Create A Herb Garden For Your Cat

Sep 12

I am positive that you have given your cat some catnip at some point. Probably in a catnip toy. But have you tried giving your cat some loose, dried catnip? And not only catnip, but there are also so many herbs that you can provide for your cat to provide them with enrichment and keep them happy and healthy. What is absolutely amazing about giving your cat a herb garden is watching them practice self-selection. Deciding which herb they need and how to interact with that particular herb. Some will roll around, others may eat the herb, and others may just lie in the area of the herb. Your cat will decide what type of interaction they need. It is really easy to create an herb garden for your cat and start allowing them to self-select what they need to be happy and healthy.

Which Herbs to Choose?

There are many herbs to choose from that are completely safe for your cat. I have created my Chakra Kits with herbs that are associated with each of the seven Chakras. There is an amazing book, The Aromatic Cat, that is an excellent reference on cat-safe herbs and which ailment or behaviors they may be dealing with. This book was my starting point on providing herb gardens to my cats, and it is still one of my most referenced sources. The biggest thing to keep in mind when choosing herbs is sourcing. Where did the herbs come from? It is best to find a reputable company and get organic herbs.

The herbs that you choose for your cat’s ailments and behaviors are basically the same herbs that you would choose for your own ailments and behaviors. We choose peppermint or ginger for an upset tummy. Those herbs are great for your cat who may be dealing with an upset tummy. Lavender and Chamomile are what we choose to ease our anxiety and keep us calm. Cats can greatly benefit from those herbs as well. There are many other herbs that you can offer to your cat and let them decide what they need the most.

How to Create an Herb Garden

Now that you have chosen which herbs you want to offer to your cat, how do you offer them? It is a simple process. Choose a quiet area where your cat will not be disturbed. Try not to place an herb garden in a high traffic area. Place down a clean towel or blanket. Grab a good pinch of the selected herb and put it in the corner of the towel. You can place 4 good size herb piles in each corner. Sit back and watch in amazement at your cat self-selecting and interacting with the herbs. It is quite fascinating to watch this process.

***Sloopy not willing to share his herb garden with Bodie.***

***Hemingway & Bodie sharing a herb garden.***

Don’t worry if your cat does not show immediate signs of interest. Some of my cats are helping me choose which herbs I place down for them. Others hang in the background and don’t seem interested. Then, in the morning, I notice that the garden has been scattered a little. Some cats would rather interact with their herb garden in private. And that is ok. Let them interact with the herb garden the way they choose to. Don’t force them. It is best to change out the herb garden after a week, or, in this house, after a couple of days of being scattered everywhere.

Easy & Effective

I have been using herb gardens with my cats for well over a year now. It still amazes me to watch them interact with their herb gardens. I truly can’t believe that it took me so long to use a natural remedy with my cats that I have been using for myself for years. It has been one of the easiest and effective ways to give my cats enrichment as well as keeping them happy and healthy. We have eased many ailments with herbs, helped eliminate tensions between some of the cats, and just plainly created a sense of peace and harmony in the house, all with just placing down some herbs for them. There will also be at least one herb garden down in this house at all times. Try it for yourself. Your cat will thank you for it!