil | YES | × | × | × | × | × | YES |
| Vermiculite | × | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Perlite mixed in soil |
| Coir | × | × | × | × | × | × | × |
| Soil Association Approved | YES | × | × | × | × | × | × |
| Vegan Appropriate Soil | YES | × | × | × | × | × | × |
| Organic Certified Soil | YES | × | × | × | × | × | × |
| Seed | |||||||
| Organic Certified | YES | × | × | × | × | × | × |
| Seed Viability % that will grow | Ready Grown 100%
Grow Your Own Kits 97.9% Pouches 97.9% |
Not Stated | Not Stated | Not Stated | Not Stated | Not Stated | 91% |
| Business Standards | |||||||
| Parent Registered Business / Products From | British | Canada | Germany | × | × | × | USA |
| Compliant Pet Feed Registered Business | YES | YES | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review |
| Recyclable Packaging Score | 100% | 85% | 45% | 0% | 100% | 0% | 50% |
| Where To Buy | My Cat Grass Website | Catit Website | VioVet Website | Trixie Website | Catac Website | VetSend Website | Cosmic Website |
What you should look for when considering where to buy Cat Grass
Each Cat Grass product must comply with EU and UK law on pet feed. This legislation’s primary objective is to ensure the health of the public by ensuring the highest quality and hygiene of feed for pet animals. We have summarised the law here as much as possible but in essence you should expect to see as a minimum on all Grown Your Own Cat Grass Kits and Seed Pouches of Cat Grass Seed:
Types of Cat Grass
There are four main types of cat grass you can buy, Cock’s Foot – Dactylis Glomerata the grass that originally gained the colloquial name of cat grass after cats fondness for chewing on this grass. There are also the three main modern cat grasses whose seed are sold in pouches, kits and now as ready grown cat grass. These are; Barley – Hordeum vulgare, Oat Grass – Arrhenatherum and the most common for its lush green leaves, Wheat grass – Triticum.
There are three common methods of packaging and distributing cat grass which include, Ready Grown Cat Grass, Grow Your Own Kits and Cat Grass Seed Pouches
Ready Grown Cat Grass
Ready Grown Cat Grass is delivered to your door 3/4 or fully grown ready for your cat to enjoy. This cat grass is convenient! all you have to do is sit back and wait for it to turn up. Downsides can be the cost of shipping especially if it’s a good product and there’s a lot of soil for the grass to grow into.
Example of Ready Grown Cat Grass
Mycatgrass.co.uk are the only company to offer this product in the UK
Grow Your Own Kits
Great projects for kids and cheaper than ready grown. This cat grass can be a lot of fun but make sure the pot is sturdy. You don’t want it to become a trip hazard. Shipping for good quality soil pots is still a factor at around £3-4 per pot and you will need to have pots growing at various stages to have a constant supply.
Example of Grow Your Own Cat Grass Kit
Cat Grass Seed Pouches
The cheapest of the options for both product and shipping, but that’s because you’re going to supply the pot, soil, and grow it. Great in summer, not so reliable in the winter when it is easy to over water and for mould to set in. It can be a money saver as you’ll probably get more seed than in a Grow Your Own Kit.
Example of a Quality Cat Grass Seed Pouch
Cat Grass Station
If you are new to cat grass you would be forgiven for thinking that a cat grass station is a little over the top. But what is a cat grass station? A cat grass station is a product which you use to serve your cat grass to your cat. You might think a pot is OK and that might be fine for some cats but you only need to watch a few you tube videos to know cats love to knock things over. Combine that with the fact that most kits are put on the floor which soon become a trip hazard and your cats enthusiasm for their new cat grass and you could have water and growing medium everywhere. This is why two companies have come up with great products to ensure this doesn’t happen. The My Cat Grass Station is designed so you can use your grow your own kits and seed but more conveniently you can pop their ready grown cat grass pots straight into the My Cat Grass Station, really convenient! Because the station is wall mounted there are no more trip hazards and your cat can eat their cat grass in peace.
“We highly recommend the cat grass station by My Cat Grass”
Growing Medium
As any seed germinates it uses the energy stored within the seed to grow. But as the plant grows and the energy within the seed is used the plant needs to get its energy and water needs from a growing medium. Growing mediums such as Coir (made from coconut husks) and Vermiculite (dangerous to cats lungs as the small particles can be inhaled and cause respiratory issues) do not provide any nutrients to your cat grass. As soon as your seed has germinated it is dying! Soil on the other hand is packed full of nutrients and the deeper the better. Your cat grass will continue to grow whilst it has soil it can dig it’s roots into. The deeper the soil the better – shallow soil trays will only mean a few days extended life. 9 – 10cm is a good depth of soil to create the right environment for cat grass to grow for up to three weeks.
