Adopting Your First Pet: Tips for Families
3 Stress-Relieving Herbs For Your Cat
Micheal Silva
Some cats can become very stressed and anxious when boarded away from home, even if you've found a perfect, luxury cattery for them. So, how do you keep kitty calm and chilled-out in the unfamiliar cattery environment? There are several natural herbal preparations that could help; read on for more information.
How should you give your cat herbs?
Herbs are dispensed in several different forms including:
- dried flowers and leaves
- essential oils
- tinctures
- teas
First, and most importantly, never give your cat essential oils; these are too concentrated for animal use and can cause liver problems in cats. Teas are generally not palatable for cats and won't generally be well-received. This leaves tinctures, powdered leaves and dried flowers.
The benefit of herbs and flowers comes in the aroma that they give off, rather than in your cat actually eating them. You can buy refillable catnip mice from good pet stores, and these can be utilised for giving herbal de-stressing remedies to your cat. Simply open up the mouse's Velcro 'tummy' and fill it with your chosen herbal remedy; re-fasten the Velcro, and you have a soothing 'cushion' that your cat can take with them to the cattery where it can be placed in their chalet for the duration of the stay .
Special cat-specific relaxation tinctures can be obtained from your vet or from good pet suppliers. You'll need to ask the cattery staff to place a few drops of tincture in the cat's water each day for the duration of the stay. If you prefer, you could use Bach Flower Remedy (see below).
What herbs are best for de-stressing your cat?
1. Bach Rescue Remedy
Bach Rescue Remedy is a tincture made from flower essences and is extremely effective in relieving anxiety and stress in both humans and animals. The remedy is sometimes prepared using brandy, so always ensure that you buy a brand that is alcohol-free when using it for your cat.
Valerian is an herb that has been used by humans for hundreds of years and is renowned for its sleep-inducing, relaxing effects. Valerian also has the same effect on felines and is extremely effective when used in dried form as a filling for your cat's toys, as described above.
Chamomile is often drunk by people as a bedtime tea drink, as it is thought to promote relaxation and sleep. Dried chamomile flowers have the same relaxation properties and can be used to calm your kitty when placed inside a toy and popped into your cat's bed.
In conclusion
You can help to reduce your cat's boarding cattery stress by using herbal remedies, as described above. Ask your vet for more information and advice on how to calm your cat.
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Welcome to my blog. Adopting a pet is an exciting experience, but it also has its own challenges. Your whole family has to make adjustments as you welcome your pet to your life. If you have small children or if you have to alter your work schedule for things such as dog walking, it can be especially challenging. Hi, my name is Molly, and I love to write about pets and animals. If you have recently adopted a pet, I want you to take a look at my posts. They are designed to inform and entertain you but primarily to help you with your new pet experience. Thanks for reading!