Diatomaceous Earth Flea Treatment for Cats

With so many flea treatments available it is difficult to know which flea remedy is right for your cat.  Many of the topical applications of flea treatments are not as toxic as one would think, however, if your cat has feline Leukemia or immunodeficiency virus you may be concerned with the toxicity of the topical or internal flea treatments and how they affect your cat long term.  For this health concern, many people are turning to Diatomaceous Earth Flea Treatment for Cats.

Adult cat flea: Wikipedia Commons

My cat Sam has Feline immunodeficiency virus and due to his health condition, I was concerned about using chemical-based flea treatments.  

I asked a friend who has experience with cats with Feline Immunodeficiency what she used and she told me about Diatomaceous  Earth and food grade.  I purchased the safe and natural product at amazon.com and used it to treat my home and my cat for fleas.

Treat your Home with Diatomaceous  Earth Food Grade

The best way to prevent your cat from becoming infested with fleas is to treat your home with a safe and natural flea preventative. Kill household pests with diatomaceous earth food grade.

Follow the direction on the package.  I always vacuum my carpets and my upholstered furniture before filling a duster or shaker with DE. Treat your entire house; carpets, upholstered furniture, drapes, bedding, pet beds, cat trees, and scratching posts.  Treat all areas where fleas or ticks would hide.  

Know that you will have to treat your home monthly if you have pets that go outdoors. If you work in the garden or do yard work fleas can hitch a ride on your clothing.  

Diatomaceous Earth food grade for Cats

If your cat has fleas crawling on them then sprinkle a small amount of the earth onto the palm side of your hands. Then rub the earth onto your cat’s fur.  For me, I find this is the best way to apply the powder to my cat's fur. 

If your cats do not have fleas then do not do this. Know that If your home is treated with DE then it dehydrates the flea quickly and they will die. Your cat will benefit from the whole house treatment by lying on the carpet or on their pet beds.

Groom your cats with a flea comb to remove dead fleas. 

Diatomaceous earth food grade is safe and natural for humans and pets. 

 Very important to buy only food grade product.  Read the label to make sure if is safe for humans and pets.  

Cat Health - Feline Idiopathic Cystitis

Stress, dry cat food, obesity, lack of exercise put your cat at risk for Feline idiopathic cystitis condition. 

Feline idiopathic cystitis or commonly known as sterile cystitis. This condition is inflammation of the bladder. The veterinarian checks the cat’s urine to determine if the urine is sterile or if it has tiny crystals or sand like particles in the urine.

Niki after 1 week of treatment

My cat is Niki is a 12 year old socialized feral Maine Coon Cat was recently diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis.  She is independent,territorial and  aggressive with our other cats.  Her bad behavior and aggressive nature has caused her to have stress. 

Watch for Symptoms

Cats that are sick will urinate in places that would get your attention; sofa, chair, bed, kitchen counter.  This is their way of telling you that something is not right.  If you cat is urinating outside of their litter box and it is not due to new cat or dirty litter box then contact your veterinarian.

Other symptoms are excessive urination with signs of strain or pain and blood in urine.

As a pet owner you know your cat and thus know when something is not right.  My cat showed signs of wanting to sleep more and she also had tear stained eyes. She appeared to be putting on weight but her appetite seemed to lessen. 


Over the course of three weeks she became more aggressive with cats and with me. She did not want to show weakness so she hid in the back of the closet and did not sleep at the foot of our bed. She did not want to be held and she did not want to be groomed or petted.  

I noted all of her symptoms in a journal. I treated the home with feliway mood modifier and it seemed to help some. Her illness came on quickly and when she showed no interest in food and urinated on my kitchen counter I made an appointment for her to see her veterinarian.

If you note behavior changes in your cat, a loss of appetite, and urinating outside of litter box when box in clean then note the signs and contact your veterinarian.   

Diagnosis  Treatment Prevention

The veterinarian will give your cat a wellness exam and will do a urinalysis.  Urine appearance that is red or brown in color, has a cloudy look and has a strong ammonia odor could indicate a serious cat health condition. 

In Niki’s case, her veterinarian examined her urine under a microscope to look for white blood cells which indicated inflammation, and crystals; bladder stones.  Her urine showed signs of blood and tiny crystals. 

Further tests are needed; mature cat blood screen and ultrasound.  These tests are needed to rule out serious kidney, liver and bladder disease. 

