Pet Lovers PSA by Nancy Gideon

I don’t know about you, but my fur babies are family.

 Any parent knows there’s nothing scarier than a baby being sick. The helplessness and worry that comes with not knowing what’s wrong and them not being able to tell you . . . I’ve got a grey hair and a worry line for each such occasion with two sons and a grandson. But the absolute worst is when it happens at night when there’s no one you can call without a trip to the ER.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my pets. They provide me with such joy and love and entertainment, there’s no way to put a price on it! I currently have a household of my three foundling cats and my sister’s aged dog and, oh yeah, my adult son. Out of the seven of us, it’s the four four-legged family members who get the most attention and care. My “free” cats have cost me more in out-of-pocket doctor bills in the last five years than my own – and I had a knee replacement! But I’m not complaining. Shots, exams, tooth extractions, a weight loss program, prescription food x two, urinary blockages that required five days hospitalization, and just last night, a new potential emergency that kept me up most of the early AM hours on Vet websites because . . .

Onions are poisonous to cats!

Who knew?! I didn’t. So when my four-year-old Keanu snatched a chunk of onion from our pizza, I didn’t think much of it . . . until I couldn’t stop thinking about it . . . all night long. Because it was after hours at our vet’s office, I headed to the Internet and found that onions and cats aren’t just a bad mix, they are a TOXIC one! Here’s one of the articles out of dozens that spell it out like a pet owner’s horror story.

My Cat Ate Onion! Here’s What to Do (Vet Answer)

 

I don’t “do” math (as my 13-year-old grandguy will attest!). Going through article after article that state 5g of onion per kilogram of body weight or 0.5% of cat’s total weigh is enough to cause harm with symptoms that may not appear for WEEKS after ingestion did not put my mind at ease (here’s me at 1:00 AM picking onion off cold pizza to place it in measuring spoons). As if vomiting and diarrhea isn’t bad enough, the real scary fact is life-threatening irreversible damage to red blood cells that carry oxygen to organs and muscles. At one in the morning, Keanu wasn’t interested in my examination for possible pale gums, rapid breathing, high heart rate, lethargy and the aforementioned vomiting and diarrhea. Purring rapidly became growling. The wait until I could contact my vet at 9:00 seemed sooooo far away.

Withholding breakfast from a big male cat while his elder “sisters” are gobbling theirs is no fun for cat or owner. It was only 7:00 AM and he was giving me those big, “Why are you being mean to me?” eyes. So, after hours of reading dozens of vet-written articles, I went to a website called JustAnswer.com and within less than 10 minutes was online with a vet. After answering his questions about Keanu’s situation, including his history, size and weight and the amount ingested, within a few minutes, I had my Mom-relieving answer. Being a big boy weighing over 10 pounds, an onion piece of less than a tsp was harmless.

Bad Kitty! No onions . . . but here’s your prescription food breakfast.

Another case of knowing is half the battle. Onions and cats don’t mix – Ever! And if you have a flower garden and grow alliums (like we do) – they are in the onion family and also tres toxic! Make sure your pet can’t get into them.

Excuse me while I go back to cuddling my fur baby.

♚♚♚♚♚

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