I have been thinking a lot lately about how grateful I am to have my cat Snapper in my life. He is about 17 or 18 years old - I inherited him almost 8 years ago - and have schlepped him with me everywhere! From Little Italy to the King St. East district, to San Diego,California, to Cabbagetown, to our current residence on the Danforth, my only constant has been Snapper.
He was diagnosed about 3 years ago with kidney disease, which can really only be managed, not cured, and I am amazed at how well he is doing. When he was first diagnosed, his fury coat looked dull, he was constipated, he was frequently vomiting, and always thirsty.
The vet suggested I give him injections under the skin to hydrate him, but i opted out.
I decided to take him to my Doctor of Chinese Medicine (TMC doctor), and she urged me to start making him homemade food. I had never thought of that before, but she explained that processed pet food is the same as processed human food. She made a really good point. Seeing as I have chosen to opt for local, organic, whole grain, unprocessed foods, it seemed like a no-brainer to do the same for my cat. She recommended the book Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs and Cats; a holistic health care guide for animals. It gave me a few ideas of homeopathic remedies to help support his kidneys. Needless to say he is not a big fan of having his mouth pried open, and having a tiny pellet shoved down his throat, though it is for his greatest good. In some strange way I think he knows it. Upon hearing his name only a few minutes later, he will approach me for a cuddle.
Also, upon taking my doc's suggestion, I started feeding Snapper a medley of cooked millet, parsley, and fish. I would leave him dried kibbles when I knew I would be out for a while. After a few months i noticed dramatic changes in his coat, and he stopped vomiting regularly. And after almost 3 years, his kidney disease has progressed unusually slowly according to the vet. He still vomits and experiences constipation occasionally, though generally he seems content. Not only does he eat his own food, but he also has taken an interest in the food i cook for myself. White beans in pesto are one of his favourites!
The take-home here is that just as humans do better with unprocessed food, and natural remedies, so do our pets! I will be honest, it takes more effort to make his food versus pouring some processed wet or dried food in a bowl. Having said that, from personal experience, the benefits far outweigh the effort.
One more thought: I suppose Snapper's regular massages probably have something to do with his slow progression as well! All in all, animal health parallels human health.
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