First, we must understand that medications meant for humans should absolutely never be given to cats. Humans and cats may have originated from the same fertilized egg millions of years ago, but as we have evolved, their physical structures and tolerance levels have become vastly different. This is evident in their constitutions, especially in brain structure and regulatory functions, as well as the quantity and types of liver and kidney enzymes. These differences determine that medications have different pharmacological and toxicological effects in humans and animals. Some drugs that are effective in humans may be harmful or even fatal to cats.



1. Cold medicine

Most cold medicines contain acetaminophen, which has significant effects on humans, including reducing fever and relieving pain, effectively alleviating headaches and fever caused by colds. However, it's not good for cats because they lack the enzyme to metabolize acetaminophen. Therefore, cats can hardly metabolize acetaminophen into their bodies, leading to methemoglobinemia.

The main symptoms of poisoning in cats are poor mental state, loss of appetite and water, vomiting, drooling, difficulty breathing, lower than normal body temperature, bluish-purple discoloration of the skin, mouth, nose and eye mucous membranes, facial edema, and eventually death due to severe liver damage.

Therefore, at home, the medicine box containing commonly used medicines should be locked and stored properly. Do not leave cold medicine lying around to prevent your cat from accidentally swallowing it while playing.

II. Eye drops

Cats often have discharge in their eyes, which can form "tear ducts" if left untreated, and sometimes even change their fur color. Therefore, it's important to clean their eyes regularly. Gently dab the area with a cotton ball or gauze dampened with warm water to soften the discharge, then gently wipe it away with a wrung-out cotton ball. Cats' eyes are very sensitive; never use human eye drops just because they have eye discharge.

Commonly used eye drops contain boric acid, which can cause inflammation, so caution must be exercised when using them. Some breeds, like Persian cats, have watery eyes that easily get dirty around the eyes. However, if in addition to eye discharge, there are symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy, the cat may be sick and must be taken to the vet immediately.

III. Contraceptive pills

After reaching sexual maturity, domestic female cats will go into heat all year round. When in heat, some female cats will urinate everywhere and hiss loudly in order to find a mate, especially at night, which can sometimes annoy family members and neighbors.

To control bleeding and vocalizations during estrus in cats, some people use human contraceptives. While human contraceptives can be effective in cats, research has shown that they can cause arteriosclerosis, ovarian bleeding, ovarian cysts, uterine infections such as pyometra, mammary tumors, and even breast cancer in cats. Therefore, we do not recommend using human contraceptives for cats.

Therefore, when a cat is sick, we should try to take it to a veterinary hospital instead of trying to be clever and giving it our own medicine in the hope that it will get better. That's not realistic.