I just have a question for all of you.  Does a cat eating grass ALWAYS mean an upset stomach?  CJ has been grazing quite a bit these past couple of weeks, but no vomiting.  She just wants to go out and eat grass.  Since she has had all of the health problems (ARF, possible IBD, bacterial peritonitis, anorexia when sick, elevated liver enzymes) I absolutely panic when she does something like this.  Any thoughts?

If this is new behavior perhaps a vet check-up would be good(?) However, my vet once said to let them eat all the grass they want - so long as it hasn't been sprayed with chemicals and insecticides. When I tried to grow the "Cat Grass" kits inside, it was always eaten down to the dirt by the cats, who were in robust health.
It's good that you are watching carefully when she eats grass. For anyone who has a grass nibbler, it's probably safer to grow the grasses for cats indoors from a kit than to let them graze outside unless they are carefully supervised. This is just my opinion, but there are many plants both cultivated and wild, that are toxic to cats and are sometimes found in yards. This partial list is from Wendy Christensen's Book, Outwitting Cats: alfalfa, buttercup, Easter lily, iris, English ivy, evergreen, fern, honeysuckle, pokeweed, and wisteria. There are many found indoors too, such as philodendron. Mine never tried to eat any of these, but they can be unpredictable. For a more comprehensive list check out the Christensen book; probably, many Internet sites are available that also have similar information.

I buy pots of pre-sprouted "kitty grass" at my local grocery store (someone around here does it at home and sells it through the grocery store, along with homegrown catnip and other treats) and Rufus is CRAZY for it.  I think it has a mixture of wheat, barley, oat, and a couple of other grasses that are safe for kitty to eat. I've been buying a pot every couple of weeks (it grows really fast and loses its green-ness once you bring it inside!) for the last year or so - I've also read that grass contains some fiber and nutrients that are very beneficial, so I think of it as "kitty salad", just like kaffe said! 

I know that every one of my cats at one point or another has eaten grass.  I use those little trays of organic cat grass from the grocery store and I have one that goes crazy for it every time and one who can take it or leave it.   When I was a kid growing up in Michigan, we let our cats outside and all of them ate grass at some point.

Hi August,

I have a book called Outwitting Cats  by Wendy Christensen. On page 278 there is a list of "Toxic, irritating, and dangerous plants for cats". Alfalfa is on that list.

Somewhere on Itchmo I seem to recall a discussion of alfalfa and whether or not it has an effect on autoimmune diseases. I can't seem to find it now. Will post if I do. Also will try to do some more research - but it will be slowly, like everything I do.

I'm finding it on a number of "toxic to cats" lists:

http://www.cat-world.com.au/PlantsToxicToCats.htm

This one has (multiple exposures) after the listing:

http://www.vspn.org/Library/misc/VSPN_M01235.htm

These lists never cite scientific sources so it's hard to know the exact reasoning as to why a given plant is there. But I tend to take the lists seriously. Philodendron is listed on many, and I read a sad true anecdote in Roger Caras' book, The Cats of Thistle Hill in which a kitty was lost after nibbling on one. Not the same plant at all, but a definite case in which the listing as toxic was correct.

I just found this thread where alfalfa was discussed:

http://itchmoforums.com/your-problems-with-pet-food/problems-with-alfalfa-t4182.15.html

Just to keep things interesting , the viewpoints and information vary when you read through the entire thread. 

August sorry I just could not seem to locate that thread earlier...and I had forgotten it had such conflicting viewpoints....I had the same reaction as you...yikes.

Ten people=ten different opinions. We get ideas from all sides of a question, though, and that's good.