What you can do to Prevent Feline Idiopathic Cystitis

Prevent this cat health condition by feeding your cat a high protein and low carbohydrate canned food or make your cat a raw food.  Raw food with no fillers, chemicals or preservatives is very healthy for cats. 


Make sure your cat is hydrated.  Do this by mixing the canned cat food with two tablespoons of filtered water or low sodium chicken broth.

  

 Keep your cats water fresh.  If your cat is finicky about drinking water than enhance the flavor with low sodium chicken broth or add a tablespoon of tuna water from canned tuna. 

Another way to prevent feline idiopathic cystitis is to keep your cat active.  Plan a play time for your cat.  Choose a feather type toy like and interactive toy like Da Bird.  Niki plays with Da bird daily and she likes her catnip mouse and balls.  

If your cat is lazy and does not want to play then use a clicker to train them with low fat treats.  You can get your cat to do anything provided there is a food reward.  

Install an outdoor cat enclosure for your cat.  Allow your cat to spend time outdoors in a safe area. The fresh air and the natural vitamin D will improve your cat’s health.  If not a cat outdoor enclosure, then consider walking your cat on a leash in your yard.

Make sure you have a litter box for each cat in your household. Keep the litter box clean.  A cat will feel stress if they have no access to a clean litter box.

Control your cats stress by eliminating stressful situations.  


I set up a cat room for her on the heated/air conditioned sun porch.  The floor is cement and there are 8 windows that provide fresh air and a view of bird feeders. 

The room has all that she needs; bed, toys, litter box, cat tree and window seats.  Niki loves her room and both my husband and I have seen an improvement in her disposition.  She is using her litter box, eating well and aggressiveness is gone.  She likes being the center of attention.

Note from Sgolis

If you have a cat has feline immunodeficiency virus or leukemia then it is best for you to feed your cat a high protein, low carbohydrate diet and to make sure that they are hydrated.  

Plan to keep your cat active by playing with them for one hour each day.  Keep your cat in a happy state of mind. Stress is a factor for this cat disease.

Notes from Susan:   

It was hard for me to see that Niki was sick because she is a cat with a bad behavior.   She showed no signs of strain in litter box, no blood in urine or odor.  Her appetite was always good until one day she did not eat and she urinated on my kitchen counter.  She was telling me loud and clear that something was wrong. 

January 17th:
Niki's blood tests showed that there is no reason to worry.  Her blood was normal.  The veterinarian wants her to stay on  Hills cd multicare bladder health diet for the rest of her life and we are to recheck her urine in six weeks.  As of this date the diet and the low stress has agreed with Niki and she is using her litter box.  One thing that I did notice about her litter box behavior is that it has to be clean at all times or she gets grouchy.

Cat Upper Respiratory Symptoms and Treatment

Four of my housecats had symptoms of a cold which rapidly turned into an upper respiratory infection.  

Their symptoms were sneezing, water eyes and nasal drainage with no appetite and refusal to drink water.  The day before their cold like symptoms all cats drank a lot of water and slept more and they hid under the bed, sofa and in the closet. 

I responded to their symptoms quickly and  the first thing that I did was isolate them in one room and added an air purifier to the room to remove 99.9 percent of the airborne germs. 

I then called my veterinarian and they saw the cats immediately.  The  cats were treated with the antibiotic Doxycycline.

Treatment:

1. Doxycycline was administered to the cats with syringe without needle.  Best way is to put the syringe in the side of the cats mouth and release the liquid slowly.  (Follow dosage instructions given by your veterinarian)
2. Lysine powder: (follow dosage instructions by your veterinarian)  mix the lysine with can cat food once per day for 30 days.  Or buy the cat chewable tabs for cats. (The chewable tabs are easier to administer to the cats)
3. Feed high quality food:  I am feeding all of the cats Blue Buffalo can spa select.  It has a good source of antioxidants that will boost cats immune system.
4. To help the cat’s breath better run hot water into the tub and allowing the room to fill with steam.  Put your sick cat in the bathroom for 20 minutes.  The steam aids in opening up the nasal passages.  This of course is helpful because the cat can then smell his food.
5. Wipe the cat’s nose with a cotton ball that is moistened with warm water, this will remove the excess nasal drainage and allow the cat to smell.
6. To entice the cat to eat add three tablespoons of filtered water to a microwave safe plate or shallow bowl.  Then add one tablespoon of the canned cat food and heat for 10 seconds.  The warm food has a strong aroma and the cat can smell it and will then eat.
7. If the cat refuses to eat use a feeding syringe without needle and fill it with the watered down canned food.  Feed the cat slowly from the side of their mouth.
8. Keep cats hydrated. My cats refused to drink so my husband and I administered filtered water by way of a syringe.  We were up a few nights caring for them so that they would stay hydrated and nourished.
9. To prevent the spreading of germs wear a ventilator mask, latex gloves and spray your clothing with Lysol disinfectant spray.

