This is about proven ways to boost your cat’s immune system naturally.
I have had two FIV (Feline Immune Deficiency) felines, and one cat adopted as a kitten without any immune deficient challenges, although Finnegan did have ringworm when I brought him home. My two FIV cats lived relatively healthy lives until they were about 11 years old. Finnegan is now 11 and is still very healthy. Because Abigail and Madison (my FIV cats) were immune deficient, I was very open and eager to boost their immune system as much as possible. Although I practiced several items in this blog post, there are a few that were new to me. I want to explore all of these, so this post is all about proven ways to boost your cat’s immune system naturally.
Abigail (tabby female) and Madison (tuxedo male) were absolute characters. They were so much joy to have and I am really glad to have stumbled upon Abigail soon after I adopted Madison. He was FIV, she was FIV and they both needed a forever home. It was purrrfect.
Perfection isn’t without it’s challenges.
The FIV positive status definitely served up some unique obstacles to ideal health. Abigail would get awful allergies in the summer, and that provoked her asthma. Both kitties were susceptible to sinus infections and needed extra support when the came down with one.
These were usually the times when I would accelerate my search for immune system boosters, and ideally natural or organic ones.
Between my own experience through the years, and additional research I did for this post, I cimposed a list that I hope helps you also boost your cat’s immune system naturally.
Nutritional Supplements
There is no doubt, I am late to the party on this one. I continue to hear really great things about nutritional supplements (vitamins for cats) and it makes a whole lot of sense to me. I take vitamins, so of course our felines should too!
Since I do not have personal experience with cats and nutritional supplements, I am deferring to the professionals.
I have pulled a list of supplements Natchez Trace (a vet clinic in Nashville, TN) recommends and made an overview without the technical jargon.
But you should click on their site directly below the table to have an understanding of the medical reasons they recommend these particular supplements.
I will also be linking a few other veterinarian recommendations and supporting content directly below.
As with anything, you should check with your own vet before giving your cat additional supplements. If your cat is in purrfect condition, you may want to refrain or your vet may have you simply administer a multivitamin (like my cat Finnegan will be getting).
| Nutrition | Booster | Recommended to Help |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Protein | Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator (LTCI) | FELV and FIV cats |
| Aloe Vera | Acemannan | fibrosarcomas and feline leukemia (FeLV) |
| Vitamin C | Sodium Ascorbate Vitamin C | overall immune, constipation, inflammation |
| Vitamin D | Sunshine 🌞 | depression, energy levels |
| Amino Acid Supplement | Lysine | FIV, upper respiratory infections, conjunctivitis, sneezing, and herpes virus. |
| Circulation | Exercise | obesity, depression, stress, aggression |
VETERINARY SERVICES
10 Benefits Of Being In The Sun
Fatty Acid Supplements For Cats
Sunshine
Sunshine is my number one go to for myself and yes, I believe pets benefit greatly from sunshine too.
In fact, I know they do. I will go as far as to say, I believe not having sunshine can do your cat harm.
I understand well the challenges with indoor kitty cats and having access to sunshine. It is not always easy to get them Vitamin D directly from the sun. If they cannot get it from the sun, there are nutrition supplements to help!
In fact, I plan on getting Finnegan on a multivitamin as soon as Amazon can get it here!
Here is the one I chose:
I wanted to try Vetri Science, but the liquid formula was sold out. The VETFLIX has some amazing reviews, so I am hopeful! I will do a review on it after the new year (2023) and let you know how he is doing on it. Although Finnegan is not sick, the winter season keeps him buried under blankets more. I often wonder if he isn’t a tad depressed from lack of sunshine.
Fresh Air
I one hundred percent believe fresh air is almost as important as sunshine. Good old fashioned mother nature does more for us than any supplement can, but I realize getting indoor kitties access to fresh air regularly can be a challenge!
Here are just a ways you can get your cat some fresh air.
- Build a catio
- Install a window catio
- Invest in an outdoor cat enclosure
- Pen off your balcony
- Teach your cat to walk on a harness
- Open your windows
There are lots of resources on the blog to help you with the fresh air part. I am putting the exact blog posts here so you can reference them at your leisure.
Building Your Cat A Window Catio (for less than $100)
10 Modern Cat Toys You Have Got To See
Playtime Exercise
Scheduling playtime rituals with Finnegan has been game changing!
He loves our time together when he gets to show-off how high he can jump, how far he can stretch and how deep he can claw into his cat scratcher.
Scheduling playtime with your cat will do several things to improve his overall mood. First, it will give him exercise to combat obesity.
Second, it will give provide him with the active stimulation his body and mind need. Just like humans, things need to get moving in our bodies to keep the immune system healthy and working properly.
Third, playtime will give him exercise to improve his mood and ward off depression.
Lastly, scheduling specific times and sticking with them gives your cat a routine. Cats love routines! It also gives him a time to ’shine’ for you and get your praise (purrrr).
I recommend setting a timer and making sure you are playing at least 10 minutes non-stop during your scheduled play date with your cat.
Sometimes it can seem like 10-20 minutes, and only a few minutes actually went by. Be sure you are not short changing him.
He will know.
Invest this small amount, it will pay off!
Snuggle Time
Similar to playtime, scheduling or making sure you have snuggle time with your cat will improve your health and his!
Snuggling with your cat gives him a feeling of safety. He feels warm and cozy curled up with you and this will help relieve any stress he may have. Purring is good for him and all of this combined with naturally help his overall health!
Hugs help with your cat’s health – Just as with your health a hug from a human can help improve your cat’s health. Cats understand their environment best though their highly developed sense of touch. Gentle hugging and petting has shown to help ill cat’s symptoms to improve, encourage them to eat, and become less stressed while staying in a medical facility for treatment. You may consider your cat to be aloof but, in reality they want to be social creatures. Behavioral issues such as aggressive or destructive behavior have been shown to improve with daily reinforcement of love and kindness though hugs and petting.
Gilbertsville Veterinary Clinic
Summary
This was such a great post for me to write! Thank you for getting this far. I am even more inspired to make sure I am giving Finnegan the attention and proper care he will need to take him into his senior years. I placed my order for his vitamin supplement and I will follow up with a product review in a few months.
Enough from me, what about you? Are there things you can add or change up that will naturally boost your cat’s immune system?
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