Cats have been a part of my daily life for 14 years now.?á During most of this time I have thought of them as little carnivores, little super predators.?á?á While it is true that they rely on meat for their sustenance, they love plants too.?á They love green stuff like fresh green blades of oats which are sometimes referred to as ÔÇÿcat grassÔÇÖ.?á?á Most people know that cats love catnip.?á Cats also respond to other herbs too such as valerian, which will excite them, and chamomile, which will generally calm them down.
For many years?áI was hesitant to experiment with herbs for cats because I felt that it was na?»ve to think that cats metabolize herbal remedies in the same way that humans do.?á Just look at the way catnip excites cats, while it relaxes humans.?á Or the monoterpenes in citrus, called limonene, and in pine, called pinene, are toxic to cats and not to humans.?á ?áOther common essential oils used on humans have proved to be lethal to cats.?á And, years ago when I tried some of the very safest remedies such as flower essences on my cat, he seemed more annoyed than anything that I was using these calming essences on him. ?áI gave up on the idea.
Eventually, I tried again and I looked into many different books on herbs for pets.?á Many of them are mostly written for dog owners.?á After discovering a book called Herbs for Pets: The natural way to enhance your petÔÇÖs life by Gregory L. Tilford and Mary L. Wulff, I began to experiment more with herbs for my cats.
One of the most impressive things that my cats have taught me this year is that they love herbal tea.?á I make up one dayÔÇÖs worth of nutritive herbal tea made with nettles, red clover, burdock, dandelion and a very small amount of licorice and I mix it with their wet canned food. ?áThey love the tea so much that they will lick up all of the tea before starting in on the canned bits.?á When they take their tea, they seem to have stronger constitutions, they seem to be in better moods.?á My oldest cat seems less frail and he has a better temperament.?á I have read about the benefits of herbal remedies for years now, but these furry little guys have taught me so much about the importance of herbal tea.
If you want to experiment with herbs for cats, be sure to pick up at least 3 good books on the subject and talk to someone who knows more about this than you do.?á ?áMy local library has dozens of books on this topic.?á Take notes and pursue inconsistencies in the information in these books.?á It is best to trust people who have practiced for a long period of time.?á Be aware that there are many popular books written by people who write well and have collected all of their information from other books.?á These books are generally not the best place to collect information because they are not necessarily backed by practice.
Finally, if you are making something for your cat, even if it is a nutritive tea, remember that they only require a very small dose.?á A typical dose for humans is made for someone who is 150 pounds.?á A cat is usually less than a tenth that size.?á ?áMy cats are getting 1-2 tablespoons a day of tea and this seems to be enough.
Tammy Schmidt, Montreal
Comments
4 responses to “herbs for cats”
this is very interesting. i once spoke with a chilean woman about my cat, who unfortunately picked up a herpes-like eye infection from being in a shelter with other rescued cats. it flares up occasionally, particularly under stress (say, if we are away for a little while, or if he gets frightened suddenly). this chilean friend of mine told me that back in chile, her cat had the same problem and her vet had recommended that she dab the area around the eye with a damp cloth soaked in tea that had been brewed and cooled. I can’t remember which kind of tea, but I thought it was interesting that the first line of treatment was a simple, inexpensive homemade herbal remedy rather than an expensive anti-viral that won’t cure this chronic condition anyway….
eyebright tea is good for eye infections
This is wonderful information, and a great subject for research! Thank you for sharing your Wonder Cat Tea recipe with us!
Thanks for your comments!
Deborah, if you want some ideas on anti-viral herbs that might be appropriate for this type of problem, I can help you out. Good ol’ fashioned tea is a great idea too because it is high in tannins that help to draw together and protect the tissues. It is also high in antioxidants. There seems to be many ways of approaching our problems.