Stevie (Ft.myers , Fl) on 01/06/2010
My cat had upper respiratory infection, but he had it from day one when I brought him home. When we got him he had very short hair, watery eyes and nose, the eyes would be crusty first thing in the morning and his nose would be all stuff up. After two rounds of antibiotics, in which he would seem to get much better, but then worsen again over two weeks' time I did a lot of online research and thought, maybe food allergies. Spoke with our vet and we immediately took him off the dry food he had been eating and put him on a limited ingredient diet. Within the first few days his congestion and watery eyes got much better. By the first week he was actually starting to grow in more hair. By one month on the limited ingredient diet he had medium length hair. When we got him his hair was less than 1/4 inch long. We were amazed. Unfortunately he still scratched a lot on that particular brand of food and still sneezed a lot, so a couple of years into it we switched him to a Rabbit and green pea diet by Royal Canin. With that food he scratched less, but still sneezed a lot. Finally I found another limited ingredient diet at Petco and placed him on that and he did wonderfully. Quit scratching, sneezes only a few times a day, but a month into the process he developed a UTI. I'm not sure if it was related to the new food or just the fact that he is almost 7 years old, an Oriental and, therefore, prone to UTIs. After one round of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories he got a bit better, but then after being off the medicines for 3 days he got worse again. Started a second round of antibiotics and searched for various treatments and found out about ACV. I bought some this afternoon and gave him a partial dose in a syringe with water by mouth - which he was not at all happy about. He actually retched twice but didn't throw it up.
Later I snuck the remainder of the dose into his canned food and he gobbled it up. By this evening he was peeing larger amounts of urine, although still also squatting and not peeing a few times too. However, he did not visit the box nearly as often as he had the previous two days. In addition to the ACV I have instituted cranberry and vitamin C which he got full doses of yesterday and today.
However, the ACV itself has given him the most and fastest relief out of all the things we have been trying.
But definitely try your cat on some food that does not contain wheat, corn or soy and preferably something that is not what they normally eat (rabbit, duck or venison) for about 14 days in a row and see how he does. Petco has a brand called Natural Balance Limited ingredient diets that have both canned and dry. I would suggest you go with the canned food because it is very palatable. They have a Venison and green pea which my finicky cat loves, and also a salmon and green pea and chicken and green pea. But don't feed him all of them at the same time. Just buy one flavor and give that to him for two weeks and see how he does. If he is still messing up switch to a different flavor and try it.
I firmly believe it was the wheat gluten in the first limited ingredient food that caused my cat to sneeze and itch. With the second food it had soy, soybean and anchovy oil in it but no wheat or corn. With that food he was better, but still a little itchy. Conversely when I went to the third food that didn't contain soy, wheat, or corn is when we saw the major improvement.
Some cats are allergic to one or two of those and other cats are allergic to multiple things and the things you see with a food allergy are all the things you mentioned in your post and they completely mimic a URI.
Nina (Inkster, Michigan) on 01/27/2009
Hello, my kitty had pink eye and i didnt have money to take her to vet.. I was so sick with worried at what to do for her, so i search the net for a cure and i found yr website... i have been giving her the acv and it working, i am so happy and thankful, i didnt really think it would help, but to my surpize it curing her, i gave her every 12 hrs 1/2 tsp of acv in a eyedropper mixed with water and little honey, she doesnt like it, but it works.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL, now my kitty is bright eyes again, i been treating her for 3 weeks, i think she had chest infection too, but it all clear now. so if u feel hopeless, give apple cider vinger a chance... nina and zaytunie (my kitty)
Regina (Mountain Home, Idaho) on 09/23/2008
Out of my 5 cats, 4 of them came up with Upper Respitory Infection. Since I couldn't afford Vet bills and meds for 4 cats, I searched the internet and found this site with it's testimonies of using ACV to treat URI's. So I began rubbing it into the scruff of the necks of my kitties and putting about a teaspoon into their drinking water. I also rubbed a little on their front paws so that they would lick it out. Within hours, the two with leaky eyes were cleared up and I noticed a change in appetite and energy in all of them. Now, 2 days later they still sneeze a little but no leaky eyes or runny nose, no lethargy or lack of appetite, no wheezing and hacking. I had used the ACV on their necks and paws every 12 hours and changed their water daily, putting new ACV in. This stuff stinks terribly but it truly does work. I plan on keeping some in their water for at least the next few weeks and might continue after that just to keep them healthy.