 Note: 

All cats were up to date with vaccines.  

What I learned is vaccines will help prevent many strains of viruses but they do not prevent all of them.  It is like a human getting a flu shot.

With antibiotic treatment and the administering of syringe hydration and nourishment all of the cats showed signs of improvement within three days and were completely healed within 10 days.

Cats hide when they are ill because it protects them from being attacked, this is nature.  When cats are sick it is a sign of weakness.  Cats will hide until they can hide no more.

I recommend Lysine for cats as this enzyme will help to prevent virus symptoms.

Feline viral rhinotracheitis Symptoms

Cats that are not vaccinated for the prevention of feline viral rhinotracheitis are at risk every time they interact with cats outdoors, at the groomers or at a kennel.  

If you cat is permitted to socialize with neighborhood cats they may become infected when they groom another cat or if they inhale the virus from a cat that is coughing.
 

Healthy adult cats that are infected with feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) that receive medical care from their veterinarian usually do not have complications and will recover however mature cats age 8 or older, kittens and cats with a weakened immune system and cats with Feline Leukemia or AIDS could become seriously ill and some may die.  

You can prevent your cat from getting infected by getting your cat vaccinated and keeping up with the annual shots.  Keep all appointments for preventative wellness exams by your veterinarian. 

If you think your cat has been exposed then get a journal and document any symptoms that may indicate illness.  From the time a cat is exposed to the virus, it takes five days for the cat to show the symptom.  

The first symptoms of feline viral rhinotracheitis are similar to that of a cat cold; however, as the virus progress, the symptoms will get worse.  If you suspect that your cats are infected with this form of feline influenza then make an appointment with your veterinarian for a wellness check-up.  

Take your journal with you when you take your cat to their appointment.  The journal will help you to discuss your cat’s health with the veterinarian it will also allow you to make notes in regard to your cat's diagnosis and treatments.

Watch for these Symptoms:

• Sneezing

• Coughing

• Swollen and irritated eyes with excessive tearing; clear discharge that becomes thick and turns a greenish color as the virus gets worse.  (see image above) 

• Nose membranes and sinuses will become inflamed (red and swollen) Your cat will develop a clear nasal drip.  As the virus gets worse the clear nasal drip will become thicker and turn the color of green.

• Fever

• Behavior changes, not using the litter box, withdrawn 

• Loss of appetite with no desire to drink water

• Dehydration

• Drooling

• Pain and signs of stiffness in joints

 Tips:

There is no cure for Feline viral rhinotracheitis, all you can do is provide your cat with comfort, keep your cat warm and treat the symptoms.  Your veterinarian may give you a prescription for antiviral medication. 

Administer the medication according to the directions given by your veterinarian, do not miss a dose and do not stop the medication unless your veterinarian tells you to stop.

To prevent your cat from getting infected with feline influenza you should get your cat vaccinated.

Another way to prevent your cat from becoming ill is to keep your cat indoors.  A cat that is permitted to go outdoors may easily come in contact with a cat that has infections feline disease:  Feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus and feline viral rhinotracheitis.

Notes from Susan:

Even if your cat is not exposed to other cats, you must provide them with vaccines because they may come in contact with an infected cat when they go to groomers or to a veterinarian for medical care.  Take steps to prevent your cat from becoming ill.

Image credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons 

Day Care for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Cat

 A friend of mine’s is without a home right now so I told her I would watch her cat so she did not have to worry.  I would provide day care for her feline immunodeficiency virus cat Missy.  Cats with this health condition have special needs. They cannot go outdoors and they need to live a life that is peaceful with no exposure to healthy cats unless they get along and do not fight.  A stressful situation could make the cat ill. 

My cat Sam has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and he lives a stress free life with no interaction with other cats because he is aggressive.  I was not sure how Sam would react but soon found out that he was a welcoming host.

The cat is a female, not spayed and is just under a year old.  Sam has never had a cat guest as he has not been in the same room with another cat since April 2009.  I figure that they both have  Feline immunodeficiency virus so they will not make each other ill, however I supervised their time together so that neither of them felt stress. 

