My Cat Is a Carnivore, but He Is Allergic to Meat!
The mental and monetary cost of pet healthcare
My family cats never went to the vet yet lived to the ripe old age of 18. It wasn’t the done thing. Perhaps it was thriftiness, or the fact my mum grew up on a dairy farm where cats lived in the barn, caught mice, and did their own thing. The cats in my house however live a very different life.
I love to travel, so our kitties get to live it up in the penthouse at a cat hotel. With all the inclusion of a 5-star accommodation; massages, downtime in the jungle gym, and grooming. Their room is called the Gatsby penthouse and includes a fully functioning human toilet. When my husband asked when he could check in, he received a few light-hearted chuckles. He wasn’t kidding though.
I’m fully aware I have become one of those people. My cats are treated like members of the family and are spoilt rotten. They are indoor cats with more toys than my furless child, dine on organic delicacies, and experience grooming and abundant love daily.
To be a Gatsby guest they need to have an up-to-date immunisation card. So yearly we head off to our vet for a health check and teeth clean. Where mum’s barn cat had a chicken wing thrown their way as a substitution for a scale and clean, it’s now the norm to book your cat in for a teeth clean at several hundred dollars a pop.
Pet insurance may seem like a viable option to help cover those bills but the limits, fine print on gap coverage and only specific injury coverage, make for an expensive piece of paper.
The Beverly Hills vet experience
Our annual visit to the vet somehow turned into part stage show, part Beverly Hills shopping spree.
As I wrangled my protesting furballs at the vet’s office, I noticed the vet had an unusual way of trying to make friends with my boys. He started by pulling their jaw apart and pushing on the sensitive tooth to demonstrate to me it was sore. Kitty did not appreciate this and gave him an evil eye.
To seal the friendship he proceeded to check his delicate areas and clip his nails which resulted in growling, hissing, and a swipe.
Kitty HATES his feet being touched.
With only half his claws clipped, the vet sporting a new band-aid, and a lifelong enemy made, I was advised my cat has a food allergy.
The Golden Goose of cats
Food allergies in cats are rare with around 1% of cats being affected. Food allergies primarily affect the skin, but many symptoms could be experienced including an upset gastrointestinal tract and breathing problems. Of course, we have the trifecta!
Cats are carnivores but the store-bought cat food contains carbohydrates such as wheat, corn, and potato. Distributors will argue they are an important source of minerals and vitamins, but these ingredients are also cheap.
Given these carbohydrates aren’t part of a cat’s natural diet you may, like I did, assume these additives may be the cause of my cat allergies.
Surprisingly, when cats have food allergies they are most often caused by a protein source. A carnivore allergic to meat is comical, right? It’s the type of meat that causes the allergy though.
You don’t often see a cat chasing a cow to gnaw on its hind leg in the wild. These foods are introduced in line with industry standards around food production.
It’s not illegal to process and can beef, but wildly frowned upon to can a Tweety bird.
Hit-and-miss treatment plan
My boy is a rescue cat who lived on the street eating who knows what, but it was the organic two-ingredient cat food I’m feeding him that upset his delicate digestive system, gave him dandruff, and caused him to snore like a trucker.
The recommended treatment includes a super exclusive dining pass for a hypoallergenic cat food for 3 months, to see how we go. It’s a game of cat and mouse chasing the ultimate diet through the elimination of all his favourite foods.
He already hates the vet, we might as well add his relationship with me to the list.
We have two cats and the other is fine, but due to the golden goose having a big appetite and will pounce on any uneaten morsel, both have to be on the very pricey gastronomic adventure.
After shelling out a small fortune for vet bills and specialty food, I’m now the proud owner of two disgruntled furballs with a serious case of attitude and sharp claws to match (well half of them).
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Sources
Cat Food Allergies: Common Causes and Treatments | Great Pet Care