Indre K Williams 
We find ways to include Vinegar in our diet as research has shown it can reduce post-meal levels of insulin and blood glucose, but can cats eat vinegar?
Vinegar is non-toxic so is safe for cats to consume, also it can be used as a remedy or health supplement for your feline friend to help with digestion problems, fleas, odour and infections. We have used a mix of vinegar and vegetables many times in the past year to help our cat digest more easily.
A few times a year we mix some veggies with a bit of apple cider vinegar and leave them in the fridge for fermentation.
We then add a teaspoon of mixed veggies with our beloved pet Coco to improve his pH. We found out about this trick after trying to mix water with vinegar for a while but he doesn’t like that combination for some reason.
I have prepared below a list of problems that vinegar can help your little companion with. If you want to contribute to the list, leave us a comment and we will make sure to check it out!
Digestion – Cats can eat vinegar as it helps with digestion
As mentioned above, fermenting vegetables mixed with apple cider vinegar can help a lot with feline digestion.
You might wonder why is it important to ferment food for your cat?
They are important because,quite simply, they support optimum gut health for your feline friend.
Some of the most cat-friendly fermented foods are:
Kefir – This is an excellent Probiotic rich fermented option that you can comfortably add to your pet’s diet.
- Place 1 tablespoon of Kefir grains into a jar and add 2 cups of goat’s milk.
- Stir well for 10-15 seconds.
- Cover the jar with a towel and place in a cool and dry place away from sunlight or any heat source for the next 24 hours.
- Strain and add 1 tablespoon on each of your pet’s meal.
Cabbage Juice: If your cat is being picky about food and fermented vegetables remain untouched, you can try to squeeze in a tablespoon of cabbage juice in it’s diet.
These options are better than a live probiotic supplement in my view as the fermented foods are whole foods.
Another use is to mix your pet’s water with vinegar but speaking from experience all my pets avoided drinking mixed water.
However, if you decide to give it a try to remember to leave a bowl of water in case they are really thirsty and don’t drink the mixed water.
Good to know Apple cider vinegar has 11 grams of potassium in a small tablespoon. Although it’s not packed with vitamins and minerals it still has benefits for cats. The antioxidant antibacterial aspect of apple cider vinegar is a good enough reason to have it in your pets digestive system on a controlled diet plan.
Fleas – Easy way to keep away!
A very easy way to use this natural, non-toxic flea deterrent is to mix equal parts of water and organic apple cider vinegar which can be added into a spray bottle and sprayed over the coat when needed.
Vinegar can help your pet with fleas, but not in the way you are hoping to. A few fleas is something you can tackle fast but there is also the chance of a pretty quick infestation.
Only one female can lay 50 eggs a day which can fall on the carpet,sofa and small corners where only your pet can crawl into.
While it’s not effective at killing fleas, Apple cider vinegar can help by keeping them away from your pet! They don’t enjoy when the coat is sprayed with the mix but it helps your buddy to become flea-free. The acid in vinegar is not strong enough to perforate the shell of flea eggs or larvae but it’s strong enough to make them leave the area, sadly it cannot kill them at any stage in their life cycle.
For a complete flea-free pet and home you need a full decontamination. You will have to use a proper flea spray and apply a thorough treatment on your pet’s coat in a timely manner.
What dosage of vinegar should my cat eat?
While we all have our dosage of apple cider vinegar included in salad dressings and drinks it doesn’t mean we should use the same dosage for our pets.
Often times the dosage is not the same for every cat and you will need to experiment with it. As a rule of thumb I would use about a teaspoon of diluted apple cider vinegar.
If you use higher dosage than that you might increase the stomach acidity which could lead to vomit and health issues. Do not try to feed your cat straight apple cider vinegar and if you don’t see any improvements within 2 weeks of feeding her the solution, chances are it won’t work and it might even make it worse.
Try to always observe the progress of the diet so you can stop if any symptoms appear.
As more research is done on humans and pets every year, we learn new things and benefits about this product. Latest research shows it can lower post-meal glucose levels in humans and it can relieve constipation and a small dose of apple cider vinegar can help with minor bladder inflammation.
Neutralising odours
When we had problems with Coco peeing in our bed ( I will add more about that story), Vinegar was our saviour.
We were ordering a special detergent but until it would arrive to our flat, vinegar was used to wash everything. If the carpet starts to smell you can add some vinegar to the carpet cleaner.
For a complete odour removal we recommend to apply vinegar onto the stain area, leave it to sink in for a few seconds and then apply baking soda on the stain area. This will make the baking soda react with the vinegar and wonders happen!.
If you are trying to remove odours from a specific room we recommend leaving out a bowl of vinegar overnight. Simmering the vinegar can also enhance it’s odour eating power and help you reach your goals faster.
We do understand that there are many people who simply can’t stand the smell of vinegar and we have a solution for that as well.
In a jug add equal amounts of water and white vinegar to produce a safe organic disinfectant. To mask the smell of vinegar chop a lemon in two equal halves and throw it inside the jug. This little trick makes wonders if you don’t like the smell.
Finally after everything is clean you can open all the windows and let the vinegar smell get out of the house and enjoy your new fresh smell.
Cleaning Ears
By making a 50/50 mixture you can use a clean cloth damped with the mixture to clean your pet’s ears. If the skin inside the years is really sensitive and dry you will have to lower the mixture. Since apple cider vinegar has antimicrobial properties it may help with any ear infections by interrupting the process of bacterial growth.
Final thoughts: What is your experience with cats and vinegar?
Have you ever used any of the methods I have listed? Did they work for your beloved companion? I hope you have found this post informative about all the vinegar benefits related to cats.
Knowledge is power so please share with us in the comments your thoughts
