Dr. Becker has a great post about 10 things people need to do to nurture their cats, some of which may be forgotten in our busy lives. I have ordered them a bit differently for my readers.

  1. Ignoring pain since cats can be very stoic. If you are using the Journal and tracking the EWS frequently you will be less likely to miss this.
  2. Not cleaning litter box – I know none of my readers forget this.
  3. Leaving cats in the dark is not something I think about much since there is so much ambient light where I live, but if you have a wonderful place in the deep woods, this could apply.
  4. Not grooming enough if your can needs it. Again, healthy cats, even very long haired ones should not need help, but pay attention to be sure there is no need.
  5. Ignoring your cat. Some cats are rather standoffish, but even they need the attention that is right for them. This is an area where a check in once a year with an intuitive/communicator would be good to be sure all needs are being addressed. Or learn animal communication yourself (there are lots of great teachers for this).
  6. Shouting – even if not directed to the cat. Some cats, not all, are sensitive to loud noises. Now, if your cat seems super sensitive it is a sign you need to be treating her.
  7. Punishing – you would never do that intentionally, but even your thoughts can be transmitted to a sensitive cat. I know I have been guilty of having bad thoughts about Ed when he peed on a couch.
  8. Teasing – of course not.
  9. Hurting or intimidating – who is she speaking to? Not you, for sure.
  10. Keeping the water bowl clean. See my remarks below on if cats need water to drink.

 

A little more about water. Healthy cats rarely drink water as their kidneys are designed to retain the moisture needed to stay hydrated since they were originally desert animals. As homeopathic vets we discovered this through experience. We would cure a cat of an “illness” and discover that they also stopped vomiting hair balls, having tear drainage or waxy ears, stopped drinking water and many other of what we then called the Early Warning Signs of Internal Imbalance (http://theavh.org/health-animals-healthy-people/). Then we began to notice that other cats in a household, who were healthy, were not drinking. When cats are fed a dry food diet, they are not able to stay hydrated so drink water. Dr. Pitcairn, in practice, said they could not completely hydrate themselves, often noting a 2% dehydration in dry food fed cats. Stress, carbohydrates and even certain foods can cause cats to drink so it is good to keep fresh water available or to be watching for a desire to drink (getting in sink, etc). This overuse of the kidneys and slight dehydration can be one cause of kidney failure in cats. I recommend never using dry food, even organic, grain free.

The need when ill for water is one reason I suggest not putting flower essences in their drinking water, rather putting them in a separate bowl of water elsewhere in the house. I have seen cats and dogs not drink needed water because something was in it. A 16 year old cat I was treating for renal failure (yep – had been on dry food, now on raw meat diet) had responded very well, now showing none of her kidney failure signs (no vomiting, great appetite and normal weight, no excessive thirst, great energy) was acting agitated since some needed house construction began. I suggested Rescue remedy – 4 drops in a bowl of water. She walked to the bowl and dumped it over (never had done this in the past). The clever “mom” put 3 drops in the water – dumped over again. Two drops – stalked by it. One drop – rushed over to drink it