Natural cat care has gained popularity as more and more cat parents become aware of the benefits of choosing natural.  There is a lot more awareness around what goes into your cats body and the importance of a healthy environment. This doesn’t mean abandoning modern veterinary medicine, but rather incorporating wholesome, chemical-free approaches that support your cats overall wellbeing. There are many ways to nurture your cat using natural methods.  Let’s take a look.

Nutrition: The natural way

Proper nutrition will always be the cornerstone to a healthy lifestyle. Our cats are obligate carnivores.  This means the nutrients they need are found only in animal tissue, so closest food being raw food.  Cats need ‘wet food’ as they don’t normally drink water – they get their moisture from species appropriate and therefore ‘wet’ raw food.  Kibble has virtually no moisture, so it leads fairly quickly to urinary tract disease and kidney disease. The other implication with feeding kibble is it can lead to diabetes because you are feeding 40-70% carbs when a cat is an obligate carnivore ie. a meat-eater!

When it comes to water, try to always keep a bowl of fresh, filtered water available and ceramic or stainless steel is preferable over plastic bowls.  Next, let’s talk about treats.  Many treats have artificial preservatives, colors, and flavours so be careful to read the ingredients list and op for freeze-dried meat treats instead.

Chemical-free every time

Environment is such an important part of your cats health. Some ways we can provide a healthy environment are:

·       Make sure to use natural cleaning products.  Or, better still, make your own using ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap.

·       Choose natural options for your litter box.  Options like recycled paper, pine, or walnut shell litters. These are biodegradable and don't contain the silica dust or chemical fragrances found in conventional litters.

·       Find natural ways to get rid of odours in your home.  Try options like baking soda for absorbing odours and essential oils diffusers using a cat-safe essential oil such as lavender.

Please watch Dr Jones’s top 7 tips to a healthy and long-lived senior cat

Grooming

Regularly brushing your cat helps distribute natural oils and reduces shedding. Use a natural bristle brush for grooming your cat.  Cats love scratch posts, and they are great for nail care so look for natural scratching posts whenever possible.  You can find ones made from sisal or cardboard rather than synthetic materials, great form of environmental enrichment.

Another important part of your cats grooming routine should be teeth cleaning.  Just like our dogs, our cats teeth should be cleaned regularly.  If this is new to you and your cat, our advice is to start slow.  Your cat will need to get familiar with having their mouth touched and their teeth cleaned, so start with gently touching them around the mouth before jumping in with a toothbrush.  Once they feel comfortable, add a bit of cat toothpaste and gently brush.  You can use a pet toothbrush or a silicon finger brush.

Holistic Health and Wellness

Something cats can struggle with is stress, so stress reduction is super important for them.  Find ways to create a peaceful environment for them in your home.  This can include hiding spots where they feel safe, and perches for them to climb up on. Other options are: pheromone diffusers, calming herbs like valerian (check dosage before use), and plenty of interactive play.

Exercise is important for cats. If they do not have access to outside areas where they can climb, you can provide climbing trees and interactive toys to keep them active. Some favourites are feather wands, puzzle feeders and laser pointers (with this one make sure they have a toy they can catch as part of the game).

Lastly, make sure your cat gets some vitamin D.  Whether this is getting outside or just having access to sunlight on an open windowsill or door, natural light helps regulate circadian rhythms and provides that all important vitamin D, and lowers deuterium levels.  Unless you have single glazing, most windows have UV blocking glass so the conversion to vitamin D won’t occur.

Natural Immunity

A great way to support your cat's immune system is with MicroMed probiotics.  MicroMed promotes whole body health with our 100% organically-based commensal microbes in an easy to use spray bottle to be used directly onto skin or sprayed over food.

Another great supplement for your cat’s immunity is Omega-3 fatty acids from fish or krill or shrimp or mussel oils.  They support your cats skin, coat, joint health and nervous system, not to mention brain and therefore behavioural health.

Know your cat

We as cat owners know our cats.  We know what they like and what they don’t like.  So, pay attention to your cats responses to: food, play, stressors etc. and provide the best quality life you can for your lovely kitty.  It makes a world of difference when we read the cues and respect our animals enough to provide them with a nurturing home, the natural way!