6 Best Cat Health Tips For The New Year
Luna
Photo credit _dashandluna_ of Instagram
This time of year is always about new beginnings. January 1st ushered in a new day, a new month, a new year, and a new decade. I also learned in numerology that the year 2020 is a “4”, and 4 is about manifesting all that you hope and dream of. If you’re a cat mom or cat dad who considers your cat–or cats–as family it’s only natural to want the very best for them. Therefore, providing them a long and healthy life is our ultimate goal. To help you achieve this goal here are six best cat health tips you can implement this year.
Cat health tip #1: Make better food choices
In an article I read this week by Dr. Karen Becker about overweight pets she states that 60% of cats in the US are overweight or obese. To me it’s also indicative of how indifferent or unaware pet parents have become about this condition. Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of developing serious diseases and illnesses including diabetes, arthritis, cancer and more. It also can drastically shorten the lifespan of your pets and have a tremendous financial cost as well.
Making better food choices has to be a priority. Cats are carnivores and need a meat-based not a carb-based diet. Dry, processed foods are full of carbohydrates which metabolize as sugars. Because cat’s bodies are not designed to digest sugars this starts the decline of the entire digestion process. Avoid all corn, soy, wheat, legumes and meat by-products as well. Start by eliminating all dry foods and replace them with whatever you can best afford to feed your cat. This can be a combination of raw, freeze-dried, fresh, home-cooked, or canned foods. If your cat is overweight eliminating dry food alone will cut the daily calories down, and you will see a remarkable difference in your cat’s body, energy, coat, and skin.
Cat health tip #2: Provide daily exercise and stimulation
Exercise isn’t only good for people, it’s also essential for cats. By design cats are hunters and need stimulation to avoid boredom and behavioral issues. There are several ways to provide daily stimulation. The first is having daily playtime. Jackson Galaxy recommends playing with your cat before meals, tapping into the “Hunt, catch, kill, eat” cat behavior. In general, my cats prefer to play after they eat as well as other times of the day. Tune in to what your cat prefers and work playtime in to their day. Rotating your cat’s toys also prevents boredom.
The second way to provide stimulation and activity is rethinking how you feed your cat. Dr. Becker adds,
Separate your pet’s daily food allocation into several small portions and place them in different locations around the house for her to find. Make use of food puzzle toys…and indoor hunting feeders for cats, which encourage hunting behavior and provide mental stimulation.
Also consider putting food bowls at the bottom and top of as many flights of stairs as you have to encourage muscle-building exercise throughout the day.
Thirdly, provide your kitty with stimulation from the outdoors. This can be supervised outdoor time, opening the windows to allow your cat to experience all the sounds and smells, or even taking your cat for a walk on a harness or in a pet stroller.
Cat health tip #3: Use non-toxic flea prevention and cleaning products
The world we live in is full of chemicals, and our daily exposure is in the thousands. Our cats are not exempt from daily exposure to toxic chemicals either. Given their body size it’s important to remember their toxic load can become very high a lot faster than a human’s. How often do you think about the chemicals they come in contact with and how these are affecting your cat’s health?
For example, take flea and tick meds. It never ceases to amaze me how often vets push monthly flea and heart worm preventatives on owners whose cats live indoors. These products come with warning labels that are scary, yet pet parents don’t think twice about putting them directly on or in our cats. Unfortunately, the chemicals in these products can cause serious illness, neurological damage and even death. Therefore, if your cat has no exposure to pests simply say no the next time a vet recommends them. If your cat does have exposure to fleas, etc, use a non-toxic product like Flea-Ex for cats, diatomaceous earth or other safe, natural flea products instead.
Another example is household cleaners. Popular cleaners like PineSol, Clorox bleach, and even air fresheners are full of toxic chemicals. The smell alone can cause skin irritations, watery eyes and other types of reactions. Fortunately, there are now many natural cleaning products on the market that do just as good a job.
Alternatively, you can also make your own natural cleaning products using simple ingredients like water, vinegar and orange/grapefruit/lemon peels. Check out this awesome video by Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker on how to make your own cleaning products! It’s easier than you think!
Cat health tip #4: Avoid unnecessary vaccines
Over-vaccination is a serious health issue in this country, yet many vets turn a blind eye to it. In my experience as a holistic health coach for cats I am shocked at how many cases of vaccinosis I find in clients. Damage from a vaccine causes long-term, chronic illness and even death, and vets may not consider this as the root of many chronic health conditions in cats. Sadly I have first hand experience with this, so it is very near and dear to my heart.
My first piece of advice is to make sure the kitten shots are given at least 4 weeks apart and no earlier than 8 weeks of age. In addition, make sure only 1 vaccine is given at a time, and never give a sick cat a vaccine! If the kitty has to undergo a surgical procedure I do not recommend getting vaccines at the same time due to the amount of stress this causes on the body. If your cat lives indoors and has little to no risk of exposure to the diseases vaccinated for, it’s highly likely there is no need for another vaccination. Also, older cats do not need vaccines so don’t put their health at risk, especially if they’ve already been vaccinated. Dr. John Robb, one of my veterinary heroes, has produced a ton of information on this. To learn more check out this article.
