It’s 4:30pm on a Friday, and you notice something amiss with your cat. Your vet is not open on the weekend, and you’re not sure what to do. Over the years of caring for a multitude of felines, I’ve collected a few tricks that tide me over until I can get an appointment for the animal.

Weepy eyes and sneezing is a sure sign of the common and highly contagious Upper Respiratory Infection (URI). Most cats experience it at least once in their lifetime, but often it goes into dormancy and pops back up at the most inopportune time. It is commonly treated with antibiotics to ward off secondary infection, and eye ointments, both dispensed by veterinarians.

If you can’t get to your vet for an antibiotic right away, pick up some L-Lysine at a health food store. It is used for boosting the immune system in both humans and animals, and even attacks some viruses. It is inexpensive (ca. $10 per bottle of 250, 500mg capsules), and an adult cat can safely be given two capsules per day until you can get him to your vet. Just open the capsule and mix the contents into some tasty wet food. It can be used long term, for those cats that can’t seem to kick URI.

Most importantly, check the list of ingredients before you buy and administer L-Lysine to your pet. Look for the purest you can find. If ANY ingredient is a “glycol,” DO NOT GIVE IT TO YOUR CAT as it could be lethal. I’m using a liquid form prescribed by the veterinarian treating the seven kittens in my care, all of which have the herpes virus in their eyes.

As mentioned in a previous column, I successfully treated mastitis in a nursing mom by applying hot compresses and binding a fresh cabbage leaf to her breast for two days, suggestions made by the consulting vet. The cat was also put on antibiotics, but who’s to say it wasn’t the cabbage that cured her?

Diarrhea is not a pretty thing in a cat. Several things can cause it, i.e. worms, illness, medications, stress and change in diet. There is a home remedy that can help stem the flow until your veterinarian can be consulted. Mix 1-2 tsp of plain canned pumpkin (no spices) into some canned food. Pumpkin is a binder and cats seem to like the taste. OK to use at every feeding until the problem subsides. Any leftover pumpkin can be frozen for later use. I also have used 2 Tbs dry rice cereal for babies mixed into wet food.

If you have a multiple feline household and your vet asks for a stool sample from one of them, here’s a trick offered by a Santa Barbara vet. Shave a tiny bit of a child’s bright crayon into the wet food for the cat in question, and then keep a close eye on the litter box. It will color the feces, will not harm the cat, and will not compromise the sample.

If you have any tricks that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear them. Drop me a line through our website.