As Cat Grass seeds germinate they expel a lot of energy and this radiates heat amongst the seed. Heat causes mould and disease to develop and spread. Soil is natures way of cooling the seed which in turn prevents mould and disease. It’s how grass grows in nature!
Soil full of nutrients to help Cat Grass live longer
Small particles of Vermiculite if inhaled can cause respiratory issues in cats
Coir has no nutritional value.
Seed
Seed viability – the percentage of seed expected to germinate – should be no less than 95%. A reasonable expectation is 98% of seed will germinate, if seeds no older than last seasons harvest, are used. Some manufacturers may claim germination rates on their packaging but remember nothing is guaranteed (no matter what testing the manufacturer claims to have placed the seeds under), until the seed germinate. Unless that is of course you purchase My Cat Grass Ready Grown Cat Grass. As My Cat Grass Ready Grown Cat Grass is delivered ready grown you’ll have a 100% germination rate.
Make sure your seed is only ever 100% organic certified and sourced from British Farmers. Farmers in the USA often bleach seed to prevent mould growth. Seed companies in the UK and internationally chemically treat and process seed to increase germination rates over a period of time. Both practices are illegal under feed additives legislation. Certified organic seed ensures your seed is chemical free. Just what you want for your cat/s.
Pet Feed Business Registration Number
This is issued by local authorities under the governance of the Food Standards Agency and must be issued at least 28 days prior to a business trading as a pet feed business. Each EU country has it’s own two character reference at the beginning of the code followed by several digits. For example the UK code starts GBxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Don’t see this on the cat grass seed or kit you have purchased or not sure if the company or individual you have bought seed from is legitimate? You can report this to your local trading standards by contacting your local citizens advice bureau.
Statutory Declaration
The UK Pet Feed Regulations say that all pet feed must have what is referred to as a statutory declaration on the packaging. This is in fact a number of key statements so the customer understands what the product is and how and what it is to be used for. The most common of these are things like list of ingredients and their quantities. Sow by, best before and use by date. They also include net weight (must be weight and not number of seeds and the specific species of seed in the product. We have already learnt that the pet feed business registration should be included as well as contact details of the pet feed business. There are over 10 statements that must be included on products. If you have purchased “bags” of seed from ebay or Amazon sellers you can easily identify illegitimate pet feed businesses from the lack of statutory declarations on their packaging. Think you have been a victim of an illegitimate seller? You can report them to your local trading standards office by contacting the Citizens advice bureau.
Claims Must Be Factual
It stands to reason that if you are selling something that you must be honest. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Cat Grass is not a wonder product that will fix all of your cats ailments. For example claims that cat grass has chlorophyll (or vitamin D) which your cat digests and as a result improves their health, are simply untrue. Cats cannot digest cat grass. Want proof? Look at the grass when it reappears at the other end of the digestive system. Notice how it’s still the same shape and colour. This is because cats cannot digest – draw nutrients from the cat grass, they can only ingest – swallow it. It then usually makes them sick, causing them to expel fur balls (and quiet often the grass) which prevents blockages. It is this process of proactively dealing with fur balls that makes cat grass so good for cats. Beware of false claims, if you are unsure check our HOMEPAGE where we list the factual benefits of cat grass based on veterinary medical and behaviorist research.
Packaging
All pet feed packaging must be provided in tamper free packaging. That is to say that should the packaging of your product be tampered with, you would be able to identify it and purchase a unit that hasn’t been tampered with. Products sold in non- tamper proof packaging have the potential risk that someone who wishes to interfere with a product and it’s contents can do so without the manufacturer or you knowing and as such poses a severe risk to the health of your pet. Plastic zip lock bags, seed packs on the outside of tamper proof pots and pots which do not have tamper evident tabs are illegal and should be avoided for the potential risks they pose to your pet.
Try to look for a company that minimises plastic pots and trays for their cat grass grow kits. The agricultural and horticultural industries have worked hard to improve their environment footprint by minimising the use of plastic pots and non-recyclables. The same should be expected of the pet food industry.
