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Our pets actually do really feel like members of the family—that’s why we make home made cat treats. Our Bengal cat Hercules loves them. Nonetheless, even once I give him the treats, he extremely favors our daughter and is actually her cat. They’re finest buds!
Along with feeding our cats wholesome meals, we’ve tried to be acutely aware cat dad and mom in different selections we make. Our greatest well being care aim is to forestall our beloved pet’s struggling. I attempt to preserve all our pets out of the veterinary clinic (and I do know accessibility is a matter for individuals in rural areas.)
Over time, I’ve realized some holistic and pure cat care suggestions you may need to discover to your feline good friend.
Preventative Pure Cat Care
Simply as I attempt to stop well being points within the first place with my household, we’re making an attempt to follow preventative pet care. A bonus is that it’s cheaper to forestall one thing than it’s to deal with it.
Similar to common veterinary care and wellness exams, listed here are some holistic cat wants to think about:
Wholesome Meals
Cats are carnivores and wish animal protein to thrive. Contemplate what cats eat within the wild when on the lookout for cat meals. You need a meat-based product.
Relying in your cat’s particular person well being, discuss to your vet about what is likely to be finest for them. When you select to make your personal cat meals, remember to inform your vet to allow them to guarantee your cat continues to be getting all the required vitamins.
I choose to purchase premade cat meals for the sake of comfort. Up to now, a few of our cats have been finicky eaters, so we’ve needed to strive totally different flavors and merchandise earlier than we discovered one they liked.
One in all our favourite manufacturers of high-quality cat meals is Nom Nom Now. They’ll enable you to personalize your cat’s menu in keeping with their wants. They ask good questions on how previous your cat is, their weight, and many others.
I additionally belief Thrive Market’s values for each human and pet meals. See their choices for each moist and dry cat meals right here.
As all the time, go gradual with any change to your cat’s food regimen. Strive a few bites of recent meals the primary time after which serve half new meals, half previous meals for just a few days earlier than totally transitioning to the brand new product.
Hygiene
Whereas cats require much less upkeep than canine, there are nonetheless issues we have to do to assist our cats keep wholesome.
Make sure to brush your cat’s hair frequently to assist stop hairballs and digestive upset. I like to recommend a wood set like this. Some cats even take pleasure in being vacuumed gently.
Contemplate the place you can also make non-toxic swaps for the cat merchandise you might be already utilizing.
Bathe your cat each 4-6 weeks. It’s possible you’ll need to bathe them extra incessantly in the event that they’ve gotten soiled or been uncovered to fleas or chemical substances. We love to make use of unscented castile cleaning soap to scrub our cats.
Cat Toothpaste
Sadly, you may’t use your personal pure toothpaste in your cat. There are just a few components that aren’t secure for them:
- Sweeteners – You don’t need to give your cat xylitol or stevia.
- Important oils – Most aren’t secure for cats.
- Fluoride – Cats can’t break it down.
As a substitute, you’ll need to discover pure cat toothpaste. Some people will simply use coconut oil to brush their cat’s tooth as a result of they don’t struggle it as a lot. It could be a greater different for feline dental care. When you’ve got a non-toxic cat toothpaste model your cat loves, please remark and let me know.
Toys
When you’ve been following me for some time, you realize that I’ve labored laborious to eradicate plastic from our lives as a lot as I can.
You’d be shocked at what number of cat toys include artificial fibers. As a result of cats chew their toys, they’re ingesting these fibers. I search for 100% cotton (and natural if I can discover it) and keep away from plastic items.
Our cats have stolen our children’ toys every so often. It bought me considering that I may simply use lots of the youthful child toys for our cats since I do know they’re secure. Be taught extra in regards to the most secure child toys I like to recommend you can additionally use to your cat.
Pure Litter
We don’t need to expose our cats to poisonous chemical substances each time they should go to the toilet or have them monitor toxins round the home. I attempt to keep away from synthetic fragrances as a result of they are often endocrine disruptors.
On the similar time, you want a litter that does the job. Listed below are the pure cat litter manufacturers I like to recommend as a result of they’re non-toxic and biodegradable:
Feline Pine
Made out of 100% pine, this one has the strongest odor. The wooden could be very absorbent. Make sure to get the non-clumping product as a result of the clumping one has mineral oil, which I don’t advocate as a result of it’s made out of petroleum.
Sustainably Yours
Made out of corn and cassava, this cat litter helps soak up odors. Though I just like the pure tree scent above, that is my advice when you have allergy symptoms to any of these scents, like pine.
Similar to with meals, you’ll need to transition your cat gently to a brand new litter. The primary time you utilize it, pour 1-2 inches of the brand new litter on the underside and put your previous litter on prime. Let your cat combine it themselves for a few days earlier than utterly switching over to your new non-toxic one.
In case your cat begins going outdoors of the field, they could want extra time to get acclimated. Return to utilizing the brand new litter on the underside and slowly cut back the quantity of previous litter for the highest layer.
