Herbal remedies are an aspect of preventative medicine often left out of routines of caring for pets. We have all been taught to believe that the professionals know best. I am here to say that there is a lot we can do as caretakers to assure a long healthy life for our little cuties and herbs are key to that. Of course there are certain ailments that require a trip to the veterinary's office but, most can be treated at home. Today I want to discuss two herbs that have been a huge part of my cat's healing journey!
Obligatory note :: I am a lover of cats and an herbalist who has had success with herbs and even used herbs to save the life of two of my cats. But, I am not a medical professional nor veterinarian. These are simply the musings (and hopefully, helpful advice) from a cat lady who loves healing with herbs.
Now, let us discuss ...
Hawthorn
The flowers and herbs from this tree are widely considered one of the best heart tonics for humans. I personally have used both elements of hawthorn for emotional and physical healing and recommended it to friends and family to strengthen the heart.
Each year I harvest the flowering tops in spring and the berries in fall, always accompanied by one, two or all three of my cats. They seem to have an affinity with this tree and love to hang out in it's shade. So, when I was searching Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Cat Care I wasn't too surprised to see hawthorn as a main remedy for heart conditions.
Those who have taken care of multiple dogs or cats throughout the years will know that heart conditions are a very common source of death in both pets. The only dog I ever had ended up succumbing to an enlarged heart. Though she did have quite a long life, I wish I had known of the supportive medicine of hawthorn sooner!
Hawthorn is a cardiac tonic that can help with a wide variety of issues by strengthening the heart muscle which makes it better at it's job of pumping blood to the rest of the body. In general the berries are said to be more effective medicine than the flowers but, I think it is good to start off in small doses with any herbs for pets (or even people) and have been giving my cats a bit of hawthorn flower tea in their water bowl as preventative medicine.
Echinacea
Another herb that is well known in the realm of human herbalism is also great for cats. In fact, all of the herbs included in the book I recommend below are commonly used for human ailments. As it turns out, these herbs are useful to many different species!
Those familiar with herbalism will have certainly heard of echinacea root's abilities to fight infection and boost the immune system. So when one of my cat's developed a cough that slowly got worse and more frequent I did some searching both online and in my book about herbal remedies for cats to see what I could do to help. I also called my local vet to see what she suggested. While I waited for an appointment I began following Dr. Kidd's advice and putting three drops (so, a very minimal amount) of the echinacea tincture I had made in the water bowl that all three of my cats drink from, each day refilling the water and replenishing those three drops.
Within days my cat's cough had disappeared. The vet was pleased and surprised and said there was no need to bring him in if he was feeling and looking better.
I feel like it is important to lay out a couple of personal anecdotes here as a way of showing that I have tried these remedies personally and can attest to their safety and effectiveness. Some people will think I am irresponsible for treating my pets with nothing more than plants but, keep in mind that living in a rural area of an impoverished country doesn't leave me with many options for animal care. I love my cats deeply and do everything I can to help them. When I compare the gentle healing powers of these herbs to the often harsh side affects of medication, I find that herbs have lasting positive effects without the scary after affects that pills do.
I wouldn't recommend any herb for human or cat use without have a trusted source to back me up. And anyone who is interested in this subject should definitely pick up this book, which can be found here via the Mountain Rose Herbs website. There is also a Dr. Kidd's Herbal Dog Care if you have a dog or two in your life.
And, while I am recommending more sources, here is a short video that I made about supporting cats through health problems where I discuss three more herbs:
All the best to you and your kitties!