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Feline treatment with more natural, holistic methods at home is growing in appeal, much like the heightened interest in providing for our own health issues in a more whole-body, non-drug manner.

While most cats generally have tended to sustain good health with relatively low-maintenance, even as years advanced, a seeming increase in more serious, unusual illnesses has been noted with some alarm in some camps of cat care. Thus, many cat guardians are educating themselves to adopt some of the more natural, holistic means to provide sound feline treatment and  a healthful overall sound and safe health regimen for their cat residents. While serious cat illnesses and diseases may be best treated with veterinary supervision, many feline ailments and conditions can and are being treated successfully and safely with home remedies and natural cat care treatments at home.

 
Natural feline treatment includes holistic methods such as proper nutrition, good vitamins and supplements, natural food recipes, color and crystal therapies, use of certain oils and herbs, homeopathic tinctures, different types of body manipulation techniques and an overall view of environment and living conditions. All of these non-drug cat treatment options have been reported to be effective in varying degrees in restoring cats to health from certain illnesses. Natural feline treatment remedies are so valued, since they work not only for the specific cat health problem, but  they can also foster improvement for other overall health aspects. Most holistic forms of feline treatment seek to heal the entire entity, along with the underlying causes, not just specific conditions.

Please note again, that treatment of serious cat illnesses is not recommended without veterinary supervision. While it may be difficult to find veterinarians that practice or incorporate any natural or  holistic treatments in their practice,  consulting with your trusted pet’s doctor about any harm that might be done through use of any of the treatments or substances you may wish to utilize based on your research is certainly advised.  Sometimes, certain  conventional drugs or therapies may conflict seriously with seemingly benign and simple home-type remedies.  Many seemingly ’safe’  treatments  from our home medicine cabinets, that we may use for our own afflications, may be highly toxic and even lethal for our feline friends and other pets.

Natural remedies are often prized as adjuncts to modern, traditional medical treatments.  At other times, holistic remedies are preferred over conventional.  Some non-drug complementary treatments such as massage, acupressure, Bach Flower Remedies, Reiki, faith-healing, prayer, crystal and color therapy are usually safe when conscientiously administered.

Fleas treatment and worms treatment, two very common cat health issues, have also been effectively combated with more natural remedies, sparing  your feline more toxic commercial cat flea and worm applications. Please note that many aromatic oils are highly toxic to cats and all due caution must be taken with any ‘natural’ or ‘holistic’ feline treatment as well. 

Unless you know what you are using and have researched thoroughly the proper application of any natural cat health remedies and any possible consequences, do not proceed to treat your cat!  Improper use of any substance, commercial or natural, can kill your feline friend! Again, consultation with your trusted pet’s health practitioner is advised.

Prevention is always superior to a cure, for our cats, dogs and pets as well as for ourselves.  Some sound and simple preventive feline treatment routines include:

• practice simple, good hygiene
• feed a proper, by-product and additive free diet of high quality protein balanced with other nutrients essential specifically to felines 
• don’t overfeed
• observe and know your cat and its normal state of being and habits
• provide proper medical attention when warranted…don’t take chances!

             ‘If you don’t know –Go!’ (to the vet)

Add to this recipe, lots of love and TLC for your feline friend,  and you couldn’t ask or order any better feline treatment or care to take you and your beloved cat into your senior years together. Two shared lifetimes, filled with love, amusement and that special bond that all loving hearts well understand. 

                                            
Proper feline treatment for your cat
                       can provide you both  love, joy and amusement for years to come
 

For additional and more in depth information on feline treatment, worms treatment, feline renal issues and other cat health and behavior problems, you may also wish to visit our website: Cats.YouniqueSolutions.com and Purr-use our additional help!

          KEEP YOUR CATS SAFE!
                             
  

‘Cat Cuisine from your Kitchen
Homemade Health for your Cat’

 For FREE , Healthy, Balanced Natural Cat Food Recipes:  
          Click HERE!

- Some Special TLC for Feline Renal Failure –

Contrary to what many seem to think, alarmingly, euthanasia of your sweet, ill cat is not the only option when it is diagnosed with chronic renal failure (CRF). With special feline treatment at home for your cat’s kidney disease and your commitment, your cat can live several months to even years with diminished kidney capacity, depending on the cat and the progression of the disease. Each of our cats surprised us with their will to go on and survived with quality days, beyond what was expected.

