Saturday, December 20, 2008

Feeding Your Cat Coconut Oil



Every Saturday morning, I receive the P. Allen Smith e-newsletter (you know the gardening guru guy on TV). Occasionally, he includes an article written by his gardening companion, Marge the cat. Today's piece is on feeding your feline organic virgin coconut oil, which I had no idea contained so many wonderful benefits for cats. From a silkier coat to improved digestion, virgin coconut oil may be a great addition to your cat's diet. Check out all the details (plus a cute video of Marge in the garden) at the P. Allen Smith site. Ellen
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8 comments:

  1. I'd personally check with my vet to see if it's ok for cats to eat coconut. My cat just ate a piece of a maccroon so I was looking it up and I read this article:

    http://www.catchannel.com/care/nutrition/precautions/article_5665.aspx

    It basically said to be careful not to feed your cat too much coconut because it may cause liver damage.

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  2. This study used HYDROGENATED coconut oil, not virgin coconut oil.

    Abstract
    Young, specific-pathogen-free cats were fed purified diets containing different sources of fat. Food intake was depressed and cats lost weight when the diet contained either hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO) or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). With an MCT preparation enriched in 8:0 (MCT8), cats would not eat after first tasting the diet. When cats were offered a choice of two high-fat diets, they chose the basal diet over a diet containing 30% HCO, by a ratio of 4.5:1. Low levels of MCT8 (5% or 10% by weight) were also rejected, whereas cats did not reject 5% or 15% MCT12. Caprylic acid, at 0.1–1.0% of the diet, was rejected. In other studies, food intake and body weight decreased when HCO was added to a fat-free diet. Cats fed 25% or 35% HCO lost weight. When 5% safflower seed oil was added to the HCO diets, body weights and food intake improved, but were still less than optimal. These studies indicate that the food intake depression in cats fed dietary HCO and MCT is primarily a result of impalatability, and that the fatty acid moiety may be responsible for the aversion.

    Keywords: Cat; Medium-chain triglycerides; Taste aversion; Hydrogenated coconut oil; Caprylic acid

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  3. And yet another study that shows no problems giving cats non-hydrogenated oil. http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.71.4.435

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  4. My cat loves pure coconut oil. She meows for it every morning. She's a coco-head!

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  5. I use it for massage and for my skin and my cats like it off my hands. Again, extra virgin coconut oil. It's antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial. Lots of benefits.

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  6. And, wanted to note, my vet thought I was crazy for putting coconut oil on my cats. But it works. But then again, two vets couldn't cure my Buddy Kitty who had Hemolitic anemia. I finally ceased treatment when he was like a pin cusion from catheters, shaved everywhere and they botched a bone marrow extract and he was starving. I fed him pureed calves liver and milk thistle after ceasing treatment...he actaully like it. He lived another ten years.

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  7. Is coconut oil in eye dropper useful in eyes with a cat with pinkeye?

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    Replies
    1. I believe a lukewarm tea treatment is helpful. One part tea to one part water. Cotten ball and put it over the eye.

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