An update to this post has been published – Apple Cider Vinegar for Cats Updated
In researching holistic care for cats, there are a few remedies that come up over and over again. One of these is apple cider vinegar (ACV) – something I use to treat bladder infection in my own body. From what I’ve seen ACV is effective in treating a number of ailments in cats; bladder blockages and infections, ear infections, mange, fleas, mites, ringworm, upper respiratory problems, and more. It is suggested that the ACV used in remedies be organic and with the “mother.” Always dilute apple cider vinegar when using it with cats!
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Using Apple Cider Vinegar Internally
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When ingested, apple cider vinegar helps to make an acidic environment the digestive tract. This breaks up bladder crystals and kills harmful bacteria. Taking ACV internally is a remedy for bladder blockages, bladder infections, respiratory infections, and other illnesses caused by bacteria. Along with using ACV, cats which normally eat dry food should be switched to wet food and up their moisture intake.
Adding apple cider vinegar to cat food
- Mix 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar with 1 teaspoon of chicken broth (I’ve heard tuna juice also works)
- Add the mixture to the cat’s wet food.
- Repeat this treatment at every feeding until the cat’s symptoms improve (within a few days).
Adding apple cider vinegar to your cat’s water
- Mix 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water
- Dip the cat’s paw into the mixture and allow them to lick it off. It isn’t necessary for the cat to drink the entire mixture. Just getting some of it in them will help.
- Repeat a few times daily until symptoms improve.
Applying Apple Cider Vinegar Topically
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Parasites are not fond of ACV’s acidity. Applying a hearty ACV mixture to your cat topically can kill fleas, mites, and ringworm. This mixture can also clean their skin thoroughly, removing allergens that cause acne and itching. Please note: the acid in ACV can be abrasive to a cat’s tender skin, so be sure to dilute it. Young or sensitive cats may need a more diluted mix.
Cleaning your cat’s ears
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- Mix warm water and apple cider vinegar
- Dunk a paper towel in the mixture
- Squeeze out the liquid into your cat’s ear. You may want to hold another paper towel to the side of your cat’s head to keep the liquid from dripping down.
- Repeat until the ear is sufficiently clean.
Mange Treatment
- Bathe the cat and use shampoo.
- Rinse using a warm water and apple cider vinegar mix.
- Towel dry the cat (make sure they stay warm).
- Gently scrub the cat’s body with a soft bristled tool, such as a toothbrush. This is to remove any of the mange you’ve just killed.
- Lather the cat with castor oil or olive oil to suffocate the mange even further.
Apple Cider Vinegar Rub
Use this technique to treat allergy skin, acne, fleas, and ringworm. If allergies are the problem, also try switching to ceramic or stainless steel food dishes as well as changing to a scent free/low dust cat litter.
- Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 1 part water (dilute this more if necessary).
- Dip a paper towel in the mixture.
- Rub the damp paper towel over your cat’s skin and fur. It is okay if they lick it off. As stated above, cats and ingest apple cider vinegar without any problems.
What are your favorite holistic remedies for cats?
Source – Much of the information in this post was compiled from the discussion about ACV on Earth Clinic.com
Hi! My name is Robin. I'm a creative kitty mommy that that loves laughter and education. My cats, Manna and Dexter, inspire all I do on Playful Kitty. 
Robin, this is all very interesting. I hadn’t heard about this before. But, I must say I can’t imagine giving the cat a bath or rubbing oil into its fur. The cat would never sit still for it, at least my cats never would. Thankfully, that was only recommended for getting rid of mange. As always, I learn something new from reading your posts!
I’m glad I could present you with something new! I don’t think that most cats would be happy with baths or oils, but mange is a really difficult condition. Hopefully your cats (or mine) won’t ever have to deal with it. I think that bathing is required to get rid of mange no matter what treatment is used.
This is awesome! My mom swears by apple cider vinegar as a magical remedy for everything in people, so I guess it makes sense that it would work for cats too. I’ve just never thought about it. I’ll have to give it a try. I love finding new alternative/holistic remedies!
