Herbal Pet Care

[Guest guest]

Herbal Pet

Care

 

Unless you live in a rural area and are diligent about

keeping up with your cat's immunizations, one of the best things to do for your

pet is keep it indoors. Besides the threat of being hit by a car, feline AIDS

and leukemia are on the rise. Additionally, indoor cats are less likely to

mark their territory or use an unusual location as a toilet, making human life

a little easier. Also consider the option of having your cat spayed or

neutered. Having a cat " fixed " helps avoid the abandonment of

unwanted kittens and putting to sleep of " surplus " cats.

 

For health care, many human herbal treatments work on

animals too, including cats, but in smaller amounts {check with your

Veterinarian first as some human medications have different effects on or can

be harmful to cats}. For example, garlic powder, goldenseal, liver powder,

fenugreek, and bonemeal mixed into your cat's food or made into a tea added to

its water, act as a tonic that also deters fleas. Some cat lovers even use

Bach Flower Remedies or color therapy to help their cats.

 

In the case of flower remedies, honeysuckle is

recommended to lift spirits of a melcancholy kitty, and aspen for easily

frightened cats.

For color treatments, follow this basic guideline, adding

the suggested color into your cat's environment wherever possible:

 

YELLOW: for perking up a depressed or listless cat

BLUE: for overly frolicsome kitties

GREEN: to improve your cat's autonomy and confidence

RED: to encourage mating

GRAY: to improve your cat's independence

BROWN: to keep a cat from wandering excessively

BLACK: to improve your cat's stamina and focus.

PURPLE: to increase your cat's playfulness and appetite

 

Rather than buying commercial vitamins, make your own

from turkey livers, ends and pieces of vegetables, and cornmeal. Blend and

cook until very thick. Serve your cat a little bit daily, again adding garlic

if fleas are a problem.

 

Here is a list of other health problems you may

encounter, together with advice on how to deal with them:

 

BLEEDING: Apply pressure to the wound with your hand.

If the bleeding does not stop, tie a small piece of cloth above the area and

get the cat immediately to a veterinarian. If you cannot reach a professional

within twenty minutes, release the cloth slightly, then retighten, so that the

animal will not lose the limb from lack of circulation.

 

BREATHING: Mouth-to-Mouth resuscitation works on cats

too. Just take care not to breathe too hard. Remember that cats have a much

smaller lung capacity than humans.

 

BROKEN BONES: Wrap the animal in a blanket or towel to

keep it immoblized, then transport it to a care facility.

 

BURNS: Apple cider vinegar to the area with cool water.

Afterward bathe the area in aloe gel, yougurt, or honey.

 

CONSTIPATION: Sprinkle a tablespoon of powerded milk on

your cat's food in the morning, and a tablespoon of graham crackers at night.

If the condition persists over several days, call your vet.

 

DIARRHEA: Mix 1/4 tsp honey with 1/4 C. apple juice and

let the cat lap it as it wishes. Alternatively feed the cat cooked rice mixed

with lean ground beef that is well cooked.

 

EAR MITES: A drop or two of warm garlic-laden olive oil

drowns the mites and also eases the itching. Or clean out the cat's ears with

a cotton ball soaked in a little wormwood oil. Also mix a drop of tea-tree oil

with a drop or two of olive oil and place in ear with a cotton swab.

 

EYE RINSE: For watering eyes make a tea of comfrey and

fennel or celandine. Store in a cool area, discarding the mix when it turns

cloudy. Apply 2 drops in each eye twice daily.

 

FEAR: Various conditions can frighten an animal into a

traumatic state in which it is not in complete control of itself. Do not move

quickly toward it at such times, but speak slowly and calmly. When you can

approach the cat, pet it slow, even stokes until it calms down.

 

FLEAS: Lavender, fennel, ceder, mint, sassafras, rue,

and eucalyptus all deter fleas. Put fresh herbs in your pet's bed, wash its

bedding with a final rinse of aromatic oils, comb tinctures regularly into the

cat's fur, or dab its collar with the oils or spritz the carpets with any of

these oils.

 

Also add a bit of brewer's yeast and garlic powder to

your cat's diet two to three times a week. Always begin flea prevention two to

three weeks before the start of the season and continue it to two to three

weeks afterward to keep fleas out of the house during winter.

 

GAS: Let the cat eat some angelica, caraway, or fennel.

 

HAIR BALLS: Give your cat a little vegetable oil or

lard. Let it lick it off your hand so that on other foreign substances are

introduced.

 

HEAT: If an animal shows signs of overexposure to the

heat, wash it with a cool {not cold} cloth and slowly give it water. Do not

let it lap up too much water or it will become ill.

 

ITCHING: If your cat likes baths, try old-fashioned

oatmeal soap to combat the scratching. Or, dab a little warm oatmeal on the

affected areas.

 

JOINT SORENESS: Rub rosemary tincture on the affected

area.

 

POISON: If your cat has consumed something it should not

have, give it milk blended with egg to asbord the toxin until help can be

reached. If possible, take a sample of what it consumed to the veterinarian.

 

SHAMPOO {dry}: Mix equal amounts of orris root powder

and cornstarch to which any mild aromatic has been added. Brush it through the

cat's hair with a palm brush.

 

SKIN IRRATATION: Dilute thyme or mint oil by half with

oil vinegar and dab it on the sore regions.

 

TICKS: Apply vinegar, alcohol, or an oil soak to loosen

the tick, then remove it with tweezers.

 

WORMS: Symptoms: dull coat, inflamed eyes, vomiting,

cough. Feed garlic and sprinkle food with a thyme tincture.

 

Caring for your pet at home can be very fulfilling, but

there are many circumstances under which you should seriously consider

consulting a veterinarian. These include breathing troubles, poor appetite for

several days, injuries where the bleeding cannot be stopped, seizures,

diarrhea, odd swellings, and sluggish behavior for more than two days.

 

By the way, you can now purchase medical insurance for

your cat. There are several pet insurance groups in approximently forty

states. Ask your veterinarian which group, if any , he or the insurance offers.

 

Reference: Cat Magic, by Patricia Telesco

 

“Fortunately

art is a community effort - a small but select community living in a

spiritualized world endeavoring to interpret the wars and the solitudes of the

flesh.”

-Allen Ginsberg

 

 

Everything Natural

http://health./

Everything Magick

EverythingMagick/

 

The Pagan Housewife

http://paganhousewife.blogspot.com/

Tales of

a DIY Queen

http://talesofadiyqueen.blogspot.com

The Frugal New Yorker

http://thefrugalnewyorker.blogspot.com/