Julie-Anne Thorne 0:24 Hi everyone, my name is Julie-Anne Thorne and I am the co founder. Oh scratch that. That's not right. co founder Come on. Right. I've gone all red now wait a minute. This is bloopers material right there. Julie-Anne Thorne 0:55 Okay Julie-Anne Thorne 1:02 Hi everyone. My name is Julie-Anne Thorne and I created naturally cats, holistic health for cats and their guardians. I'm a qualified behaviourist, co author of "The Aromatic Cat" book, I'm an intuitive, and I basically just love cats, I am here to share my mission of giving cats a voice. So I firmly believe that our cats are emotional, sentient, sensitive beings. And we really need to work hard to understand them, but also to provide for all of their needs. Not just scratching posts, and litter trays, there is so much more that we can do for them. So today, I'm talking to you about herbs. So how can herbs help your cat. So we all know about catnip and how you could offer a cat cabinet. Now most cats will like it. And usually we put it down in a toy. So the cat is going ferociously at this toy trying to get hold of the herb. Now what we could do is take the gorgeous herbs out of the toy, we could give the cat the capacity to use the catnip to actually heal itself, because that's the amazing power of plants. So I love to put down something for something called a herb garden for a cat. And I'll share with you today what that is. But before we get into that, how you can use dried herbs and flowers to help your cat let me explain a little bit about the science a little bit about the reasons why cats enjoy herbs and flowers so much. So there's a there's a phrase called applied zoopharmacognosy. Now, if we break this down, so zoopharmacognosy is a very long word and basically it means self selection. So it is the innate capacity that all beings have to choose what they need to heal. So as a human, we know if we need a little bit more sleep, or we need to go out and get some fresh air. Or perhaps we need to take medication if we've got an issue with our physical body. Now our cats and other animals have the capacity to choose what they need as well to self medicate. Now normally cats that have access to the outdoors would be able to do this using plants, plants and weeds and things in the garden in the woods where they live. But sadly, because we've domesticated cats, a lot of them are indoor now and that is obviously as you keep them safe, because they are treasured pets, treasured members of the family. So what we can do is offer these these dried remedies bring them into their home for the cat. So zoopharmacognosy when you break it down in the actual components of that word zoo means animal. Pharma means remedy. And cognosy means knowing animal remedy knowing now applied zoopharmacognosy is basically where we the humans or the Guardians offer remedies to animals. So yes, you can use essential oils, you can use hydrosols you can use dried powders. But today I'm talking to you about herbs, herbs and flowers, which I will turn remedies. Now, if we think about for example, the rose a rosebush, outside in your garden or perhaps your neighbor's garden. If a cat just gently brushes against it on purpose, they're going to release the beautiful scent molecules from this plant. Now, Rose is one of the most nurturing remedies that there is. It is gorgeously, no it is gorgeously supportive, it's emotionally nurturing. It's a really, really beautiful scent. And actually the healing properties that that has on the body is phenomenal. It's calming, it's relaxing, it's nurturing. So remedies can help to work on all the elements of the cat from the physical body. So there are remedies that can help to reduce pain, physical issues, discomfort and upset tummy There are also remedies that help with the mental and emotional state of our cats. So when they're dealing with stress and anxiety, if they're over grooming, if they're urinating around the home, all of these remedies can help to support the cat overall health and well being. So I'm sure that you've had in your lifetime a cup of peppermint tea, or a cup of chamomile tea, or you know, of someone that's had a cup of chamomile and peppermint tea. And the reason that people have those is because they help the body. So for example, peppermint helps to soothe the tummy, chamomile helps to calm the nerves. And it's exactly the same for cats, those properties are exactly the same for our feline friends. Julie-Anne Thorne 5:43 So what I call a herb garden is where you get a towel or a blanket, and you put it down in a quiet area of the home. So for example, ours is in the dining room. So it's a space that we don't use too often, it's around the family, but it's not in a major walkway, there's not a lot of foot traffic in that area. And you put down a towel or a blanket, something a bit bigger than a tea towel, or like a hand towel or a bit larger. And you get a good pinch of a flower or a herb and you put it in each corner of the mat. And that's it, that's all you have to do. And then you watch, you sit back and you enjoy, and you watch your cat enjoy these remedies. Now, different cats will react in different ways. So for example, you may get a cat who's quite confident, who's very self assured, and they may rub and roll around, they may get the remedies all in their fluff, they may expose their tummy, they may stretch, they may get themselves all wrapped up in the towel or blanket. And the remedies go everywhere. That's not a that's not a common response. So cats are predator and prey animals. So it takes a while for them to to be vulnerable to lean into the healing. So some cats may take three to four days before they even go anywhere near the herb