I thought it was pretty awesome when I came across it too. Such a simple remedy. As I figure, you might as well try the simplest answer first and then move on to bigger more expensive ones (so long as the problem isn’t urgent). I’m continuing to seek out more holistic remedies and I will pass them along as I find them 🙂
Great post, dear Robin! 🙂 It’s really interesting. We hadn’t heard of this before either! So thanks for sharing… 😀 xoxo Roxy & Tigerlino <3
Thank you! Now you guys have something new to try if you ever get sick 🙂 Hopefully you won’t get sick though, that’s no fun. xoxo
guess what: I’ve always had apple cider vinegar in my kitchen for our salads… 🙂 thanx for the info, I’ve also used white vinaigre to disinfect and clean up… everything!
I have heard that white vinegar is good for a lot of things too 🙂 I hadn’t thought about using apple cider vinegar on my salads. I will have to try that.
We didn’t know vinegar could help. The mom needs to keep a bottle on hand. 🙂
I am just finding these things out myself. I knew it could help me, but I wasn’t aware that it was effective with cats. It is a far less expensive cure than what the vet would give you. 🙂
Great article, with practical and useful info. Would love to use it sometime with your permission of course.
Thank you very much. As long as I am credited for the article and there is a link back to my site, that is fine with me 🙂 Of course using WordPress’ “reblog” button would be acceptable too. Thank you for asking!
Wow, who would’ve guessed? Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! It’s worth a try if you ask me. Apple cider vinegar is very inexpensive compared to the prescriptions you get from the vet and there aren’t any side effects.
Is there anything apple cider vinegar can’t do? We use it to kill mosquito larvae in the pond and to help Leo keep his e-coli levels down (a common cockatoo problem.) Great post! I am off to share it!
Thank you very much! I really appreciate the share! Apple cider vinegar is awesome stuff. Nature has all the best cures for things 🙂
Great post re:vinegar killing the mozzies in the pond does it. Really work ?.Im going to try this thanks.
We have A LOT of mosquitoes in our neighborhood and the ACV in our pond has cut back on the amount in our yard! The concentration has to be high- at least 15% ACV to 85% water- and it has to be repeatedly added, especially after a lot of rain, so buy your ACV in bulk! We also throw dried lavender bunches into the pond once in a while for a natural mosquito deterrent.
I have heard of that for dogs too.
Yes! I heard that as well. There are a lot of great holistic cures for dogs that I’ve run across.
Thank you so very much!! This is an answered prayer for my cat zoo lol We’ve got three babies (and me) suffering with flea problems, and one of whom also has a mange condition – we are broke for a couple of months n cant afford a vet bill, and we want to avoid harsh chemicals if at all possible — My friend was just mentioning to me about the benefits of apple cider vinegar for both cats and humans ! Now I see this article, and the pests shall be eliminated without side effects – yay ! BTW I’ve also read spraying the apple cider vinegar mix on furniture and upholstery and carpets will deter the fleas, and also sprinkle salt on the floors and carpets where they are, wait three days and vacuum. Repeat until they are gone. The salt dehydrates them, and the vacuum suction kills them (but dump the vacuum debris outside just to be safe :)) ) … ahhh, and the joy of being a cat mom is restored
Thank you for the extra info! I’m glad that this will work so well for your kitty. If you ask me, the natural remedies work the best. Sometimes they just take a little longer to work than pharmaceuticals.My only caution is to make sure that you dilute the ACV so that it doesn’t burn anyone. Other than that, it should work great. Let me know how it goes! I haven’t used it on fleas myself, but I heard it works great for them. I’m so glad that you are able to enjoy your cat mom duties again 🙂
I think you should burn the debri, cause if you throw outside some eggs may live a jump on to the animals wen they go out to play.
Hi again, if you look up the wall about a foot from the floor you will see fleas perched waiting to jump on the next passer by it might pay to spray ACV up there
I missed this originally because I didn’t start reading blogs until May of last year- I am definitely going to try this on the ears. Great post.