I put the visiting cat in a crate and set the crate  on top of a table.  Sam had no access to the cats crate and could not play paws with the visiting cat.  Sam was allowed to run around his room and play with his toys; however his favorite toys were of no interest to him.  Sam was smitten with the female kitten.  In fact Sam was in a trance, a love trance. Sam was neutered but I guess he was having fond memories of his tomcat days because the way he was acting reminding me of a cat that was courting.  Sam stared at the kitten in the crate for several hours, he wanted her to give him a sign any sign but instead she put her back to him and slept all afternoon. 

Sam did not care that the kitten was napping he was determined to get her attention so he sang to her for a few hours and then he brought her his toys.   He searched his room until he found his favorite ball, the pen he took from my desk and his feather toys.  He brought them one at a time and laid them at the base of the table that held the female kittens crate. 

When Sam refused to eat, drink or take his afternoon nap I realized that he was putting his heart and love for this kitten before his health so I removed the kitten in the crate from his room.  Sam stared out the glass door to view his beloved.  He was satisfied that that she was okay so he then ate and went into his crate for a nap. 

My friend picked her cat up later in the day and I let Sam out of his room to stretch his legs and to play with the family dog.  He ran around the room; looking behind the drapes, under the sofa, and he scratched at the closet door.  I am certain Sam was looking for her, the kitten that came into his life and tugged on his heart strings.  

Sam did not want to play with the the family dog, nor did he want to play with his favorite toys.  Sam left the living room and went back into his room and sat in his cat tree. 

I went into Sam's room and picked him up, he cuddled in my arms and began to purr.  I told him it was better to love than to not love and that the kitten was not meant for him.  He fell asleep in my arms and when he awoke he seemed to regain his energy and sense of hope.  He played with the dog happily and it was the perfect ending to the day.

Wellness Check-up for FIV Cat

It is time for Sam’s annual wellness check-up and I am not sure if it is wise to subject him to the stress and anxiety of going to the veterinarian. 

Last year when he had his annual wellness exam he was overly anxious.  When I brought him home he went in his room to hide and that night he suffered a mild feline stroke .  So I am hesitant in making the appointment for his annual check-up.

Sam after his Feline Stroke

I think if it were a matter of Sam being weighed, getting his blood tested while I was in the room that he would be okay.  I am not certain if his stroke was due to the shots or if it was due to the trip to the veterinarians office.  Sam is older than we thought and he does not like change. 

Sam has gotten very comfortable since we rescued  and adopted him in 2009.  He had been abandoned.  His master left him in the woods by my home and he needed to fend and forage for himself.  His master did not neuter him so I suspect that he got into many fights with the tomcats and that is how he was infected with feline leukemia and  Feline immunodeficiency virus.

Siamese Cat: Sam Plays with our dog

Currently Sam is healthy except for the fact that he is overweight.  He is happy and plays with his toys and with family dog.  He takes many cat naps during the day but when he awakes he plays hard.  

Sam will leap from the desk to get to the window seat, or climbs to the top of his cat tree to play with the bird that is attached to the upper cube. He will chase the dog or lie on the floor in front of the dog and instruct the dog to sit and stay.  Sam has fun each and every day.

I really do not want to upset Sam’s daily routine but at the same time I understand that he needs to get his annual wellness exam.  My husband suggested that I make the appointment for the blood test and the wellness exam and then refuse the shots.  I am not sure if that is an option.  But if it is then that would be agreeable. 

I think I will pick up some feliway products; the room diffuser and the behavior modification spray.  I always spray Sam’s carrier with feliway because it help ease his stress and anxiety.  

I want Sam to be comfortable and happy; the last thing that I want for him is to be afraid.  When Sam is anxious I worry because he has Feline immunodeficiency virus. 

Sam Helping me Fold Towels Image by Sgolis

On Monday I will make Sam’ appointment for his annual wellness checkup and I will pray that he will be okay.

.

Caring for Cat After Tornado

If your cat has feline leukemia or feline immunodeficiency virus Cat-FIV or another cat heath concern you must be responsible and take precautions to protect other cats after an environment disaster or Tornado.

My cat Sam has feline immunodeficiency virus  and during normal conditions he lives a happy life in my office.  He is away from the other cats and there is no threat of exposure.  Sam is a Siamese cat who is territorial.  

