Has anyone tried silver vine with their cats?

[catsmom21]

I've grown cat nip for 20 years. My cats are certainly cat nip snobs because of this. I just happened to see the link to silver vine on the dezi& roo site...I think it was something related to the anti-declaw bill that sent me to their site (they also help in the cause) and thought it might be nice for them to have something a little different.

I've tried honeysuckle without real success, only one of my cats was interested (she's an Angel now) and the interest didn't really hold, even with her. I can't bear the smell of valerian so never got a chance to see if they liked it, it came into the house and went right back out again after I got a whiff.

The 15 year old will be stimulated for a minute or two with anything minty, but a peppermint candy in plastic wrap or the packaging from my dental floss aren't really appropriate toys for a cat.

I think I will try a couple of the silver vine toys and will be sure to report back here. My cats are 15 and 9 and highly active, and have very specific toys and Games they like, but everyone needs a new toy now and then, right?

[Izzie1213]

Originally Posted by ClassicCarFamily

The dried catnip did nothing for my kitty but I was at the local Home Improvement store and they had catnip growing in pots. I took a small leaf from it and brought it home. She couldn't get enough of it and started rolling all over the floor and so into it. I think I will go back and get some catnip plants for the yard and put the fresh catnip in little linen cat toys for her.

Don't have to get too many catnip plant. It grows like the weed it is and reseeds itself. But I few I don't pull out, just cut back for winter. Then they come back quick er and larger in the spring. I started with one small plant and would have thousands if I don't aggressively weed.

I wonder if you can grow your own silver vine?

Update. Silver vine is Hardy zone 4-8.

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/Actinidia-polygama

[ClassicCarFamily]

I will grow the catnip in pots. i didn't know they spread like that. our neighbor put mint in their yard and it has spread to our yard too so it must be like the catnip. My cat doesn't like the mint she makes a funny face when she smells it and runs off.

[catsmom21]

The silver vine is a total flop. And Dezi&Roo don't take returns on opened products. Of course, you can't know if your cat will like the toys until after they've been opened.

[ClassicCarFamily]

This is off topic maybe I should start another thread but I read that dry food is bad for cats. My cat adores the dry food so was worried. She is a female cat. I heard that the male cats can get urine crystals from something in the dry food I think it was the ash content but I didn't know if it is the same for female cats. I have read so much about the dry food but my friend has 3 cats and for years they have been only on dry food and they are all fine. She purchases a prescription diet dry food from the vet for kidneys so they don't ever have issues. My cat is indoors and currently eats the Purina One hairball formula. The hairball formula does nothing to prevent hairballs. She is medium hair and loses a lot of hair daily. I brush her thoroughly every morning. I am switching up her food to Blue Buffalo now. She seems to not like the Blue Buffalo as much but a vet on You Tube said that sometimes allergies develop over time to the grains and Blue Buffalo has no grains in the formula that I can see. I also am giving her a hair ball paste now daily to help.

[catsmom21]

Originally Posted by ClassicCarFamily

This is off topic maybe I should start another thread but I read that dry food is bad for cats. My cat adores the dry food so was worried. She is a female cat. I heard that the male cats can get urine crystals from something in the dry food I think it was the ash content but I didn't know if it is the same for female cats. I have read so much about the dry food but my friend has 3 cats and for years they have been only on dry food and they are all fine. She purchases a prescription diet dry food from the vet for kidneys so they don't ever have issues. My cat is indoors and currently eats the Purina One hairball formula. The hairball formula does nothing to prevent hairballs. She is medium hair and loses a lot of hair daily. I brush her thoroughly every morning. I am switching up her food to Blue Buffalo now. She seems to not like the Blue Buffalo as much but a vet on You Tube said that sometimes allergies develop over time to the grains and Blue Buffalo has no grains in the formula that I can see. I also am giving her a hair ball paste now daily to help.

No cat should ever EVER be fed a dry diet. It is the worst thing a cat can eat for many reasons including kidney damage (a given), urinary tract damage, the potential for diabetes, heart disease obesity, tooth decay..the list is endless.

A dry fed cat is chronically dehydrated. A cat cannot drink enough water to make up the deficit. Cats are designed to get their moisture from their food.

Dry diets are excessively high in carbohydrates. A cat's species appropriate diet contains less than 1% carbs. Dry diets are usually 30-40% carbs.

The person feeding "prescription" dry diet for their kidneys is going to be in for a shock because dry diets cause kidney disease. And those kidney diets are greatly reduced protein which leads to muscle wasting in cats. The what little protein there is is not mainly sourced from meat.

Cats need a diet high in protein sourced from meat, moderate fat, also sourced from meat, no carbs and at least 70% moisture.

No cat is "fine" on a dry diet. They are chronically dehydrated. Since cats hide even severe pain and illness, people who feed dry diets will not really notice their cat isn't healthy. It's after you make the swicth, THEN you realize how "unfine" your cat really was.

I'm glad you asked. You can transition your cat to a better, wet, diet. I will be glad to help.

Depending on how much damage has already been done, you may never need a toxic "hairball paste" again.