It may seem that vampires are everywhere these days, so it’s is best to keep some garlic handy at all times. Garlic is said to keep evil spirits and vampires at bay.
It also makes a great addition to pasta sauce. Its potent taste is used in cuisines from all different cultures. The little root vegetable is more than just a tasty supplement too, it is believed it prevents heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing the plaque buildup in arteries.
In addition to that is its often used in traditional recipes of cold and flu treatments.
Unfortunately for cats, they cannot take advantage of the myriad of health benefits garlic offers. Garlic is a part of the onion family which contains N-propyl disulphide. This substance in garlic, onions, chives and related vegetables damages the red blood cells in cats and leads to condition called Heinz body anemia. Since garlic can lead to anemia it is best to avoid feeding it to cats.
If you allow your cat the occasional table scrap, make sure that the food is not cooked with garlic or onions.
Can I give my cat Garlic? Answer: No.
Vampires might not be real, but there are real blood suckers that are also rumored to be repelled by garlic: fleas. A common home remedy to combat fleas on cats is to feed them garlic. However, the garlic is potentially harmful to the cat if the dose is large enough and it is not proven to be effective in repelling fleas anyway.
Consult Veterinarian for a Flea Treatment
A flea infestation is one of the most difficult things to be rid of. The complex life cycle of the flea seem designed to avoid being exterminated. The larvae live in carpets and upholstery, feeding off the feces of the adult fleas. Once they mature they move into the host cat and feed on its blood. This cycle ensures that nothing short of a complete flea treatment will be able to end an infestation. A veterinarian can provide the best possible flea treatment for your specific case.
A Complete Flea Treatment
Eliminating fleas is a long term process that involves attacking them at all stages of life. A flea bath may be used to kill the existing adult fleas. Make sure to start with a strip on the neck so the fleas cannot seek shelter around the ear and eyes of your cat. The environment must be carefully cleaned as well to get rid of all the larvae in the carpets and upholstery.
The most effective way to keep the fleas away is with a monthly topical treatment, such as Frontline. The insecticide is absorbed into the skin and then slowly released together with the natural oils of the cat for the period of one month. This ensures that your cat will be flea free. The environment still needs to be cleaned because the larvae may hatch and suck your blood instead and garlic won’t repel this blood suckers.
Accidental Ingestion
Avoiding garlic and onions is the best option, since they are not an essential part of a carnivorous diet and are toxic to our feline friends. In the case of garlic, curiosity might actually kill the cat. However, small amounts of garlic should not be lethal to our curious explorers. Under normal circumstances a cat would have to either consume a fairly large quantity of garlic at once or it would have to be fed a bit of garlic regularly to suffer from Heinz body anemia.
Nonetheless, it is a risk that is best avoided. If a very small amount is ingested it should not cause any problems, but monitor your cat carefully and keep the number to your veterinarian handy. Onions contain a larger concentration of N-propyl disulphide and are thus more dangerous than garlic.
Avoiding Garlic
Do not give your cat garlic because it can cause Heinz body anemia. You need more than just garlic to end flea infestation. The best way to get rid of fleas is to set up a plan of action with your veterinarian in which you attack the fleas at every stage of their development. A simple flea bath might be enough if your feline friend has only a few fleas. After all, garlic cannot stop a flea infestation any more than it can repel vampires.