Where to Buy Cat Grass – Five Cat Grass Grow Your Own Kits
My Cat Grass
My Cat Grass offers a range of Cat Grass products from Ready Grown Cat Grass – delivered to your door within 24 hours of packing, Grow Your Own Kits – in three varieties (Barley, Oat and Spelt Wheat Grass) and Premium Cat Grass Seed Pouches. The Ready grown and Grow Your Own Kits all use soil association, organic certified and vegan appropriate soil, My Cat Grass is innovative and leading the industry in their sustainable and pet food grade range of cat grass products.
My Cat Grass Ready Grown cat grass is the UK’s first and only ready grown cat grass subscription service – or you can order a one off Trial Pack “to try before you subscribe”. All cat grass is grown to order and delivered under 24 hours of being packed.
The Grow your own kits use the same heritage Spelt Wheat seed and soil association approved soil in their Ready Grown products so you know you are getting a premium product. With 10cm deep soil the GYO kits provides the cat grass with all the nutrients they need to last up to three weeks.
My Cat Grass range of products have been designed to minimise the use of plastics in the production and packaging of it’s range of cat grass products. The Grow your own kits use grade 5 reusable grade plastic.
My Cat Grass has established a working relationship with Hertfordshire trading standards as its primary authority. This means they work with trading standards and the Food Standards Agency to ensure their range of products meet all EU and UK legislation including packaging, quality, processing and hygiene.
Kitty Cat Grass by Cosmic Catnip
The Kitty Grass from Cosmic Cat Grass is one of the more expensive Grow Your Own Cat Grass Kits we sampled at £5 from our local Pets@Home store. This is probably due to the fact that the item is imported from the USA. This means the product still has to conform to UK standards for cat grass but doesn’t need a feed business registration.
The product packaging specifies the the weight of each seed species however 0.56% is listed as “other grasses”, 0.01 “weed seed” and 0.28%d of inert matter. We wondered what inert matter is going into our cat food? The seed packet was on the outside of the soil container which could potentially be tampered with anf there was no sew by /use by date. we where also concerned by the packaging stating “Cat Grass contains fiber and is a source of niacin and B vitamins*” however reading the small print of the packaging it later explains “These statements have not been tested”. Later still and the packaging states that the product is a “Fiber rich dietary supplement”- making such false claims (regardless of whether they are refuted elsewhere on packing) is not permitted under EU and UK law.
The product does use soil and claims a 91% germination rate but when you only get 25g of soild and seed mixed together we wondered how much cat grass we were getting for our £5?
PussyLawn by Catac
Great quantity and amazingly reliable seed, but what is it with Vermiculite! Because vermiculite is light it makes the product cheap to ship. Vermiculite is also very cheap itself. The packaging is in an aluminium tray which is folded over a piece of card much like your Saturday night curry takeaway. This is not tamper proof packaging, is easily damaged in shipping and as such when the product arrives you have no way of knowing whether it has been contaminated or not.
The product also fails compliance with no sow, use by date, no batch number or registered feed business number which must be on all packaging. Remember, if the product is not compliant it is highly likely the business is not registered. If not registered, the sourcing, processing and hygiene not to mention the non compliant packaging is not being audited by the FSA and as such this product poses a severe health risk to your pet.
Trixie
The Trixie KatezenGras-Saat is hard to compare side by side with the other brands in our article as the refill pack comes mixed with vermiculite so at first we couldn’t tell the actual volume of seed in the packaging. When we actually separate the seed from the vermiculite we found there was only 30g of seed in the packet. Not bad, you may think for only £0.99 however for this reason the product is actually not compliant with feed law. The volume of feed (seed) should be clearly stated on the packaging. Also we couldn’t find an actual original pack to go with the refill pack? Is this just a standard product? We have mentioned previously that we would like to see all cat grass manufacturers move to soil as a growing medium over health concerns for cats. Seed reliability wasn’t great with five packs tested and results where patchy at best and failed to germinate completely, at worst. with few seeds, cheap vermiculite this was the product that we felt represented the least value for money.
Catit
The Catit brand is a recognised and established brand from Canadian Company R.C Hagen. The cost of their seed and replacement cat grass kits are expensive but they are imported from North America and the germination rate through our testing is extremely reliable – if it won’t grow with these seeds, you may have done something wrong? The amount of seed is exactly what you need for the size of the Catit senses cat grass station and you get two packs in their refill kits at around £8.99. But this still doesn’t represent good value for money for quality when compared with the 490g pots of My Cat Grass “Grow your own kits” (2 @ £8.99) no cat grass station required or the premium seed pouches @£3.49 each for 130g.
