174 Chapter 11Feline interdigital semiochemical (FIS)
Scratching that leaves marks on surfaces is also a form of feline communication. As well
as a visual scratch, an olfactory marker is also deposited from the interdigital glands
between the toes and from glands in the large foot pad, known as the plantar pad (see
Chapter 3). This chemical scent has also been artificially reproduced and made commer-
cially available under the name of Feliscratch. Applying this to a suitable scratch post or
pad may help to redirect cats away from items that the owner does not want the cat to
scratch and towards a more acceptable surface. The product also contains a blue dye
that can help to mimic the visual marking, plus catnip that can also act as an attractant
and an encouragement for the cat to scratch on the surface to which it is applied.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
This covers the very wide range of treatments and preparations not generally consid-
ered to be a part of conventional medicine, including supplements and herbal prod-
ucts (see Table 11.2) and many other treatment methods and therapies, a few of
which are described below. Complementary medicine or therapy refers to treatment
that is used alongside conventional health care. Treatments that are used in place of
mainstream practice are termed alternative.
Efficacy, quality and safety can vary tremendously, and it should never be
assumed that a product or method is safe just because it is presented as ‘natural’. For
pharmacological drugs to be licensed, a substantial body of proof is required that they
are safe and effective but there is very little similar requirement for CAM therapies or
products.
Homeopathy
There are three main principles of homeopathy, proposed by Samuel Hahnemann in
- The first is that ‘like cures like’, in other words a substance that causes signs or
symptoms in a healthy individual that are similar to the signs or symptoms of a par-
ticular disease or disorder will cure or ease the symptoms of an individual afflicted
with that disorder. For example, coffee bean remedy is said to cure insomnia and
onion remedy to cure the symptoms of a cold.
The second principle applies to the preparation of the remedies, which involves
serial dilution, often until there is no detectable amount of the original substance, but
it is claimed that the water retains a memory and the higher the dilution the stronger
the potency of the remedy.
The third principle also applies to the preparation and is known as ‘succussion’,
a specific form of vigorous shaking or tapping at each stage of dilution, which is also
believed to increase the remedy’s healing power (Lees et al., 2017a).
Bach flower remedies
These are infusions of plants and flowers preserved in brandy and diluted by spring
water. As with homeopathy, the concentration of plant extract in the final preparation