Why give Bach Flowers to your cat?
Bach flowers are floral solar infusions. They were designed by Doctor Edward Bach, a British homeopathic doctor, at the beginning of the 20th century.
Their role is to treat different emotional states of the patient to help him find a positive state of mind. Initially intended for humans, the research was gradually adapted to animals, and in particular to cats.
Let’s see under what circumstances to give Bach flowers to your cat, and what benefits to expect.
When To Use Bach Flowers For Your Feline?
Bach Flowers To Fight Stress In Cats
Stress in cats can manifest itself in different forms. Destruction, untimely meowing, tremors, excessive licking, dirtiness, etc. All of these signs show a change in your cat’s attitude and should alert you.
Before thinking about any treatment, it is necessary to find the source of stress. This may be due to its environment, or to an illness. A visit to the veterinarian is then necessary to ensure that a health problem is not the cause.
Anyway, Bach flowers are your allies to help you soothe your cat and fight against stress. In the event that your cat is undergoing medical treatment, make sure with your veterinarian that there are no contraindications to the use of Bach flowers.
Bach Flowers To Reassure A Fearful Cat
A fearful cat can be recognized by its particular reactions. He moves by “crawling”, jumps at the slightest noise, hides as soon as there is a stranger. A fearful cat can also have aggressive reactions if you force contact with him.
They can range from simple hissing to biting, including scratching. This can be quite annoying during a visit to the vet for example. This is where Bach flowers come in. In addition to the actions that you will implement to reassure your cat, they will help you to soothe your tomcat in all circumstances to overcome stressful events.
Bach Flowers To Fight Motion Sickness
Transport is not only a great source of stress for your cat, but it can cause vomiting or diarrhea. Although we avoid as much as possible to make our cat travel, we cannot always escape it. Visits to the veterinarian or a trip abroad, for example, are indeed an obligatory trip for your feline.
In this case, a preventive treatment based on Bach flowers is indicated.
Bach Flowers To Fight Anxiety In Cats
Cat anxiety can be caused by changes in habits, such as moving house, the arrival of a new animal or child, or even loneliness following the loss of a companion or a new his master’s schedule.
It is important that this anxiety does not turn into depression. A Bach flower treatment will help your cat fight against anxiety. Don’t forget to determine the causes of your cat’s discomfort and remedy them. Bach flowers will not be enough on their own.
Bach Flowers To Limit The Effects Of Heat In Cats
An unsterilized cat can be restless, even nervous, during heat. She rubs against furniture, constantly asks for affection, meows constantly to access the outside. In short, she would like to mate and satisfy her primary instincts. Bach flowers can therefore soothe it.
It is the same for the male cat, which during the breeding season, especially if a cat in heat calls him, will modify his behavior. He may urinate on your belongings, scratch your couch, and show unusual signs of aggression. Here too, Bach flowers are your ally.
Nevertheless, know that sterilization is the most suitable method to avoid unwanted behavior, while preserving the good health of your pet.
Which Bach Flowers To Choose For Your Cat?
There are a multitude of Bach flower infusions. Each treats a different disorder. It is therefore necessary to choose the most adapted to the situation of your cat. Here are some examples of Bach flowers for your cat:
- Walnut extract to anticipate a separation,
- Aspen extract to calm anxieties,
- Verbena extract to fight against stress,
- Crab apple extract to alleviate motion sickness,
- “Special cat” extracts to fight against all types of disorders, etc.
In any case, be sure to only take compositions that can be administered to your four-legged friend. Some Bach flowers, for example, are intended only for humans. They contain alcohol, which is very harmful to cats. If in doubt, always seek the advice of your veterinarian before giving it to your feline.
How to administer Bach flowers to your cat?
Bach flower remedies for cats are most commonly found in liquid form. They can then be administered as follows:
- Directly into the cat’s mouth with a pipette,
- By mixing them with water or integrating them into the cat’s food,
- By applying the solution to your cat’s coat,
- By spraying them in the room (you will also benefit from their virtues).
In any case, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions before treating your cat.
Controversy Around Bach Flowers
According to Edward Bach, physical illness is the consequence of an erroneous mental attitude. In short: everything happens in the head. It is on the basis of this postulate that he set about developing so-called “pure” remedies, in order to improve the patient’s state of mind.
The design of these floral elixirs is more of an intuitive approach than a scientific approach. It is therefore no coincidence that no scientific study has to date demonstrated any therapeutic efficacy of Bach flowers.
Bach flowers, like homeopathy in general, would work better on a living being who “believes” in them. A placebo effect, which your cat does not know, because it is not intimately convinced of the benefits of such and such a product, whether its scientific effectiveness is proven or not.
We therefore cannot advise you to use Bach flowers as the only treatment. Indeed, they should only be used for mild disorders, not altering the life of your cat. Otherwise, it is essential to consult your veterinarian.
Finally, they can be used in addition to traditional veterinary medicine. Because if they are not effective, they have the advantage of not being dangerous, unlike certain essential oils, for example, which do contain active ingredients.