garden. And that's okay. They are assessing it out, they are establishing whether it's a safe space to be. And also if a cat is going to heal if they are going to be vulnerable. You know, they've got to reduce that instinct to be on alert. So even the most aloof of cats, even the most chilled out cats will still have that auto response, that if there's a loud noise or something that's unusual to be aware of threats, because that's how they're wired predator and a prey animal. So some cats may just simply sit on next to or near the herbs and flowers. And again, that's absolutely fine. We have to trust in these gorgeous beings to do exactly what they need to. So you don't need to worry about getting herbs or flowers and rubbing it under the cat's nose or taking their cat to the herb garden. Just trust in their innate knowing. Remember Cognizant knowing they know they know what they need to heal. It's our duty as their guardians to give them the opportunity to enjoy it. So some cats may Reverend roll around, some cats may sit near next to or on top of the remedies, they may do a mixture of both. You may also find that depending on the situation and the if there's a chronic or acute illness with the cat that may also influence how they work with the remedies. So mostly cats will work through inhalation. Their sense of smell is so sensitive that they don't need necessarily to ingest the remedies. Although yes, they can. And some of them do. So for example, I worked with a cat. And she had been shot by an air rifle. It was a tragic story. And her guardian came to me because she was suffering with pain or so they thought and they were absolutely right. We put down some valerian root and some comfrey leaf. And she actually ate them all. It was about a tablespoon of each and she ate the lot. So it just goes to show that cuts do ingest it. And no she wasn't sick. She didn't have any adverse reactions. In fact, 12 hours later, she was running around the kitchen like a kitten, a behaviour that they hadn't seen before and her they were absolutely amazed. So you see, the cats know what they need. They know how much they need, they also know how to take it, they may you may find some cats, particularly with a rosebud. They may chew at it. And this is to release the same molecules. This is to get to the good stuff of the herb and the flower. This is to allow the cat to actually inhale and enjoy the healing properties of the plant. So you know when you peel an orange and you get that those oils that spread out of it, it's exactly the same with the remedies. You may need to squeeze a little harder because obviously they're dried. But those molecules those healing properties are still in there. So it's Why Why use a herb garden? You know, why am I talking to you about herbs? It's because in my opinion, a herb garden is just as an essential resource as a catalyst as a litter tray and a cat scratching post. I really firmly believe to the bottom of my heart that we can provide a herb garden for our cats that will allow them to deal with their mental and emotional health. Julie-Anne Thorne 10:26 So yes, they need enrichment. Yes, they need. They need tools and bits and pieces in their home in their environment, they need key resources, they need a place to sleep. But I really believe that they need these remedies, they need a herb garden as well. So for example, if your cat is a little nervous, or perhaps a little timid, even if it's the case that someone comes to the door, and they go and run and hide, a herb garden is going to enable them to cope with that anxiety to cope with that stress. So you can get a variety of herbs, I hold 20 in my store, and they're all organic. And if you can, if you can get organic, I would really recommend it because when you're using remedies for your cat, you don't really want them to ingest any more chemicals. They're exposed to so many toxins from our environment. But if you can get organic, I would really really recommend it. Particularly those that are used in things like popery, or for bath products like rose and lavender, they can be heavily adulterated, so try your best to get organic where you can. So the healing properties of the flowers or the herbs can have a phenomenal effect on the body. Like I said, from the cat that was dealing with pain, so physical pain, to a cat that's dealing with mental or emotional stress. We have the capacity to bring the outdoors indoors. So even if you've got an outdoor cat, I'd still recommend to herb garden we've got two cats, one of them goes outside the other one's a little bit too young at the moment. But we have a herb garden down all the time. Because when Leo, our outdoor cat, when he comes in, there are going to be stressors in his environment. He is a very nervous and timid cat. So if something unsettles him, he will go and hide. So we have the herb garden down because when it's nighttime, and there's no one else around, which may be another time when your cat uses the garden, he can go and use it to calm himself to deal with his stress and anxiety to reduce the chemicals that are raging around his body. In my opinion, it also gives the cat a choice. And by doing that we are enabling them to have control over their environment. We man has domesticated cats, we have forced evolution to come in and live with us to come in and live in a home where there's Wi Fi and TV and listening devices and a lot of technology, but also a lot of synthetic chemicals in their home from cleaning products to plug in or read diffusers. Perfumes there are there are a lot of things that our cats are exposed to that it hasn't been through their evolution for them to deal with for them to be able to find the coping mechanisms