Providing prescribed treatment and comfort at home for your cat with CRF can give both you and your beloved cat the opportunity to spend more quality time together. Each of our cats enjoyed additional months of  love, special attention and stroking and responded with loving licks and demeanor. But as with any sick individual, us included, comfortable, stress-free, quiet seclusion from the hub and din of the household is preferred and sought, and should be provided for your declining cat.   A comfortably warm,  separate room (or separate area of a room that can be blocked off from other household intruders and noise/commotion) with all necessities – ie. litter box, bed, water, light blanket if necessary - should be provided for your failing heart throb.   A rarely used spare bathroom can be a possible sanctuary.  Assure that your cat is comfortable and unafraid to be left in the room if it is not used to being there. Help your special fur baby to accustom itself to the room with your presence, cuddles and gentle petting, and then check in regularly to reassure your loving cat.

Keep her warm (but not hot), provide plenty of fresh water — always — and if needed, add additional water or broth to food. While a high quality, low protein diet is the recommended current protocol, if your cat won’t eat, feed it what it will eat. Getting enough nutrition is a priority, since cats with feline renal failure often lose their appetites.  Obviously, don’t feed anything that you know will do harm. (Special canned food is available from your vet for cats diagnosed with feline renal failure)

You May Need to be Creative

Often, trying a new food with more aroma can keep the cat’s interest. We have used meat-based baby foods to arouse interest, but note that your cat should not be fed this solely.  It is not optimum cat food.  If it is all you can get your cat to eat, then fine…feed on – she needs nutrition and calories.   But it is best used as a mix with regular high-quality, low protein cat food, or  better, as an ‘appetizer’.  (Check that any foods DO NOT contain onion or garlic — DO check, since many baby foods include them. ‘Gerbers’ usually carries flavors without those ingredients. Avoid chemical food additives  as well.  Again– ‘high quality.’Read the labels!). Yoghurt, cottage cheese and some specialty premium quality cat canned cat foods  or fish flavored soft canned foods can also appeal to a cat with feline renal appetite problems.   Liver, pulverized in the blender  has aroused interest in some of our declining heartthrobs(  Raw liver is often recommended for cats to help build health, but in this weakened state, I opt to cook slightly  – or zap in the microwave – to avoid any additional bacterial problems) These foods can be  machine blended if necessary and mixed with additional fluid  (or unseasoned, unadulterated chicken broth) to more easily syringe - feed your ailing sweetheart. And although milk is not recommended for cats…at least not regularly, if that is all your cat will eat, or if it can be encouraged to eat with a ‘treat’ such as this, then indulge as needed in small amounts. 

I often needed to ‘prime the pump’  with some of the other ‘treat foods’ mentioned above to rev up their taste buds and interest in eating, after which they would eat more of their prescribed fare.  Note that what works one day, may not work the next. So your patient creativity may be called upon.

Your Ailing Sweetheart may Resist Meals

Since  a cat with CRF will often resist feeding, due to diminished appetite or even nausea, you may need to be insistent in hand-feeding. With persistence, your cat will likely respond to feeding, and will even relish it once it starts to eat the meal.  Feed in smaller amounts, more times a day.  I divided up the day’s fare into four to six portions, to be fed so many hours apart, depending on the cat, how it was faring that day, and how it generally slept and responded to eating, once awakened. Your cat will likely sleep more during these decling days as well.  Please note that if after several attempts, your cat still resists eating, or if it vomits up the small amount you give it intially, please cease to feed for a while.  Try again later.  Consult your veterinarian, since your cat may be nauseated from toxins and may need additional hydration and/or different or addtional medications. Forcing your sweetie to eat would be cruel and miserable if she is nauseated.  And do take time to feed slowly, make sure she has swallowed the food, licked her lips, whatever she needs to be comfortable, before syringing in more.  Keep a damp cloth handy to wipe off her chin and mouth …cats hate, of course, to be messy, and left-on food will be smelly – unpleasant for your sweet feline as well as you.  (I often use a paper towel as a ‘bib’ and attach it behind the neck with a clip to keep inevitable drips off the fur and clean up easier for both of us.  Also, interspersing with a small syringe of fresh water helps as well.  And the fluids are always good.