Dede (Mount Sterling, Kentucky) on 09/16/2008
I wish I had known about acv helping kittens with uri. About 3 months ago I had 4 separate litters of kittens. ( I have taken in strays and my yard is full of cats) Each litter had 5 kittens. being new at this I didn't that the kittens gooey eyes and sneezing would turn out to a very heart breaking experience for me. I had no money to take one let alone 18 kittens to the vet when they just got lifeless and died. I have 4 new kittens now and they have the gooey eyes and sneezing as does the older cats. My prayers have been answered in finding your web site. I've done treated them all withe acv and in hours I have seen improvement. I also put acv mixed with table salt on my husbands poison ivy and he is not burning and itching. Thank you Thank you!
Jessi (Phoenix, AZ) on 08/06/2008
After reading all your comments on how effective ACV is for cat ailments I had to give it a try & it's made me a believer! When I got a stray 8 wk old kitten & realized he was sick with what seemed like a cold with mucus in eyes and sneezing (probably URI) & I hate to say but I was going to take him to the pound because I just can't affort vet bills on my fixed income. Then a friend told me about this site and I just happened to have some ACV as I use in salads because I heard it helps arthritis. So I added a few drops to his water and he lapped it up. Also put some under chin and down his front legs which he immediately cleaned off. Within a day I could see that his eyes were clearing up and he seems to be eating better and has more energy. I'm also giving it to my other kitten to make sure he doesn't get sick. Amazing!! I'm spreading this bit of good news to all my cat/dog lover friends. Thanks everyone.
Rathmussen (Montreal, Canada) on 06/03/2008
I took the tip from someone on this site to put ACV on the scruff of my cat to help with a respiratory infection, and not only did it help her condition a bit, her whole coat has become magically lush. I don't know if it was spread everywhere from us petting her or brushing her with a baby brush, or if it was absorbed through her skin and spread from there, but wow. She was always a scruffy runt, but now she's downright regal looking!
Jessica (Medford, Oregon) on 03/17/2008
At first I was sceptical that something so simmple and natural as Apple Cider Vinegar could cure my cats eye infection and upper respirtory problem. So I went out and bought eye washes and eye treatments. They didn't work. so in my last efort to avoid a costly vet bill I tried the ACV. I just rubed a little into the nap of her neck. she ran off to sulk and then not more than not more then 2 hurs latter her eye had dramatically improved. I reapplyed the ACV one more time then went to sleep. I am happy to say that today Ebony ( my cat) feels and looks 100% better. I cant belive it myself but this stuff realy worked. Don't believe it just try it. the bottle only costs $1.00 or so and there is no harm to your cat. you have nothing to lose.
Marcella (Petaluma, CA) on 01/26/2008
ACV for Cats: Three Cheers! My seven-month-old rescue kitty came into my home with an upper respiratory infection and later developed some conjunctivitis in his left eye. Following the advice on this page, I gave him a dropperful of ACV right into the fur on the nape of his neck and massaged it down into his skin. Some of the liquid ran down the sides of his neck, where he licked it off. Within 90 minutes of his first dose, the conjunctivitis started to clear up, and his energy perked up considerably. He is now free of both the upper respiratory issue and the eye infection, with no vet visit needed. I know give him a maintenance dose every few days and yes, he's a little stinky from the vinegar, but happy and healthy nonetheless. I've also started taking the ACV myself. Good stuff.