Thank you so much! Apple Cider Vinegar is fantastic. Just make sure that you dilute so it isn’t so strong. Natural remedies are the best if you ask me.
hello robin
to quote you:-
When ingested, apple cider vinegar helps to create an acidic environment in the digestive tract.
this goes against everything i have ever known about acv!
i would look forward to your response!
[email protected]
cheerio!
Hi! I will take a look through my notes from when I did this post and get back to you ASAP 🙂
This was awesome thank you.
One of my cats has a nasty bacteria infection on her lower stomach, by her hind legs, we have been treating her with prescription medicine for over a year now. However, it does not seem to be working and to say that we are all frustrated is an understatement. The vet told us she has nothing else to offer her, we are getting to the point where we may have to put her down. I am going to try this apple cider vinegar remedy on her. Do you have any other suggestions that may work? I really do not want to let my poor baby go but I realize it has been a year that the poor thing has been dealing with this sickness.
Any help would be appreciated.
I don’t know of any other natural remedies bacterial infections off hand. Have you tried consulting with a holistic veterinarian? I would do a search on MercolaPets.com and see what Dr.Karen Becker has to say on the subject. I get a lot of my information from her. I’m not a veterinarian, so I don’t want to lead you in a wrong direction. I sincerely hope that you can find something that will work. I will be praying for your cat.
Dear Robin,
I have been searching for a way to treat my cats that I beleive are suffering from mange. I have several that have lost there hair from the middle if there back to the tail. I feel so bad for them but do not have the financial means to go to the vet because I was laid off from my job 6 month’s ago. I am going home immediately to dilute some acc and try it. I am really hoping this works. I also have sale cat that seems to have a little blood in his urine. I will try some of this in his water:) WISH ME LUCK
I AM VERY HOPEFUL!
Thanks a bunch, Donna G.
Our Ragdoll actually pulled her own hair of from her chest to her butt when our house burned down and we had to leave her with relatives. Is your cat stressing out? We thought it could be the cheap dry food they were feeding her. When we finally got a pet friendly new place, we brought her home and it grew back fine. Is your cat really itchy? It may not be mites, but I guess the ACV is a safe solution either way. Hope you get back on your feet soon and all goes well. Aloha from Hawaii!
I am sorry to hear about your fur babies bacterial infection. This is just a suggestion but look into oregano oil. It has worked many wonders for myself and I have used it diluted internally for my cats when they are fighting kitty colds etc. If it is on the skin diluted with a carrier oil like olive oil might be worth a try. Of course do some research and keep in mind oregano oil is very strong. It is an antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, digestive, emenagogue and anti-allergenic substance. I use it for myself to keep away strep throat that I have been susceptible since child hood. I spent many years on antibiotics and once I discovered Oregano Oil I have never looked back over 5 years antibiotic free despite my immune system now being compromised it still works like a charm. I didn’t look at the date of this post so sorry if it’s late. Sincerely Tammy
You are right Tammy, oregano oil is a miracle worker!
ACV is working for Lincoln. He’s a young male who has had dry food until this week – Never again dry food. He’s got a UTI and we are snowed in w no vets so we researched how to cure his UTI and ACV is the way. You just have to dilute it enough 1 tsp to 1 cup water and give it frequently (siringe or dropper + a little coconut oil) to quickly stop the pain. We are force feeding him every hour at least a tbsp because it’s serious enough – he was straining and not peeing along w throwing up for several days then we finally saw that he was going pee many times to the box and anywhere else but nothing but drops was coming out. We isolated him to a comfortable bathroom and started our treatment during snow storm. This evening he finally peed a huge clump not just a little bit – so our diligence is paying off. He was lethargic and now seems more comfortable and wants to bat at his mouse. We are on the mend due to ACV. (Dilution is key – he threw up a 50/50solution and we removed all food for a while and just gave the solution every hour – there are several tricks to get this into their system)
I won’t be going to vet because of all the bad stories for uti treatments by vets.
