Data for Characteristics of Plant Eating in Domestic Cats

Plant eating by domestic cats interests veterinarians and cat owners. As more cats are living totally indoors, grass gardens are commonly provided to cats, addressing cats’ needs for plant eating. Two surveys of cat owners were launched, testing important questions regarding plant eating, that plant eating: 1) is a response to the cat feeling ill; 2) induces vomiting; 3) is a means of expelling hair balls from consumed hair. Based on observations of wild felids, plant eating may reflect an innate predisposition acquired from the ancestral cat. This study found that very few cats showed signs of illness before eating plants. However, 27 to 37 percent of cats frequently vomited after eating grass; this suggests that gastrointestinal disturbance may be related to vomiting afterwards in some cats. Young cats consumed plants more frequently than older cats. Young cats also appeared ill and vomited less frequently than older cats in association with plant eating. Short-haired cats ate plants as frequently as long-haired cats, suggesting that plant eating is not for expelling hairballs. Some guidelines for cat owners with indoor cats are provided.家养猫咪的食草行为一直受到兽医与猫主人的广泛关注。随着越来越多猫咪实现完全室内饲养，为其提供猫草种植区已成为常见做法，以满足猫咪的食草需求。本研究开展了两项针对猫主人的问卷调查，旨在验证关于食草行为的三个核心问题：其一，食草是否为猫咪身体不适的应激反应；其二，食草会诱发呕吐；其三，食草是猫咪排出因摄入毛发而形成的毛球的途径。基于对野生猫科动物的观察，猫咪的食草行为或许反映了其从祖先猫类处继承的先天倾向。本研究发现，仅有极少数猫咪在食草前表现出患病迹象。然而，27%至37%的猫咪在食用猫草后会频繁呕吐，这提示部分猫咪的后续呕吐可能与胃肠道不适存在关联。幼猫的食草频率高于成年猫，且在食草后出现患病症状与呕吐的频率均低于成年猫。短毛猫与长毛猫的食草频率并无显著差异，这表明食草行为并非用于排出体内毛球。本研究为室内饲养猫咪的主人提供了若干实用指导建议。