Ask for a titer test
Secondly, be smart about revaccinating. According to veterinary immunologists, one vaccine will provide immunity for life in most cases. Therefore, ask for titers instead of revaccinating. A titer test measures the level of antibodies present in the blood that can create an immune response. If you get a positive titer, no matter how small, do not revaccinate! In the case of the rabies vaccine, which is required by law in many states, it may be hard to avoid. Choose the 3 year vaccine if you must revaccinate, and follow this with a rabies vaccine detox with the homeopathic remedy Lyssin 200C.
Cat health tip #5: Support your cat’s health issues with natural alternatives to medications
For every health condition cats may develop there are natural ways to provide organ, gland and systemic support. My favorite go-to ways include homeopathy, herbal medicine, colloidal silver, Gemmotherapy, CBD, digestive enzymes, and probiotics. In the realm of energy medicine I recommend Energetic Cellular Release, Reiki, and flower essences. Learning how to muscle test is the best way to assess and address exactly what the body needs, how much to give and how often to give it.
It doesn’t matter if your cat has kidney, thyroid, immune, auto-immune, microbiome, or musculoskeletal issues…Or perhaps your cat has cancer, IBD, diabetes, arthritis or hyperthyroidism…there are products that work naturally with your cat’s body rather than inhibiting or manipulating normal function the way pharmaceutical drugs can. Explore your options!
Let me give you some examples. Single remedy homeopathy works amazingly fast and very effective in treating lots of condition. Some of the most common include Cantharis for UTIs, Nux Vomica for digestive upsets, and Arnica for pain relief. Colloidal silver is a great natural antibiotic, and Black Currant Gemmotherapy is a great replacement for Prednisolone. Digestive enzymes help the pancreas break down food, and probiotics provide the gut with good, healthy bacteria. Some of my favorite brands of herbal medicine to support various health conditions include Well Pet dispensary, Pet Wellbeing, Mercola, Two Crazy Cat Ladies and NHV Naturals.
Dash
Photo credit: _dashandluna_of Instagram
Cat health tip #6: Find and address the root cause of your cat’s issue
Finding and addressing the underlying cause of your cat’s health issue should be the first goal. Unfortunately standard veterinary practice leads to chasing and masking symptoms until all your options run out. Instead find an integrative or holistic vet who will listen to your concerns and be receptive to include alternative tools and ideas.
Ask lots of questions! One of the most important questions you can ask at the vet appointment is WHY a particular thing is happening. If the answer you get doesn’t make sense or resonate with you, get a second opinion. Follow your gut. In my experience muscle testing is a very effective way of finding and addressing the root cause of whatever the issue is.
Why muscle testing works
My approach as a holistic health coach for cats is to use energy testing (muscle testing) to find out what the cat’s body needs. Muscle testing is the way to determine this simply by tapping in to the cat’s own energy and asking questions. Once I know what the body needs, the goal is to provide the necessary tools in order to heal itself. Many of my clients end up contacting me because everything else they’ve tried hasn’t worked and they are running out of options.
Here’s what one client had to say
Last year, my 6 month old cat, Dash, was showing signs of asthma which worsened throughout the year, no matter what I tried. After visiting 3 different vets and an internal medicine specialist, I felt defeated. No one could tell me why this was happening, and although they agreed with me that there may be a food intolerance, they all kept saying to try an elimination diet because there was no accurate test to tell me what his triggers might be. (Pam was able to tell me what his triggers were immediately by the way!)
I knew I had to do my own homework to try and help him live a better quality life and stumbled upon The Two Crazy Cat Ladies. They have an Instagram live feed every week, and two weeks in a row, they raved about Pam and her expertise and about how she helped them so much with their own cat. A few other people on the feed agreed, and that’s when I knew I had to contact her. I had both of my cats evaluated including Luna, who has been off with GI issues for months.
The weekend I purchased the evaluations, Luna vomited for an entire day and I had to reschedule my phone call with Pam because of a last minute vet appt. Not only was she completely understanding, but she had me send her a photo immediately so that she could check her for me. That alone showed me how kind and caring she is! Everything she suspected was confirmed at the vet appointment (I had blood work and x-rays done to be sure), and I left there knowing that both of my cats’ lives were about to change for the better!
~Lindsay R., Bloomingdale, New Jersey
Dash and Luna
Final thoughts
Manifesting a long and healthy life for our cats truly is possible but takes some effort on our part as cat parents. And our cats are definitely worth it, wouldn’t you agree? Don’t wait–begin implementing these cat health tips for 2020 now!
Are you using any natural ways to support your cat’s health? Share in the comments below! If you’re interested in speaking with Pam about specific issues your cat may be having book a free 20 minute consultation now.