I always start with a small amount, maybe one-half  syringe, especially if I have given meds or need to give meds with food.  Then wait for a few minutes before continuing to feed to see if the food stays down. The meds are important to keep in, and you don’t want to risk having them regurgitated.  If your cat seems interested in continuing, try another small portion, and then proceed from there.  It will take some time to accustom yourself to the new habits of your ailing  furry lovebug, and things may change some from day to day. If your cat should vomit up the meds with food, call your vet to determine whether to re-medicate, or if you should wait until the next dose is due.   Do not risk double dosing. On the other hand, you don’t want to underdose.  Your vet should be consulted.

Sometimes a pill can be retrieved from the vomit, (if you don’t want to buy another or have run out) cleaned and readministered when your cat is ready.  Yes..yes…it sounds gross and icky…but it is just a matter-of -fact necessity…and we all have left our share of messies with our mothers to get where we are today.  And hands can be easily washed should they be soiled, along with the floor.  Paper towels or napkins can be used.  It’s nothing less than what we hope that someone will do for us, right?  It’s simply a matter of commitment to doing what you need to do to provide your cat what it needs to stay comfortable  — and it will all pass.  It doesn’t necessarily happen often, but if it should, you should consult your vet about the progress of your cat’s illness.  Perhaps medications need to be adjusted, added, subtracted – or – your sweet cat has reached a point beyond which it cannot be further helped. 

Remembering all that our special feline babies have given us …  with all their special unconditional companionship, love and patient acceptance of all our mistakes, impatience, ignorance and mis-steps - - they are well-worth and deserving of our loving nurture and efforts at this stage of their lives, when they need us perhaps the most.

Special Attention – Keeping up  the Spirits

Each cat was taken on short, gentle sojourns outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, (while being kept warm with a small blanket wrap if it was cooler outside) while they were able to appreciate and tolerate the activity. If able to walk stably on their own, they were allowed to investigate the gardens at will while followed under careful supervision, otherwise they were carried on a ‘tour’, held to smell the flowers and leaves, listen to the birds and squirrels, and/or held in the lap or on a blanket to savor the out-of-doors, which they enjoyed.

Since a cat with CRF is in a weakened state, don’t allow your cat to wander outdoors alone.  It may become disoriented, fail to remember how to get back to the door or find itself in a dangerous situation and be unable to defend itself among many other possible mishaps. Keep your cat indoors and in a comfortably warm setting. You need to be checking in on it periodically as well as possible, and be sure it is able to get to its water, the litter box (which you may need to reposition, provide one with lower sides for easier access  - even newspapers on a rubber mat if necessary– and generally provide a comfortable environment and helpful assists as needed, as we would hope to have when ill and less mobile and not functioning optimally.) Helpful feline renal treatment can become more intensive as the disease progresses, and your commitment, level head and love are depended upon by your special feline friend.

How Cats  with Feline Renal Disease Fare on CRF Treatment

Each of our special cats usually showed interest in seeing us each day, sometimes with more energy than other times, and always, we were able to tell when they were ready to pass on. They let us know. By knowing your cat, and how it responds to you, you will be in better position to know too.

In one instance, after an unusual , hopeful day of relatively good energy and good appetite, Friendly Franz, one of our handsome tabbies, became suddenly very weak the next day, vomited his breakfast, (the small amount he had earlier resisted – and so I ceased to feed, to try again later) and sought to hide. His condition became worse rapidly,  his breathing labored, such that euthanasia became a sad consideration for us for the first time. Before the vet could be reached, Franz curled up in my lap and decided to cross over. Franz sought and fought to stay with us as long as he was able, we are convinced. He received and gave love to the end. For us, fortunately, each of our special heartthrobs passed without due drama in our arms, and we were able to lovingly help them to the other side.

Working closely with a trusted vet, you can provide your beloved cat, who has been such a loving part of your family, special comfort, nurture and more quality days with you of  love, joy and  companionship despite its diagnosis of feline renal disease.

A Loving Heart meets Yours…