Feline Allergies Archives - Cat Lady in the CanyonCat Lady in the Canyon

Between meeting deadlines, taxes, PetExpo and Literary Orange, I was thrilled to finally have a weekend to enjoy relaxation with the cat crew and some beach time. After my volunteer shift at Blue Bell on Friday, I curled up with Lex and Topper and opened the first issue of Catster magazine, formerly Cat Fancy and devoured its content from the editor’s note to the last feature.

It’s fresh, full of informative and entertaining columns, articles, and continuous pages of cute cat pics—a must for all cat enthusiasts. My evening ended with a cup of catnip tea then off to dreamland. Seriously, I drink catnip tea. It is very calming and an effective remedy for insomnia. My cats teach me so much!

I awoke Saturday morning feeling rested and relieved to have a day with no itinerary. I leisurely sipped my coffee with the kitties at my side and while reading the local newspaper learned that the Fifth Annual Kelp Festival was being held down on Main Beach that day. I might be a canyon dwelling cat lady, but I also love the ocean and am fascinated with marine life. I had wanted to go to the Kelp Festival for the last couple of years, but it conflicted with working the Blue Bell booth at PetExpo. At last, I was able to partake in celebrating the restoration of Laguna Beach’s kelp forests, a vital marine ecosystem.

Although, it was actually a siren’s call that lured me to the Kelp Festival.

As we wound our way through the tables of vendors, past the stage where a crowd was swaying to the beat of live music, and through a decorative handcrafted kelp bed, Gary said, “There she is!” I caught a glimpse of the turquoise and golden fish tail and forged my way past kids, dogs, and strollers, and was finally face to face with a live mermaid. “Hi! I’m Mermaid Linden!” She cheerfully introduced herself while lounging on her seashell throne and casually snacking on a slice of pizza. I would have expected seaweed salad, but the starfish adorning her hair and very intricately detailed fish tail made the myth appear believable—despite the pizza. She gave Daryl Hannah’s mermaid in the movie Splash some serious competition. I felt like I was 10 again. Meeting a mermaid brought out my inner kitten.

I wonder if she has a pet catfish…

About Cats and Fish: Domestic cats may like fish and are drawn to its smell, but wild cats don’t eat fish (with the rare exception of the “fishing cat”), nor did our pet cat’s ancestor the African wildcat. Cats, being obligate carnivores by nature don’t hunt fish unless opportunity presents itself (fishermen may want to keep an eye on their catches if a hungry stray wanders by). According to Karen Becker, DMV of healthypets.com, “fish, as it turns out, is one of the most highly allergenic foods for felines. Allergies cause systemic inflammation. Cats that eat allergenic foods over and over can end up with lung inflammation that can also lead to asthma.” Further, fish these days is loaded with mercury and many veterinarian resources recommend being careful about the amount and type of fish you feed kitty—for instance lay off the tuna, but occasional wild-caught salmon or sardines packed in water offer a great source of omega-3.

About the Myth: Professional “Mermaid Linden” makes the myth an almost reality, being a professional underwater model, videographer and avid diver, and can hold her breath for 5 minutes! Through her transformation into a mermaid she inspires and educates children about ocean conservation. Visit www.mermaidsinmotion.com for more about Linden.

Lexington, my burly Norwegian forest cat mix, who other than suffering allergies has been a spunky, healthy boy, was diagnosed with feline diabetes in December. It seemed to be caught in its early stages, as after about 3 weeks of observing his appetite and water intake increase, I took him to the vet.

Sure enough, his blood sugar in both a serum and urine analysis was around 450. He’d lost a pound since his last vet visit just a month prior. My poor guy was not doing so well, but I learned that with insulin and a high protein, low carb diet, the disease would be manageable, he would be feeling great again, and after research I found that 80% of diabetic cats go into remission. So a few changes were in order—his diet, timely insulin injections and careful monitoring of his behavior.

The vet tech at Laguna Hills Animal Hospital gave me a tutorial in how to give an insulin injection, which is actually pretty darn easy, especially when I catch Lex unaware. As far as the diet goes—this turned out to be a change for the positive. Read and take heed—cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that by necessity, cats (wild and domestic) require a high animal based protein diet, which boils down to—meat. They are genetically hard wired this way. Our pet cats have the same digestive system as their wildcat ancestors. They don’t need rice, wheat, or corn, which can cause digestive upset and cause inflammation, the precursor to many diseases (for humans too!). My first line of action was to go grain-free. Even though my cats have always eaten high quality food, the dry food contained rice or wheat, which they ate a lot of. I learned through research and a talk with Jessica, owner of Coast Pet Supply in Laguna Beach that the best diet for a diabetic cat is a raw meat diet fed twice daily or a high quality meat protein canned food void of carbs. I gave it a whirl and purchased Rad Cat raw food for my Lex and he loves it. To keep costs reasonable, his diet now includes raw food a few days a week, high protein no carb canned food and very small servings of top quality low carb dry food. This adds up to a bit more than what I was typically spending on cat food, but I’m hell-bent on healing Lex and keeping Topper healthy, so I find the extra expense will save me future vet bills and give me peace of mind knowing my cats are eating what is best for them.

Within a few days of the new regimen of insulin and top-quality food, Lex had more energy and had gone back to being his sassy self. Within a week, my boyfriend Gary and I both realized that Lex’s allergies were GONE! No more incessant scratching, frequent sneezing and coughing, and non-stop teary eye. He has had a few cortisone shots over the years, which would temper the symptoms, but never cure them. I had tried changing his diet, but everything I gave him contained rice or wheat; therefore rendered no positive results; but little did I know. It’s like magic—no grain, no allergies.

Note: grain-free doesn’t always mean low carb as many cat foods include potatoes and other vegetables, which are also carbohydrates. The wet food my cats are now eating by Wild Calling contains meat, organs (such as liver), water and vitamins—no grain or vegetables and its made in the USA—Colorado, and both my cats think it’s delicious (I can tell by the way they gobble it down and beg for more!).

Lexington’s journey through the healing process will be continued—stay tuned!