Pets and Coconut Oil: An Experiment with Two Cats

by Bonnie
bonnie90505.blogspot.com

I love my pets, the more I find out about coconut oil, the more excited I get. My cats were rescue kittys. I adopted my male cat Dante in 2007, he had no health issue when we adopted him, soon after about 3 years he was less active living in an apartment, but having lots of toys and running up and down the apartment hall. Soon, I felt it was time to get him a kitty friend.

I went back to the same shelter June 2010 and pick out a female kitty, who looked healthy and was about 6 weeks old and only 3-4lbs. I took my new kitty to the vet to get checked out, and it was soon discovered that she had feline herpes, a respiratory infection which causes sneezing and wheezy asthma. It was very important that Dante be checked out to see if he caught the infection, later to learn that he too has Feline Herpes, but was treated with antibiotics and Lysine and both kitty cats are fine. A few month later,Lana became a chronic groomer to humans and to Dante. Dante has a build up of tartar on his teeth and became over weight by 5lbs, he weighs 17lbs and Lana weight about 6lbs, but she plays hard , she pants alot and a little wheezy.

I wanted to find natural remedies to help both kittys to live a long healthy happy life. Coconut oil is part of their diet, and I know for sure, there will be less hair balls hacking up from both cats and Dante will have more energy and healthy teeth and gums and the fur coats have already become shiny and less shedding. I made a quick video, introducing my kitty cats and what happened to them after a nibble of the coconut oil.

Now, when I either oil pull- 1 tablespoon for(15 minutes, then spit out the toxic material in a trash bag) or consume 1 tablespoon the coconut oil, the kitty cats also get the dose of the oil, together we will be documenting our progress over the next few months, especially with Dante who has tartar build up on his teeth.

Coconut oil is a safe, natural and edible oil that can be very beneficial for your domestic pet, including cats and dogs. The oil is derived from pressed coconuts and the purest form of the product is 100% cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, which means that it has not been heated or refined and contains only high quality oil. Coconut oil is available at health food stores or online.

Skin and Coat

Coconut oil can be very beneficial for pets when taken internally. Adding the oil to their food is the simplest way to include it in their diet. Just a few drops a day can be very beneficial to the coat, moisturizing the skin and hair. Coconut oil can be used in its semi-solid form or warmed slightly to make it liquid. For dogs and cats, add 1/4 teaspoon of oil for every 10 pounds they weigh. Slowly increase to 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds of weight per day, or 1 Tablespoon for every 30 pounds. Increase the dosage slowly, and if you notice any irregular bowel movements or an upset stomach, decrease the amount you’re giving them. Allow your pet time to adjust to smaller amounts before attempting to increase it again.

Healing Properties

Externally, coconut oil can be applied to cracked paw pads, wounds, scratches and cuts, like a healing salve. It can be used inside the mouth on sores and on teeth as a toothpaste. Coconut oil may also be applied to fungal infections, bites and stings–skin ailments of almost any kind.

In the Ears

Slightly warmed coconut oil may be dropped inside your pet’s ears to treat ear mites and infected ears. If using a cotton swab, be careful not to place the swab very far into the ear–use it only to apply the oil to the outside of the ear canal, where it can get into the ear on its own.

Skin Irritations

Coconut oil may get rid of odors on your pet’s coat and help cats to eliminate fur balls. It can also benefit pets with difficult skin conditions such as eczema, allergy to fleas or other allergies.

The experiment continues

I received a free sample of Expeller- Pressed Certified USDA Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. Both Kitty Cats were not tricked in anyway to eat the cat food with the coconut oil in it. I let the coconut oil remain in solid form so that they could see it, I did not blend it or hide it from them.