Frustrated! Pet products for dogs marketed for cats

[la-rene]

So, tonight, I get the weekly Fab.com Thursday email all about pet products. In it is a new pet shampoo/conditioner/flea-tick spray for pets. Sure, it has a dogs head on it, but on the company website it states dogs and cats.

So, some of you saw a picture of my boy in the post Soap Guard and can see that he is pretty spoiled. Well, he is also special needs as he has asthma, so I'm very careful what I put on him or give him, spray around him or clean with.

Anyhoo, on the website, it lists the ingredients but only has a lemongrass essential oil blend. So, I go back to Fab and they have the actual ingredient list and low and behold several red flags pop up. Aloe, cedarwood, orange, oregano, chamomile along with the lemongrass. I mean, really, lets just add onions and garlic to that to make a completely toxic blend. I wonder if the product developer has ever had a cat and watched it lick itself for a hour or more after a bath?

Sure, a dog is going to be able to handle this, but, continued use or over use, like some people can do to prevent or get rid of fleas/tickets when they are desperate, and that product will build up in a cat so fast, they won't know what hit them until they get that $1000 vet bill.

It's so frustrating to see products with essential oils marketed to cats because I know that most people just do not have the time to research and we tend to trust what people say when buying products. And the "Natural" moniker is sooo tempting these days.

It was a sad day when I had to give up my pine scented candles, but, Rosco is worth it.

FYI: Rosco is not on any flea medication. I decided after reading reviews that it wasn't worth it to me, though I have used Frontline on him with no adverse reaction. But, he is a strictly inside cat so I have stopped putting him on it.

Alright, I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[melstan775]

Rosco looks like a model with those beautiful blue eyes. He's not on flea meds .. but there is a flea problem rirhgt, otherwise there would be no worries about it? Does he have a flea collar? Living in the desert we literally do not have fleas or ticks here, I would have no idea what to do if my cat came home itching, so just curious how that works. Terrible about a blend that could hurt pets. At least there's vigilant cat owners around who know what to look for.

 

[Genny]

I really dislike scented products for animals, especially those with eo's. Another B & B'er that I know, who's also a vet tech, has shared so many scary stories about people unknowingly poisoning their pets by using homemade concoctions. I've also learned from her that since fleas/ticks do not have noses, essential oils really don't deter them, especially if they're hungry.

My dog is almost 15 yrs old & has never had fleas. He gets about 1 bath a year with just water. He doesn't stink and his coat is beautiful & shiny.

 

[la-rene]

No, no fleas. Just when he first came to me 4 years ago. Flea collars are especially noxious. I would never use them. The best is to keep your cat indoors and treat your home with baking soda and vacuum regularly to kill the eggs if you have a prob. But, we have no yard, so we never do. My vet gets a little freaky that I don't have him on a flea/heartworm med, but I don't feel it's necessary. I haven't seen a mosquito in years at my house.

Rosco gets baths because he is long haired and plush and tends to get a funk after 6 mos or so, brushing only does so much. More often its a problem with poo or pee on his bloomers . In the summer he gets a sani-cut. LOL.

It's a fallacy that cats can keep themselves clean by just licking and particularly, if you are allergic to cats, an occasional bath can keep the saliva proteins at bay which is what most people are allergic to, like my roommate. We keep our cats clean with an occasional bath and wipe downs more frequently. She is not allergic to the cats in our house. But, it's hard to find a product for cats. I'm always looking.

 

[lizflowers42]

Another safe alternative for you and kitty is to sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth around your house. They sell it at home improvement stores and online--they even sell food grade, which companies put in grain-based foods to ward off bugs! I've read that they sell this in pool supply companies and you do NOT want to go this route.

 

[melstan775]

Oh Rosco wears bloomers does he? High-fashion those, I knew he was a model! J/K I know what you meant. My cat only licks herself, we never bathe her. She hates water and she is slightly skittish sometimes, so I don't bother. She cleans herself thoroughly at least twice a day. She is shiny and super soft and doesn't even smell like a cat. But she's also not long haired. So I bet that makes a difference to how close she can get to her skin.

 

[la-rene]

He does! lol! It's like leg feathers and ends about half way down his legs. They are cute, but total catch-alls, if you get my drift. He's also got that ruff that gets into the food, water bowl and caught in his mouth when he tries to lick it. It's funny. It's taken a while for them to get used to baths, but we get about 4 minutes before a freak out. So we do it quick. I wish teeth brushing was as easy. It helps that he likes to lick the toothpaste we use.

I wouldn't trade him for nothing, but a short haired cat must be a dream! The boys leave fur tufts all over the house when they fight and grooming during spring you could get enough to knit a rug.

 

[Ruthie]

I hope you did not get off your soapbox before contacting them. You just might save a kitty some suffering. And its likely they just don't know any better.