for. So when cats are dealing with things like over grooming, or as I mentioned before inappropriate toileting. By putting a herb garden down you give the cat an option. You were saying to them here. What do you need to heal? Do you need this Can I help you. And actually it also deepens your connection with your cat. I've been working with cats and herbs for crikey nearly 10 years. And I still love to see a cat on a herb garden. It's such a beautiful experience. And again, I would encourage you if you put herbs and flowers down for your cat to just sit and watch. Don't have your phone Don't be on your phone don't have the TV on. Just sit and be present with them be in the moment with them. Enjoy watching them heal it is such a beautiful experience. Now there are different ways you can tell if your cat is using the herb. So yes, rubbing and rolling around getting the remedies all in their coat is one way. But as I said that's not really the norm. So most cats will be a little bit more settle. Some of them might actually walk through the herb garden or walk past it you might notice they pause ever so slightly. And again if they just take a pause and have a brief inhale and move on. It doesn't mean the garden has been unsuccessful. It means the cat's taken exactly what they need in that moment. Trust them trust that they know. So you can also read a cat's facial expressions. So you will notice a softening of the eyes you some cats will actually flare their nostrils as I said some may lick or eat the remedies. But also you can notice more subtle reactions. So for example a deep breaths, a change in their breathing and some cats will actually have a ripple along their back and that is the biggest display of energy processing. That's what that means. They are literally shift Seeing energy along their body. And what you'll generally find is that after a cat has worked with their herb garden, whether it's a quick sniff and run, or whether it's a layabout and a rubber and roll around, you'll probably notice they will have a clean. And the reason for that is because they are literally shifting the energy from their chakras, through their aura and back out to the world. Julie-Anne Thorne 15:23 It is a really beautiful example of how we can connect with our cats, how we can give them a voice and how we can give them control over their environment. It shows that we're listening, it shows that we're giving them the opportunity to deal with their set themselves in whichever way they need to. So there are different herbs that you can use for different conditions for different situations. There are such a variety out there, and don't be afraid. You know, if you're unsure, try something different. Try something simple. Try the herbs and flowers that you're familiar with. See, for example, Rose, chamomile, peppermint. Now chickweed is also another one that's great for digestion, it helps to smooth the digestive tract. So if your cat is vomiting, or they've had an upset tummy chickweed is a great one to offer. Ginger root is another good one for digestion. Now, not the powder that you get from the supermarket. It needs to be to be a root so it's slightly it's not as ground up as the head that you would get from the supermarket. Also, they generally tend to be quite low quality and you don't really know the origin of them either. Then there are a couple that are really great to support trust and healing, emotional healing and a cat so angelica root that opens the cat up to healing. Linden blossom is a beautiful remedy that builds trust. Now with Linden, you might find that the cat may hiss or have a slow growl. That, again, is a release of energy, they're releasing blocks in motion in their body. And again, that's usually followed by a deep sigh or a big release a big shift in the body or a big stretch. So there are others, for example, St John's wart, that can help with depression. So if you've got a cat that is particularly withdrawn, it's potentially you know, they've moved to a new home or they've come from a rescue centre, that can be really useful to help bring themselves bring the cat out of themselves. And calendula or Marigold, it's beautiful, gorgeous flowers, they're like they're like the sun. They're orange, they're beautiful, and they help to build self confidence. So there is a herb for everything from an elderly cat with pain, inflammation, to a cat that's dealing with a change of home or aggression, anxiety, there is really a herb for anything. So I really encourage you to give it a go. Get an old towel, get some fresh or get some organic catnip, start with the ones that you know, or even potentially open up a chamomile tea bag and pop that down and see what the cat will do. I hope you found this useful. If you want more information, you can find me on my website, which is www.naturallycats.co.uk. I'm also on Facebook and Instagram, and my book The Aromatic Cat details all about herbs and essential oils. So it talks about remedies, remedies that you can use with your cat how to use them what to look for, give it a go. The worst that could happen is it your cat does nothing with it and you've lost nothing. But I promise you your cat I'm sure will do something with it because they will be grateful that you've given them the choice and grateful that you've given them a voice. Thank you very much. Amrys Wang 18:38 Wow, I'm so thankful and grateful that you took the time to listen to this podcast. It would mean the world to me if you could subscribe, download, rate review and share this with others whom you care about that may enjoy it as well. Thank you and remember to be kind to yourself and others have an awesome day everyone! Transcribed by https://otter.ai