Tips And Hacks For Cats With Cancer

Ava & Grant Novelli

If you’ve never watched Rodney Habib’s documentary The Dog Cancer Series I highly recommend doing so.  I re-watched it over the past week, and it’s loaded with great information.  Granted, its focus is on dogs with cancer.  Nevertheless, there are so many great recommendations for holistic cancer treatment and prevention you can apply to cats as well.  Today I’m going to give you some ideas, tips and hacks that you can apply to cats with cancer.

What is the root cause of your cat’s cancer?

If your cat has been given a diagnosis of cancer, the first thing I recommend it determining the root cause.  Was it due to an inflammatory process or environmental exposure to something toxic?  Perhaps it was due to a poor diet or vaccine damage.  In all likelihood it will be a cumulative effect of several stressors.  

Identifying all the factors that contribute to the condition is often easier to do when you look at the big picture.  This includes metabolic, emotional and environmental stress.  In order to reverse the effects of each one you have to do things differently.  

Diet’s role for cancer treatment and prevention in cats

Diet is one of the most important decisions you will make concerning your cat with cancer.  Because cancer loves sugar, you must remove the carbohydrates, ie:  grains, legumes, potatoes, tapioca, and other starches, from your cat’s food.  If you’re feeding a dry food diet you’re feeding the cancer.  The best option is to transition your cat to a raw or freeze-dried diet.  These foods have not been heated which denatures and destroys the living enzymes in the food that make it easily digestible and used by the cells.  Getting cats back to a biologically appropriate diet is the first step in reversing and preventing cancer in cats. 

There are great commercial brands of raw diets for cats in the marketplace to try.  A few include Darwin’s Pet Food, Steve’s Real Food, Stella and Chewys, Small Batch, Tucker’s, and Primal.  Yes, they are more expensive, but traditional cancer treatments like chemo, surgery and radiation are far more costly.  A more economical way is making a homemade diet using meat from your grocery store.  You can find an excellent homemade diet for cats at catinfo.org or using a premix like EZ Complete by Food Fur Life. 

Herbal therapies and supplements for cats with cancer

There are so many great herbal therapies and supplements on the market that holistic and integrative vets recommend for pets who have cancer.  

• Turmeric/curcumin–antioxidant properties that reduce free radical damage and boost immune system
• Milk thistle–detoxes the liver and encourages apoptosis (self-destruction) of cancer cells
• Medicinal mushrooms–build the immune system, have anti-cancer properties and work as a prebiotic to feed the gut microbiome
• Cannabis and hemp–proven to stop cancer cells from growing and spreading (metastasis); boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation
• Probiotics–support the microbiome, build gut health, intestinal wall strength, build the immune system
• Chinese herbs–have anti-cancer properties, reduce inflammation and balance the body’s energy
• Omega 3/fish oil–anti-inflammatory properties, inhibits tumor growth, helps prevent loss of muscle mass in pets with chronic disease
• Colloidal silver–has anti-cancer properties including apoptosis (cell death)

Environmental strategies for cats with cancer

While nutritional support is foundational for cats with cancer, there are several environmental strategies to consider as well.  Cats’ bodies are small, they “live” low to the ground, and may be exposed to cancer causing toxins in many ways.

High quality food ingredients

When evaluating your cat’s diet it’s important to consider where those ingredients are sourced.  It’s also important to think about the quality of life of the food animals.  Are they pasture-raised in their natural environments with room to run and live the way nature intended?  Or do come from factory farms known for cruelty, inhumane practices and deplorable conditions?  Are they fed a natural, species appropriate diet or something unnatural and loaded with genetically modified ingredients?  When choosing a food for your cat look for organic, non-GMO, pasture-raised, cage-free sources whenever possible. 

Vaccines

Over-vaccination is all too common in cats today, and it exposes them to some nasty ingredients.  Vaccines also have a mutagenic effect, which causes gene mutation.  Furthermore, mercury and aluminum, commonly used in vaccines, are known to cause cancer.  A better option is to do titer tests before revaccinating in order to determine if there are still antibodies circulating in the blood for that specific vaccine.  

Household cleaning products

Cleaning products are filled with toxic chemicals and contribute to the toxic load in our pets.  Many products come with warnings on the label to avoid contact with skin and eyes, too.  Using these cleaning products can expose our cats to dangerous chemicals through the paw pads, contact with their fur as well as through inhalation.  A better option is to replace all household cleaners with products that are made with safe, non-toxic, natural ingredients.  

Water quality

The water you and your cat drinks may look clean but don’t be fooled.  Tap water especially is loaded with toxic chemicals like chlorine (carcinogenic) and fluoride (a thyroid inhibitor), along with heavy metals and pharmaceutical drugs.  Over time these chemicals build up in your cat’s body (and your own) resulting in impaired organ and cellular function.  Invest in a water filtration product or system that eliminates these toxic materials from your water.  It will smell and taste better, too!

Herbicides, flea and tick products

Spending time outdoors is stimulating and mood-boosting for your cat, but it can come with its own hazards.  Outdoor cats can be exposed to herbicides like glyphosate (Round Up) used on lawns and landscaping.  Flea and tick collars, oral and spot-on treatments used to control pests and parasites are very dangerous.  They enter your cat’s bloodstream essentially poisoning it in order to kill the pests.  Toxic reactions can damage DNA, impair cellular and organ function and cause cancer.  There are better, natural options you can use instead. 

Air quality

Air quality is often forgotten about as a cause for cancer in cats.  Second hand smoke from cigarettes is not only deadly to humans but also to cats;  therefore, avoid smoking in your home if you’re a smoker.  Using air fresheners made with toxic, synthetic chemicals can also be problematic.  A healthier, safer option is to diffuse essential oils or use natural air freshener products. 

EMF exposure

We live in a world where cell phones, wi-fi systems and electronic devices surround us everyday.  Without realizing it we are constantly exposed to electromagnetic frequencies that damage our cells.  Despite what technology companies may tell you, this dirty energy is very harmful and creates mitochondrial disfunction by weakening the mitochondria in our cells.  This cellular damage leads to genetic damage.  Cats who live exclusively indoors with wi-fi networks are constantly affected by EMF exposure.  A better option is to turn off the wi-fi in your home at night, keep cell phones away from pets, and explore ways to reduce the overall EMF exposure in your home.

Emotional stress

Every disease often has an emotional component, and cats are no different.  Emotional stressors in the home from things like a new addition in the family, moving, bullying, cat fighting, or rescuing a shelter pet can raise insulin and glucose levels.  Over time this can shift into metabolic stress leading to disease and illness.  Flower essences, homeopathy, color therapy and crystal therapy are excellent ways to reduce and eliminate emotional stressors. 

Cancer in cats doesn’t have to be a death sentence

There is no one-size fits all approach to helping a cat with cancer.  Hopefully you feel empowered and inspired with all the different ways to reduce or eliminate potential causes of cancer and offer your cat a variety of ways to improve or overcome the cancer itself.  When you give the body the right tools it can heal itself.  Working with an integrative or holistic vet or a holistic cat health expert can guide you in taking the best approach for your cat.  Cancer doesn’t always have to be a death sentence!