I have a kitten that has a uri…I have heard that the organic apple cider helps them alot…is this OK to give them
I am not totally sure on this one. This would be a good question for your veterinarian. There are a few different medical problems that have the same symptoms as URIs and they are not solved in the same way. The only way to tell these issues apart is with urinary tests. Apple cider may not be great for cats because of how sugary it is (apples naturally have a lot of sugar in them). Cats don’t have the necessary enzymes to digest very much sugar. Apple Cider Vinegar does not contain sugar because the sugar is a part of the chemical reaction that changes Apple Cider into vinegar.
Thank you so much for mentioning that ACV helps with ringworm. I took in five stray kittens from my yard three weeks ago. When they first went to the vet they were given a clean bill of health. When I took the kittens for the second visit the vet suspected ringworm. I have medication that I am giving them every day but honestly, I don’t know where the ringworm is on most of them to apply the cream. So I really like that you mentioned about rubbing them down with ACV. No one is helping me with this task and although I do love the kittens I am quite overwhelmed with keeping them in quarantine in the bathroom, keeping my resident pets and family safe and sanitizing everything! Thanks for the guidance! Lissette
Hi, we have 8 indoor cats and I want to just put some Bragg’s in their drinking water bowl. It’s a huge bowl so how much should I put in it per day?
I put a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in my cats and dogs water bowl…it does wonders for humans and animals.
Thank you for this! I will start putting it in my babies water. I drink it for its alkalizing effects. – (When I can remember.) My Wiley cat has the most gorgeous thick black fur and I think he might have mange on his little head… My grandparents put USED motor oil on their pup that had mange ALL OVER his body and it cured him! Of course they had to repaint the house but their pup was cured… I just put USED motor oil on my Wiley boys head with a dropper and he didn’t even flinch. Motor oil suffocates mites so that they CAN NOT survive! I should notice it starting to work right away. I can’t stand to see my baby with mange! Ugchkkk!!!!
Cats groom. Your cat will use his paws to groom that motor oil off his head, then lick them. Motor oil is toxic. See where this is going? This probably comes too late for your cat, but I hope to stop others from following your advice. DON’T PUT MOTOR OIL ON YOUR PET.
Thank you for this very informative article! I did not previously know ACV could be used on cats. I now have a question though…
I just aquired a kitten who is 12 weeks but very tiny. Maybe even under a pound… she is normal other than she has lost all the hair on her ears and some on her head and tops of her front paws. She has a little brown gook in her ears but no smell so I figured if it is ear mites they aren’t very bad yet and I can treat her at home. (I cannot afford to take her to the vet right now and honestly I don’t want to yet because they will want to give her chemicals and pesticides and I feel she is too small for that) I have given her an ACV dip/bath 2x and used olive oil on her ears to help heal her skin and aid in killing whatever she has.
She is still losing fur on her head and ears and her ears where the fur is gone have become a little dry and crusty. No puss, no blood, just like crusty flaky skin. A) is this normal through the course of these treatments? B) how often should I be using the ACV on her and how long? And C) how will I know when I can stop and when I have killed off whatever is ailing her skin? I do NOT want to use any chemicals or pesticides on her as she is way too small for that. She seems very happy and healthy otherwise… normal pee, poop, eating, and playing habits. Its just this fur loss and crustiness.
Thanks in advance!
I never knew Apple Cider Vinegar had soooo many uses. I ALWAYS HAVE IT ON HAND, because it’s vital for my super delicious crockpot pulled pork. I use it for cage cleaning, and for deodorizing the litter boxes. But this? Wow! Thanks for the heads up!
Anti-inflammatory properties of lavender, almond, & vitamin E are well-known home remedies for ear mites in cats.
Really too much thankful to you for sharing this useful information, Now I am going to apply it on my junior male cat who is having fleas and UTI
Thank you so much, this is all wonderful news to me. I would like to try the apple cider vinegar/water mixture to clean my cat’s ears, can you tell me what the best ratio would be for that purpose? Thanks again.
Thank you so much its amazing i tried it on my 5 week kitten it getting better.
My cat has ringworm which she has given to her kittens I’ve been putting acv in there food which they all eat but have struggled with trying to dab or wash them in it as they just wiggle and scratch if I just leave it in there food will they get rid of it or do I need to continue washing them in it