A glimpse of my secret garden

The outside world is filled with toxic chemicals that are dangerous to me, but I have created my own private, safe universe in my garden. Come take a look at a few of my favorite things: Lucy, the alpha hen; limes; a mynah at the bird bath; Lydia and her daughter Jolie; an Indonesian ginger flower; Jolie looking for treats; and a water lily with comets. Ahhhhhhh. Where is your safe place?

The truth about cats, dogs, and lawn chemicals

Great vid on 5 Easy Steps to guarding your pet’s health while growing a healthy lawn without chemicals:

1. Read the label!
2. Do your research!
3. Minimize exposure!
4. Use safer alternatives!
5. Get active!

Link to The Truth About Cats, Dogs and Lawn Chemicals

Awww, kittens playing with eco-toys

Kitties love a nontoxic life, too!

What’s better than a gaggle of kittens? A gaggle of kittens playing with eco-friendly toys! Check out this video for the cutest eco-cat toys around: If these kitties had this much fun with them, yours is bound to love them, too. -Shot and edited by Brit Liggett

Link

A stinky issue: Cat litter

I have a cat and she’s one of the most precious things in my life. I always tell her that if she didn’t poop, she’d be perfect. My Zippity is an indoor cat, so we have kitty litter. Commercial cat litter can be a real problem for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, mainly because most have toxic fragrance. Even some of the ones that are labeled as “fragrance free” still stink to me (I’ve tried them all).

I finally settled on blue silica gel for Zippity’s litter, it’s the only litter that takes care of the poop (eliminates odor and dries everything up) and doesn’t get me sick because of added toxics. Cleo the Cat, guest blogger at Pets for the Environment, says below that I should be checking to see what kind of dyes they are using in the silica, but truth be told, the silica gel works for me (no reaction) and seems to work okay for the cat. So on this one, I’m ok fine with it. (I promise to keep an eye out for some undyed gel, though.)

Anyway, here’s the poop from Cleo.

Avoid these environmentally- or kitty-unfriendly litters:

CLAY LITTER

Clay-based silica kitty litter is strip-mined, causing extreme environmental damage during extraction. And the dust it kicks up is bad for kitty lungs and can cause asthma and respiratory disease. I have used this stuff before but I’m glad I don’t anymore!

CLUMPING LITTER

There’s a lot of controversy over whether or not clumping litter can get stuck in kitty lungs or intestines. Regardless of the health effects, sodium bentonite is mined just like clay, so I’m keeping it in the “avoid” list.

PINE AND CEDAR SHAVINGS

Pine and cedar shavings smell heavenly in a horse stall, but cats can develop allergies to the phenols found in these soft woods. My research suggests that not all cats are bothered by it, but I’ve run into enough information that would definitely make me think twice.

SCENTED LITTER

The fragrances in scented kitty litter come from undisclosed combinations of chemicals, including hormone-disrupting phthalates. Besides being mysterious and unnecessary, they can trigger allergies in pets and humans alike. Sneezing’s no fun when you’re trying to do your business.

SAND

Sand could be okay if you promised to reuse it, but I’m going to put it in the “avoid” column because it’s a scarce resource. I didn’t know this until I started my research, but apparently the construction and mining industries go through a lot of sand, either eroding dunes, destroying beaches, or wiping out fish and coral from murky water caused by dredging. I don’t know about you, but my litter box just isn’t that important.

FLUSHABLE LITTERS

These are good because it helps biodegrade the litter, but the whole cat-poo-in-water thing is complicated, thanks to a parasite that can hurt sea otters. See below under “Waste disposal options” for the nitty-gritty details.

SELF-CLEANING LITTER BOXES

My only complaint with this is the obvious: do you really need to waste electricity to clean a litter box? I know, I know–if I think it’s so ridiculous, maybe I should clean my own litter box. I get it. But I have naps to take, and sunny spots on the floor to keep warm! There’s no time for cleaning!

SILICA GEL LITTERS

It’s really good at absorbing liquid and controlling odor, but it’s expensive, and the kinds with blue granules might be dyed with cobalt(II) chloride–a toxic and possibly carcinogenic moisture indicator. If you’re a furry crusader with blue silica gel litter in your box, it might be worth a call to the manufacturer to see what chemicals they use.

Link to Cleo’s picks for better litter choices.

Pets for the Environment, a website all about creating a healthy environment for pets and people, is actually a blog by Eddie the Dog, and sponsored by the Environmental Working Group.

How to treat feline ear mites with herbal infusion

Here’s my sweet girl Zippity.

I discovered a few days ago that my cat has ear mites. Ear mites are very icky– they make a big black mess in the ear– but they are pretty easy to treat with a homemade herbal remedy. It saves me a trip to the vet, where I always get sick because of all the disinfectant all over the place. (But if a problem arises in any of my animals that needs professional vet help, I am there in a heartbeat.)

Anyway, back to ear mites. First, for three days I injected, with a small needleless syringe, some olive oil into her ear, squished it around by gently massaging the canal from the outside, and then let her shake her head, which dislodges most of the gunk. Then I swabbed it out with q-tips (without actually inserting the q-tips into the canal). This process can be difficult with some cats, but Zippity is very good and patient with the procedure. (If you have a cat that squirms or worse, you can buy a nifty “cat sack” at your vet’s– it’s a pouch that you put the cat in, zip it up, and then you can access any part of the cat without getting shredded with those pointy ends.)

After doing the initial cleaning for three days, I’ll let the ear rest for three days, during which time I make a rosemary infusion. That’s what I did today.

First, I picked some fresh rosemary from the garden, chopped up a quarter cup, and mashed it in the mortar & pestle (top left).

Then I put it into a small bowl with a half cup of olive oil (center left).

And then I placed that cup of the infusion on the stove top right over the pilot light so it stays warm (bottom left). You can also put it on a water heater or in a sunny window. It will stay there for three days.

Then, I will strain it, and do the same injecting and squishing thing in her ear for another three days with the infusion. And at some point I will wash and thoroughly rinse the tip of her tail, and the back and front foot on the side of the infected ear because the mites can hang out there and reinfect the ear. Then (final stage!), in another 10 days, I’ll do it again with the rosemary infusion for three days–that catches anything that’s hatched.

Zippity will be much happier very soon!

P.S. I learned about natural health for dogs and cats from Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats (1982, Rodale Press) by Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, PhD, and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.

P.P.S. 6/13 update: Mites are tenacious little buggers! I had to clean out her ears several times with witch hazel to get the gunk out, and continue rosemary oil treatment for more than three days.