oceanjasper
10-29-2006, 06:21 PM
At the end of August, I had to take my cat to the vet because he had an ulcer-like sore on his mouth. We couldn't figure out what had happened, so to be safe, we put him on antibiotics for a couple of weeks and it seemed to clear up. At the same time, I mentioned that he had also been wheezing (not coughing) periodically - laying flat on the floor trying to catch his breath. The vet listened to his breathing, but couldn't hear anything unusual. He also mentioned that his breed (Himalayan) is often more immuno-compromised and tend to have respiratory issues. He wanted me to watch him carefully and note any changes.
He is an indoor cat and I live on the second floor. However, all summer, I have kept my patio door open, so that he could go outside. He loves to lay out there and watch the world go by. Well, this spring/summer, is also the first time I have planted herbs. As soon as I planted them, he beelined right for the chives and has continued to graze on them. He has definitely not been his normal self and I could tell you with 100% certainty that it began almost immediately after I planted the herbs.
I don't know why I didn't actually do some research on the potential effect of chives on cats, especially since I knew that onions were bad for dogs. I also wish I had mentioned chives to the vet. Today, I found a few websites clearly say that cats should not eat chives and that continued consumption can alter their red blood cells and cause anemia and even death!
Here are a couple of the sites:
http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bpo_ch8a.php
http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/vetm0805_562-566.pdf?docID=5602&AddInterest=1101
I feel horrible. I knew my little guy was feeling under the weather and it was all my fault. :o
I just finished pulling the two chive plants out, but there were a ton of roots, so I don't know if they will come back. I guess I will have to watch them.
I think he should eventually be okay, but I just wanted to share my experience, just in case someone else is having or had similar issues with their chive-eating cat.
He is an indoor cat and I live on the second floor. However, all summer, I have kept my patio door open, so that he could go outside. He loves to lay out there and watch the world go by. Well, this spring/summer, is also the first time I have planted herbs. As soon as I planted them, he beelined right for the chives and has continued to graze on them. He has definitely not been his normal self and I could tell you with 100% certainty that it began almost immediately after I planted the herbs.
I don't know why I didn't actually do some research on the potential effect of chives on cats, especially since I knew that onions were bad for dogs. I also wish I had mentioned chives to the vet. Today, I found a few websites clearly say that cats should not eat chives and that continued consumption can alter their red blood cells and cause anemia and even death!
Here are a couple of the sites:
http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bpo_ch8a.php
http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/vetm0805_562-566.pdf?docID=5602&AddInterest=1101
I feel horrible. I knew my little guy was feeling under the weather and it was all my fault. :o
I just finished pulling the two chive plants out, but there were a ton of roots, so I don't know if they will come back. I guess I will have to watch them.
I think he should eventually be okay, but I just wanted to share my experience, just in case someone else is having or had similar issues with their chive-eating cat.