Catit also still uses vermiculite as a growing medium which has no nutritional value to the germinating seed meaning the grass once grown won’t last very long. Vermiculite in these small sizes are a health concern to the the respiratory systems of cats and therefore hope Catit migrate to using a soil growing medium.
Gim Cat
The GimCat “Hydro-Gras” takes it’s name from hydroponic grown plants – the method of growing plants without soil. IN its place GimCat uses vermiculite and uses some of the smallest vermiculite we have seen when comparing cat grasses. We have already detailed how vermiculite can pose a serious health risk for your cat’s respiratory system if inhaled. The seeds are already mixed with the vermiculite so there is no way of knowing if the seeds have been watered so they germinate. The seeds may get stuck at the bottom of the plastic tray and never germinate to the surface.
Vitakraft – Cat Grass
This cheap and popular cat grass product is available from Pets@Home and online from £2,89 but we have several concerns about the product. First and with many other products in this review Vitakraft uses very small vermiculite as a growing medium. As ever we have concerns about the health risk this poses to your cats respiratory system oif inhaled. The seed packet is on the outside of the packaging which is not sealed again potentially enabling your cat grass to be tampered with. We like the holding tray that the cat grass tray sits into meaning the cat grass tray can drain – a feature not seen in any of the grow your own kits. Vitakraft is a German product and is a registered feed business but does not meet all the EU and UK regulations on information that should be provided on the products packaging. For example, we expect to have seen a use by / sow by date, seed species & seed net weight on the packaging as per EU & UK regulations.
Ebay
Unfortunately at this time (03 January 2018) – with the exception of the My Cat Grass range of products and other brands included in this article – we cannot recommend purchasing any cat grass products from the eBay platform. We make this extraordinary recommendation as eBay does not have a consistent and standardised method for registering brands or legitimate registered feed businesses. eBay also, does not have a fit for purpose method of reporting illegal sellers and their listings to ensure they are removed from their platform. eBay does not conform to the EU and UK legislation on feed. As a “Marketer” ebay is bound by EU and UK feed laws to ensure that all products on it’s platform meet the legislative standards – they do not.
What this means to you. The EU and UK legislation’s primary objective is to ensure the health and safety of the food chain. e.g. that the food we feed to our pets meets extremely high standards in that the product;
- is what it says it is – is specific in its description of the product
- does what it says it does – makes no false claims and makes the statutory declaration on its packaging
- is packaged correctly – tamper proof, labelled correctly and shipped safely – not in envelopes and grip lock bags
- Meets the requirements of the Hygiene laws – records of source, date or purchase, origin, processing and handling & storage
- Does not have any additives or undergo any processes considered unsafe by the statute – this excludes most seed companies as the emulsify their seeds for a longer period between germination and to prevent mould, bleaching seed is a common practice of American farmers to prevent mould.
- That only registered, licensed and audited companies may produce and process branded feed and that retailers are only permitted to sell these branded feeds
eBay as a marketer is responsible for all listings on its site under this legislation however the platform has failed consistently to remove any listings for failing to comply with this legislation. As such My Cat Grass can only recommend that you source your cat grass products from reputable licensed and audited pet feed businesses such as My Cat Grass.
Amazon
Whilst Amazon has a much stronger control on it’s sellers listings, the platform also lags behind in compliance with EU and UK feed law. Whilst the platform seemingly has more legitimate sellers these are the same sellers that are present on the eBay platform – only they invest a little more time to conform to Amazon’s listing requirements. Products are still being listed by unregistered feed businesses, failing to comply with feed legislation.
Conclusion
When My Cat Grass approached Amazon and eBay in September, October, November and finally in December of 2018 we had hoped the platforms would engage in a meaningful conversation about how they could improve their platforms to comply with the 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2015 pieces of legislation. To date neither companies representatives have responded, removed non compliant listings or updated their policies or processes. The eBay platform lists over £1 Million in fraudulent products under this one category alone annually*.
We highly recommend you purchase your products from a reputable feed business website such as MyCatGrass.co.uk or from your local pet store checking the criteria we have detailed above is met.
We hope this helps answer where to buy cat grass. Chose a product that is legal, uses natural methods and is good for the environment. Do not chose a product because it is cheap, but because it provides the safest, healthiest complimentary cat treat for your cat or pet.
*Research conducted by My Cat Grass in November 2018 and December 2018 based on 80% of listing being non compliant (allowing for a 10% margin of error in our research data).
