Aside from being a dressing for your salad or an ingredient to your favorite meal, it has been proven to have a lot of benefits for a person’s skin and overall health.
In addition to that, vinegar is actually a staple for a lot of pet parents as well for its many uses and benefits. This is a home remedy for a lot of common diseases and infections for your furry baby.
And yes! Vinegar is safe for your beloved kitty buddy but to a certain extent. As a person, you don’t really consume a large amount of pure vinegar right? Well, most likely your cat shouldn’t too.
It is extremely important to always remember to never give them vinegar that is not diluted as it may cause more harm rather than being beneficial.
Do Cats Like Vinegar?
It’s okay, but of all the foods that cats can have, Vinegar won’t be their favorite. Let’s face it, even with our very own; we can’t really keep our nose close to vinegar for a long time, right? At least not everyone.
In fact, cats have a stronger sense of smell than humans. Even if we have only added a very small portion of vinegar on their drinks and foods, they can definitely tell and most likely won’t touch them.
However, whether they like it or not, there are really great benefits this liquid can give to your pet when either taken orally or applied to their skin.
Also, since there are multiple types of vinegar available on market today, the best and preferred one to be given to your baby kitty is a raw and organic apple cider vinegar as compared to just pure white vinegar.
Uses and Benefits of Vinegar To Cats
- It Can Be Used Against Fleas
Fleas are common to every cat but that does not mean you need to leave them as is. They can be very uncomfortable for your kitty. So when you see them scratching non-stop, most likely, their friends are ever-present.
Since vinegar has a very strong scent, fleas would not want to reside on your baby kitty’s furs anymore. It can kill existing fleas on your cat and it will also act as a repellant.
Spray your baby with a mixture of ACV and water and massage it to their furs and skin. If in the event, they lick themselves after doing so, do not be alarmed. It is completely okay.
- Cleaning Ears
One of the common reasons why cats are brought to the vet is because of ear infections. Using vinegar to clean their ears every week is a good practice to prevent this.
Dip cotton in diluted vinegar and gently wipe it inside your kitty’s ear. It will help to control the growth of bacteria that can cause an ear infection.
Wanted to save vet cost for so long? This would definitely do its part!
- Treating Urinary Tract Infection
Vinegar is known as a home remedy for UTI not only for humans but for your kitty buddy too. If you notice that your cat might have Urinary Tract Infection, then giving them vinegar is one way to treat it at home.
Mix their drinking water with vinegar. You can also add some to their food specifically wet cat foods.
If in the event your cat’s UTI worsens, then it is always best to bring them to your vet and have them checked thoroughly.
- Used to Clean Urine on Carpets
If in the event your cat had accidentally (or intentionally) pees on your carpet, vinegar can be used to clean and remove the urine from it. Let’s face it; urine smelling carpet at home is never okay and will never be okay.
If left unattended, your furry baby might keep on peeing on it again and again.
Apply or spray vinegar on the affected area. Let it soak for a while then blot it with a paper towel. You might want to try it on a small area at first to make sure it won’t stain the fabric or fade its color.
- Treatment for Skin Problems
Aside from treating fleas, you can also use vinegar as a home remedy to treat burns, dry itchy skin, hot spots, and other skin infections of your beloved pet.
For burns, dip cotton in diluted vinegar and gently wipe it on the problematic area. As for dry itchy skin, hot spots, and other infections, after bathing your kitty baby, you can rinse him with a solution of vinegar and water.
As a reminder, keep the solution out of your cat’s eyes.
- Skunk Odor Remover
Who can ever tolerate skunk smell? No one!
If unfortunately, your pet cat had been in an encounter with a skunk, you can bathe them with vinegar to remove the unwanted smell from the skunk.
Just be very careful not to get the solution on your furry buddy’s eyes.
- Ingredient Used To Lose Weight
You may have a friend who uses a recipe with an organic ACV for weight loss; well it can be used for your kitty baby too.
If your pet needs to lose unwanted pounds, then go ahead and grab some vinegar from your kitchen. Aside from the vinegar, you might need kelp, lecithin, and vitamin B6 too.
When you are seeing signs of obesity on your cat, then starting their weight loss journey is a must.
Bottom Line
Given these uses and benefits, it is still extremely crucial to always consult a veterinarian for correct use and dosage of vinegar. You do not really want to harm your kitty baby for incorrect usage.
The next time you go to a grocery to fill up your cupboard, do not forget to add an organic apple cider vinegar on your list. Truly, its benefits for both humans and pets are undeniable.
