The Natural Connection between selective weeding,
pest control, and bladder trouble in cats

The last thing I want is to offend cat lovers but unfortunately, cats have a little defect: there is something not quite right in their urinary tract – which makes them highly prone to suffer lower urinary tract infections (UTI). Of course not all cats have this problem, but it appears that many 'chains' in the species have a weak link in the lower urinary tract. It seems that when cats are stressed, a UTI is the releasing method. Whatever the reason might be, I very often see cats in my practice afflicted with chronic urinary tract infections. The incidence of UTI in cats was higher in my early years of practice. Once pet food companies caught on and modified their formulas, the number of cases decreased significantly, particularly those in which the urethra becomes plugged and the cat cannot urinate. However, cats with UTI are still a daily occurrence in my practice.

I grew up in San Vicente, Colombia. My father was an agronomist and a farmer. He was a researcher and practitioner of organic farming methods. Traditionally, farmers in the region took pride in having their crops neatly weeded. They spent lots money “cleaning,” manually or chemically. Our family farm was odd – visiting farmers grinned at the sight of crops full of weeds. My father used a selective weeding technique that allowed some weeds to prosper (he called them “good weeds”), forming a ground cover that in turn suppressed “bad weeds.” Despite criticism and ridicule, he continued and promoted the practice because crop yields improved. Later he learned that the groundcover prevented the leaching of nutrients, maintaining a natural fertility, hence reducing the dependence on added fertilizer; the “good weeds” would further improve fertility by carrying nutrients from the deep layers of the soil, making them available to nutrient-demanding crops. Moreover, in this undisturbed groundcover beneficial fungi prospered, creating a network of nutrient catchments. Further, on a farm with diversity of plants there is a diversity of insects, and so a biological pest control is maintained naturally. On a “clean farm,” pests prosper and chemical spraying is needed. My father discovered that replicating a natural environment, with selective intervention, was more economical and healthy. He used this approach in a variety of situations, always with excellent results.

I’ve followed this natural approach from early on in my practice. As I pondered UTI in cats, I realized that cats in their natural environment are carnivores: they eat both mouse and bird meat. Commercial cat foods contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. If we apply a natural approach, it follows that cats with chronic UTI may be better off with a more natural diet. Therefore I’ve recommended a diet based on chicken meat, which is the closest to the natural diet. Voilà! Many cats have improved with a simple change of diet, while some cats have needed homeopathic treatment to support their healing.

Later on I learned that the biochemical makeup of cats is adapted to a high protein (meat) diet, very low in carbohydrates (sugar precursors). Cats virtually lack glucokinase, an enzyme required to remove sugar from the blood and store it in the liver. I do not know how it is that persistent high sugar levels favor UTI, but the mechanism may be soon discovered. An inflamed bladder leaks blood and serum which, containing high levels of free sugar, may favor bacterial growth. However, cats suffering chronic diarrhea have also improved when put on a chicken meat diet. And so it also goes for cats with diabetes. The natural approach has an overall effect on the animal’s metabolism, with an impact on every system.

Therefore in medicine as in agriculture, mimicking the natural processes, with the right intervention (e.g. selective weeding, homeopathic medicines, etc), is healthier and more effective.

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