cat grass/gluten in fur?

[delicatelephant]

My roommate recently bought her cat some cat grass to eat, but it says it's wheat, barley, rye and oats.  Just looking at the thing sitting on the ground makes me nervous.  The cat sheds a lot and I used to pet her all the time and hang out with her and let her in my room, but now I don't go near her because of what she is eating.  Am I just being

Comments

[msantimacassar]

Most cat food has gluten in it so I wouldn't worry specifically about the cat grass. Technically, I think, animals' digestion is supposed to break down the gluten so I think you are, most likely, safe as far as that goes. I would worry about her saliva carrying gluten though. The few celiacs I know are unaffected by it, myself included, but maybe if you're really sensitive it could be a problem.

[br0ken_dolly]

I react to any gluten at all, including whatever the cats eat and then groom onto their fur. I had to change my cats to gluten free food (and cats are obligate carnivores and don't need gluten anyway), but I also had to change their cat grass. We purchase oat seeds & grow them instead. Since we see the seeds we can make sure no wheat is mixed in before sprouting. It turns out the cats like the oat grass better anyway.

It wasn't just that the cats' fur was contaminated, it's that anywhere the cats groomed or slept became contaminated. I had to get rid of an electric blanket we used to share, and wash a couple comforters multiple times. Vacuumed the hell out of the house. Once the cats went GF, we ALL got healthier.

[madman101]

it depends on your level of sensitivity. if you are highly sensitive, you could get a reaction via air or touch - idk. i do know that cats loves spiralina.

[madman101]

sorry - i didn't mean that comment to be to broken_dolly. i'm in a small migraine.

[survivinglove]

Thats like having a roommate with a peanut allergy and bringing a peanut tree into the house. SERIOUSLY!? Ugh. Get that shit out of there!

[thewhiteroutine]

Agreed ... I think you have every right to request that she change to GF cat grass! (Full disclosure: I'm a total cat lady so even if staying away from the cat allowed me to avoid a reaction, I'd definitely ask it to be changed just so I could hang out with her again!)

[nindeoronra]

As long as you don't eat the cat grass yourself, you will be just fine. :)

[oddlet]

Gluten only occurs in the grain SEEDS. No gluten is present in the vegetative grass, pollen, etc until the seed bodies develop. You're good to go, give kitty some love.