Cat Health - Naturally
This area of my website is for those who would like to look into a more natural way to keep their furry-kids happy and healthy.
The average cat should have a life expectancy of at least 18-20 years. But the current trends with feeding commercial junk food as a sole source of nutrition, and veterinary recommendations regarding vaccinations and pest control - shorten that life-span drastically. Ask any vet nowadays and they will tell you a cat is "in it's old age" at only 10 years! And a lot of that short life is plagued by diseases our cats just didn't get 30 or 40 years ago... urinary, liver, kidney problems, cancers, allergies, auto-immune diseases...
And when you take into account that the average baby kitten - by the time it leaves the breeder - has had the following:
- 2 + Spot-on flea control applications (pesticide)
- 2 - 3 chemical worming treatments (pesticide)
- 1 - 2 vaccinations (click here to see vaccine ingredients)
- A lot are treated with antibiotics or things like Panacur for diarreah
- De-sexing, anaesthetic and anti-biotics
- And add to that, poor and toxic food ingredients. (There is not currently a single commercial dry or canned cat food on the market in Australia that I am aware of - that does NOT contain ingredients that are toxic for cats)
Well, with a little growing body being subjected to all of that, it's no wonder they simply don't live as long as they used to!
And then pet owners, believing they are doing the best thing for their animals - continue to apply monthly pesticides, regular worming, feed commercial food and give annual vaccinations...
FOOD:
I believe a cat's (or any species) health comes from first and foremost from the diet she is fed. I believe to be truly healthy, a cat needs to be fed a diet which is 100% raw and appropriate for her as a carnivore. More information on my Cat Food Page.
"If a Diet Is Unnatural, Disease Will Keep Company With Those Subject To It" Juliette de Bairacli Levy.
VACCINATIONS:
Vaccinations are a deadly cocktail of diseases and noxious chemical poisons which should never be injected into our pet's little bodies. They should be avoided at all costs, and owners are recommended to search out the knowledge of side effects and life long health problems vaccines cause, which is not publicised. Please visit my vaccination page for more info.
Free Book available on Vaccinations - click here
First Aid for Pets (click link)
TOXINS:
Reconsider dosing your pets with poisonous pesticides every month to protect them from fleas and worms. We need to step back and use our own sound judgement against the advertising of such products - they are pesticides, neuro-toxins and definitely not safe for long-term use. Intestinal worms are not normally harboured by a healthy, raw fed, non-vaccinated cat with a strong immune system - parasites only reside where the conditions are good for them. Parasites prey on weak and immune compromised individuals. Feed your pets an appropriate diet, keep them vaccine and drug free and naturally healthy. If you must resort to using pesticides on or in your animals, please do so with great caution, as they are not safe - regular, long-term use can cause serious problems. Even one-off applications can cause problems in some animals.
NEVER use a flea treatment product on a cat that has been formulated for use in dogs - without approval from your vet. Some dog flea treatment products contain permethrin - which can be fatal to cats. Care should be taken to ensure that cats don't have contact with these products (eg, with a dog that has just been treated). Please read warnings on any pet related products you buy. The symptoms for insecticide overdose can occur within hours of ingestion and include salivation, muscle tremors, twitching, coma, convulsions and death. Seek immediate veterinary treatment if you suspect poisoning.
Toxic Household products and plants (click link)
One of the most poisonous plants to cats are Lilys. Members of the plant genus Lilium produce a chemical, which is present throughout the plant, that can cause a cat to suffer fatal kidney failure. It can be deadly for a cat to simply bite into a lily leaf or petal, lick lily pollen from its paws, or drink water from a vase containing cut lilies. Some cats appear to be more susceptible than others to lily toxicity, and the severity of the resulting kidney failure can also vary from cat to cat. Some poisoned cats recover with minimal therapy, while others require weeks of dialysis to live long enough for the kidneys to repair themselves. Many cats never recover kidney function following lily toxicity and die, or are euthanased, within just a few days of becoming ill. Symptoms of lily poisoning include vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite. If a cat owner suspects lily poisoning, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.
Tea Tree Oil - Toxic To Cats (click link)
Essential Oil Safety & Cats (click link)
Australian Bush Flower Essences (ABFE):
You have probably heard of Bach Flower Remedies? Well, Aussie Bush Flower Essences are our own local version of Bach Flowers. Practitioners who have used both usually say that the Aussie Essences are more powerful than the Bach Remedies. They also say patients respond better to Flower Essences that are local to their own area / country.
ABFE's are quite effective with cats, kitties seem to respond very well to energy medicine. Dosing can be as easy as simply by putting the essences in the water bowl. As well as emotional upsets, Flower Essences are showing tremendous potential for helping with all sorts of physical diseases. Flower Essences are not therapeutic drugs - rather they work on the mind, body and spirit and cannot be overdosed as the body only takes what energy it needs at any gven point of time. ABFE's work on an emotional level, harmonising negative feelings and belief patterns, held in the subconscious mind.
ABFE's are available in a few different standard mixtures in most health food shops or online, and they are quite cheap - currently around $14.00. As in Homeopathy, an ABFE Practitioner can also make up a special individual mix for you or your animal - based on symptoms.
You can find out more at the website http://www.ausflowers.com.au.
There is also a Yahoo group for bush flowers and animal healing: Click here to join this group