Generally he does not like other cats and thus I must control his stress level.  If he were to encounter another cat he would not be friendly and this would cause him anxiety and any stress could make a cat with a weakened immune system to become ill.   When a super cell tornado touched down in my city, Sam’s life changed from happy to chaotic.  

We had no warning of the second tornado but knew by the sky, wind and softball hail that we needed to take shelter.  I reacted to this imminent situation by grabbing Sam and putting him his cat crate.  I then put Sam and my two dogs in the bathroom, then we all hunkered down to ride out the tornado.   

Since I live in tornado alley I always make sure the cat crates are ready for their next usage.  I take safety steps by lining the crates with folded newspaper, then attach their food and water bowls to the side of the crate, or add clean ready plastic bowl for food or water.  Also set a crate size litter pan inside. 

All crates need cat identification so it is best to  attach to the top of the crate close to the handle a luggage tag.  This luggage tag is the cat's identification.  Fill it out with your contact information, the cat's name and any special needs and your veterinarians information.

It is helpful to have a spray container of feliway close by.  I like to spray the newspaper before I put a cat into the crate.  The feliway aids in comforting the cat and eases an anxious situation.  It is also helpful to have a twin size blanket to toss over the crate.

After Tornado

My home was left without power for 13 days, and the home sustained serious structural damage.  It also took on wind driven rain that poured down my exterior walls and filled the basement with standing water.  Within a few days the the  black mold started to grow.

My husband and I took safety measures by removing Sam from our home.  Sam went in his crate to our detached garage that is located 48 feet from our home.  We had no way of making the garage cool but we could open the windows and the garage door.  

My husband set up a tent next to the garage and at night we put Sam inside our tent.  Sam was very upset, he was vocal and pacing in his crate, so we let him loose in the tent to cuddle with us and he slept by our feet. 

 In the morning I sprayed the crate with Feliway and Sam back inside the cat crate. The feliway helped Sam to not be anxious.

Our home needed to be dried out and the mold treated.  On May 31^st the insurance adjuster inspected our home.  

The following day workers arrived to remove the mold and to dry out the standing water in the basement.  They also set up dehumidifiers to take the moisture out of the home.  When the mold was removed we received a clearance to move  back inside our home.

Commercial dehumidifier

Sam my FIV-cat was anxious so I allowed him to have run of the rest of the house; I thought it was best that he be close to me and my husband.  To help Sam with his anxiety I added rescue remedy to his water.  It took a few days for Sam to adjust, the tornado was frightening for him and he would not leave my side.

If you reside in an area that is known for tornado's then it is best to keep your cat crates ready for easy usage and access.   Be prepared for the threat of a super cell tornado, and protect your healthy and special needs cats from harm.

Sam's 2nd Anniversary Living with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Sam celebrated his Second Anniversary by spending a long afternoon with Benny Blue my pitbull puppy.  While this may seem very odd to you it is not odd at all to Sam and Benny.  They are quite fond of each other and will even sleep on the chair side by side. 

To start Sam's anniversary party  I invited Sam into the main house, he enjoys having free reign of the entire house without worrying about the other cats.  The first thing that Sam did was charge to the sun porch to sit on the ledge and look out at the birds that were busy eating from the feeder that hung from a branch on the tree.  

Sam did his kitty dance; two steps forward, two steps back, hesitate and pounce close to the glass and then he was content to talk to the birds by mimicking their chirping.  After the bird watching, Sam ran back inside and into to every room.  He was searching for something and while on his search he was talking rather loudly. When he finished his search he jumped up on my desk and rubbed his face on my cheek and then began to talk even louder.

I gave him some food and fresh water but that was not what Sam wanted.  So I decided to groom him because he always enjoys that.  

Sam was fussy and did not want to be groomed and I was getting worried because he seemed overly anxious and then we both heard steps coming from the kitchen and Sam lifted up his head and then leaped off my desk and ran as fast as he could to the kitchen.  Then I heard Sam cry out in excitement and I heard Benny bark and the two buddies were together again and Sam was as happy as he could be.  Sam chased Benny out of the kitchen and then they wrestled on the floor.  Sam got the upper paw and taught Benny to sit and stay until Sam said it was okay.

Sam and Benny played until it was nap time and then the puppy pit bull and the Siamese cat lay on the sofa and went to sleep.  It was the end of a perfect anniversary day.

I was blessed when Sam crossed my path two years ago.  He has given my family and I so much happiness.  I am so glad that I was able to rescue and save his life by boosting his immune system, had I not I know Sam would have died of Feline Leukemia, cold and alone in the woods.