Apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy that can boost your cat’s health and it might have been just sitting on your kitchen shelf unused. The use of natural ingredients such as apple cider vinegar has been gaining popularity as an alternative to pumping your beloved pet with chemicals from the pet store.
Many ingredients have been tested and have yielded health benefits, but there’s something about apple cider vinegar that makes it stand out among the rest. Keep on reading about apple cider vinegar for cats to find out about their benefits and how to use it.
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Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Cat
Apple cider vinegar is a cider vinegar with dozens of uses for your cat that would make you realize all you ever needed to take care of your feline was in the kitchen all along.
Lessen Chances for Ear Infections
Firstly, if your cat frequently visits the veterinarian for ear infections, lessen the trips by using apple cider vinegar. By cleaning your cat’s ears with a moist cotton ball dipped in an equal mixture of apple cider vinegar and water, you are cleaning the ears while adding a little acidity to the ear environment.
You may think this acidity is bad for your pet, but in actuality, it isn’t enough to bother your cat. However, the acidity of the apple cider vinegar is enough to bother pesky bacteria from living inside and infecting your cat’s ears.
Gets Rid of Fleas and Ticks
Fleas and ticks are also no match for the mighty apple cider vinegar. If your cat has been having fleas, modify your next bath a little bit. After gently shampooing your cat as you normally would, simply rinse the shampoo off with apple cider vinegar diluted with water.
The shampoo will drown ticks and fleas, while the final apple cider vinegar rinse will acidify the skin, which won’t be attracting these parasites any time soon. It’s amazing what a little acidity can do.
Addresses Skin Issues
After getting rid of ticks and fleas, apple cider vinegar can also address a number of skin issues. A cotton ball moist with apple cider vinegar can be gently rubbed directly onto a wide array of skin issues, such as burns, acne, hot spots and skin infections. Rinsing your cat with apple cider vinegar after a bath also helps in giving your cat a soft and shiny coat.
Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Health Supplement
Apple cider vinegar contains a long list of minerals, nutrients and enzymes that are essentially good for your cat’s internal system. Among the list of benefits, the main benefit of apple cider vinegar is in aiding digestion, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria from proliferating, providing usable potassium and maintaining the body’s pH.
To reap from the benefits of apple cider vinegar to your cat’s internal system, simply add the recommended amount and add it directly to your cat’s food or water. The recommended amount is just based on your cat’s weight, so for cats weighing 15-20 pounds, half a teaspoon would suffice.
For cats 7-14 pounds, a quarter of a teaspoon would be enough and for little cats weighing 4-6 pounds, an eighth of a teaspoon is recommended. While for cats less than 4 pounds, 5 drops of apple cider vinegar will be enough to receive its benefits.
You are able to do this every day and not expect any adverse effects to show up. If your cat is a bit hesitant to drink water with a little apple cider vinegar, help it move along by dipping its paw in the water. Instinctively, your cat will lick its paw with its tongue and maybe then, it will start getting accustomed to the taste of apple cider vinegar.
Topical Spray
Externally, one should always dilute apple cider vinegar before using, unless instructed otherwise. As mentioned above, apple cider vinegar is a quick fix for a host of dermal issues such as burns and acne, while also dealing with parasites such as ticks and fleas.
A general mixture for topical use would be equal parts water and apple cider vinegar – that’s 50 percent each. Apply this to your cat in any preferred way: spray it on, wipe it with a paper towel, or rub it on with cotton balls. Just be sure you use the method that stresses your cat the least.
However, there are situations where you must deviate from the half and half mixture. For situations such as broken skin, ringworm, or pinkeye, a mixture of 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water is recommended. We recommend using distilled or spring water due to the sensitivity of these issues. Once mixed, apply this mixture on the affected areas twice a day until the symptoms go away.
Another mixture that can be used is specifically for ear infections. Although we previously mentioned that it’s possible to use a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to clean out your cat’s ears to prevent ear infections, a mixture of half apple cider vinegar and half rubbing alcohol can help treat ear infections when they arise. Although this home remedy has been known to be effective, don’t hesitate to go to your veterinarian if the symptoms persist.
Conclusion
When you go to the groceries, now you’ll think twice whether you need apple cider vinegar or not. With a load of benefits with simple ways of using it, apple cider vinegar will soon find its way to your cat’s medicine cabinet. Either used internally or externally, it’s undeniable now that apple cider vinegar is indeed good for your favorite cat.
