Whether your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat, she is likely to pick up scratches and scrapes at some point in her life. The most common type of injury is that of a scratch or bite from another cat, and feline nature means that she is likely to try and hide her injury. However, if left, a simple scratch can turn into an abscess, can become infected, and it can lead to more serious problems. But this doesn’t mean that you should take your cat to the veterinarian every time they pick up a simple injury.
Below, we have highlighted some of the ways in which you can naturally treat cat wounds to help them heal and without veterinarian assistance.
The 5 Natural Remedies to Treat a Cat Wound
1. Use Water and Soap
The first and simplest home remedy is to ensure that the wound is properly cleaned. This means removing dirt from the wound and then cleaning with warm water and soap, just as you would a cut or scrape on a human. However, you need to ensure that you have all the wounds, which may mean ruffling your injured cat’s fur. Get help with this. Ensure that you have somebody to hold the cat while you search, or you could be treating your own skin abrasions.
2. Try Calendula Tea for Itchy Skin
Cats have a tendency to adventure. They traipse through long grass and undergrowth. They climb trees, and they get into potentially dirty areas and holes. Whether manmade or natural, skin irritants are everywhere, and this can leave your otherwise perfectly healthy cat with a rash and painful skin. Calendula officinalis is known for its soothing properties. You can safely dilute calendula by making tea with this flower, and the tea can be applied to your cat’s itchy skin.
Always allow the tea to cool first, and then apply it to irritated areas of the skin using cotton wool or a clean cloth.
It can also relieve inflammation when given as a liquid extract, although you may need to combine it with other ingredients to make it more palatable.
Calendula is considered safe for use topically and internally, but you should avoid buying extracts if you do not know what other ingredients are included in them. You can get safe extracts from some veterinarian practices, and you do not need a prescription.
- You might also be interested in:Â 9 Natural Home Remedies for Itchy Skin in Cats
3. Use Green Tea for Irritable Eyes
One of the most common causes of irritable eyes is hazel. Ironically, this is also a fairly common ingredient found in some eyewash solutions and is one of a number of ingredients that could worsen the problem. The better option is to make your own natural green tea eye-wash solution.
- Mix up a solution by bringing distilled water to a boil.
- Add two teabags or two teaspoons of the leaves.
- Let the solution steep for around 4 minutes.
- Remove the tea bag or strain the leaves.
- Allow the solution to cool to room temperature.
- Strain the solution several times to remove any plant residue that could exacerbate irritation.
- Use sterile gauzes or sterile cotton pads and soak a single pad for use on one eye.
- Ensure that the solution gets into the eye and then throw away the gauze or pad.
- Use a separate, clean gauze or pad for the other eye.
- Never use the same gauze or pad for both eyes, and do not use the same one more than one time.
- Repeat the process three times a day.
The solution can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours and should be thrown away after this period.
4. Feed Butter to Your Cat To Prevent Hairballs
A disgusting mix of fur and saliva, hairballs are, at best, a nuisance. At worst, they can cause serious discomfort for your cat and may even become lodged and cause breathing problems.
Regular grooming will help remove dead hair and prevent your cat from licking and digesting it, but even with daily grooming, it is likely that your cat will suffer from hairballs are some point.
Feeding your cat butter can help prevent furballs. Use a good quality, organic butter, and ensure that it is low in fat. Add half a teaspoon of the butter to your cat’s meal and feed it once a day for a week. The butter causes bile to be naturally pushed into the cat’s digestive tract, which helps ensure that furballs are moved through the intestines and expelled naturally.
5. Add Aloe Vera Gel to Burns and Other Wounds*
We humans aren’t the only ones that can benefit from using aloe vera, especially on cuts and burns. Cats are inquisitive and they tend to roam everywhere, including on cookers and hot surfaces. Aloe vera can be effective in treating first degree (mild) cat burns, but if your cat has suffered a serious burn, it is vital that you seek veterinarian care.
Note: Do not use fresh aloe vera cut from a cut leaf. It contains chemical compounds that are toxic to cats. You must use a natural aloe vera gel. Make sure that there are no other additives in the gel. Apply it several times a day, until the acute burn has healed. Your cat is likely to lick the aloe vera, which could cause mild stomach issues. This remedy is a last resort.
* Source: PetMD
Visit the Vet
If these remedies do not work to alleviate pain or help fix the problem, you should seek veterinarian assistance. If your cat is bleeding heavily, or the bleeding won’t stop, you should get professional help too. Also, if your cat won’t let you near the wound to apply aloe or any other remedy, you should take her to your vet clinic because they will be able to get a close look and ensure the best recovery option.
Featured Image: YuSafa, Shutterstock