Different Cat Care
Cat house owners need the perfect care for his or her feline associates. Fortunately, veterinary medication has made some unimaginable advances in holistic treatments. Although most of those don’t have double-blind or long-term research, I’d really feel snug utilizing these pure cat care choices underneath the supervision of an skilled veterinary skilled.
Chiropractic
Similar to people, cats might profit from chiropractic changes. Each veterinarians and human chiropractors can have certifications in animal chiropractic.
In case your native veterinary hospital doesn’t provide it, search by location on the American Veterinary Chiropractic Affiliation (AVCA) or the Worldwide Veterinary Chiropractic Affiliation (IVCA). It’s possible you’ll discover you want that specialist for wellness care and do it multi functional place.
Acupuncture
Conventional Chinese language medication asserts that their strategies additionally work on cats. Anecdotal proof reviews that cats reply properly to acupuncture for quite a lot of points. As all the time, solely use a licensed veterinarian for this.
Holistic Dietary supplements for Cats
Along with a nutritious diet, dietary supplements might help our furry good friend’s well being and well-being. Listed below are some feline medication and pure cat care choices to debate together with your vet.
Homeopathy
Although we don’t have laborious science on the efficacy of homeopathic treatments, I nonetheless suppose they’re mild sufficient to make use of on pets and children. I usually strive them when treating points at house.
There’s nothing to lose in making an attempt these homeopathic treatments for minor illnesses or when different remedies fail. Be taught extra in regards to the analysis on homeopathy right here.
Flower Essences
Mostly used for stress and nervousness, these plant extracts might assist soothe your cat’s nervous system. They’re much less potent than important oils.
I’d strongly think about discovering a veterinarian who’s aware of flower essences to assist with some other points past stress and nervousness.
CBD for Cats
CBD has exploded in recognition for each people and pets. I lately dug into the analysis for the finest CBD oil for canine.
CBD can also assist cats with joint issues and nervousness. I like to recommend cbdFX for cat CBD.
Coconut Oil
Our late cat Penelope went loopy for coconut oil. She’d steal it proper off our plates.
Coconut oil might mimic the wholesome fat cats get within the wild. Be taught extra in regards to the well being advantages of coconut oil for pets right here.
Catnip
All of our cats have gone loopy for these things, and it may be actually stimulating. Simply watch out for any fillers in merchandise you purchase.
When you’ve got given your cat a toy with catnip, you might discover they grow to be extra affectionate, relaxed, and completely satisfied. Different cats will show lively behaviors, similar to playfulness or generally even aggression.
Catnip results will differ in size, relying on the cat and their age. Normally, the behaviors related to smelling catnip will final for round 10 minutes after which put on off steadily.
Curiously, catnip is definitely nutritious and secure for teenagers, so I purchase it in bulk right here.
Be taught extra about its well being advantages on this put up.
Chamomile
This mild herb is secure for delicate areas. For instance, you may dip a cotton swab in freshly brewed however cooled chamomile flower tea to wipe your cat’s eyes gently. It could assist soothe irritation because of its well being advantages. Nonetheless, seek the advice of together with your vet to overview their signs and discover the foundation trigger.
Are Important Oils Protected for Cats?
Be extraordinarily cautious when utilizing important oils in your cat since you may unintentionally poison them.
In line with Pet Poison Helpline, the next oils are probably the most harmful for cats: “wintergreen, oil of candy birch, citrus oil (d-limonene), pine oils, Ylang Ylang oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, pennyroyal oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and tea tree oil. Signs that develop rely upon the kind of oil concerned within the publicity and might embrace drooling, vomiting, tremors, ataxia (wobbliness), respiratory misery, low coronary heart charge, low physique temperature, and liver failure.”
Cats don’t have an important enzyme to course of and expel important oils from their our bodies correctly. For that reason, many vets advocate not utilizing important oils with cats.
As talked about above, don’t use human toothpaste in your cat since lots of the pure ones embrace important oils.
One of many few occasions I’d be snug utilizing important oils on my cat is to fight fleas. Relying in your cat’s well being, cedarwood could also be one secure choice. I hope you by no means must cope with fleas, however listed here are some pure treatments in case you do.
Extra Assets on Pure Cat Care
This text was medically reviewed by Dr. Amanda Bradbery, Ph.D. As all the time, this isn’t private medical recommendation and we advocate that you just discuss together with your pet’s vetrinarian.
What pure cat care methods do you utilize? What have you ever carried out to take excellent care of your cats?
Sources:
- Stogdale L. (2010). The Full Information to Holistic Cat Care. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 51(12), 1404.
- Bol, S., Caspers, J., Buckingham, L., Anderson-Shelton, G. D., Ridgway, C., Buffington, C. A., Schulz, S., & Bunnik, E. M. (2017). Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria). BMC veterinary analysis, 13(1), 70.
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