Turmeric is something of a wonder spice. It can cure all sorts of things, both internally and externally. It’s also a colorant used in both food and cosmetics.
However, if you’ve ever used it on your skin—frankly, if you’ve even just cooked with it—there is a good chance you know that it can stain quite badly. We’re going to assume this woman didn’t know that before she decided to treat her white cat with it.
Turmeric: A Cure-all
The main medicinal ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin, which is a yellow-colored chemical.
According to WebMD:
“Turmeric is commonly used for conditions involving pain and inflammation, such as osteoarthritis. It is also used for hay fever, depression, high cholesterol, a type of liver disease, and itching. Some people use turmeric for heartburn, thinking and memory skills, inflammatory bowel disease, stress, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.”
It’s the colorant part of the above that comes into play here.
A Caring Cat Mom
Thammapa Supamas, of Thailand, did what any mom would do when she found out her child—or pet—was suffering. She looked for appropriate treatment.
Upon discovering her cat had a fungal infection on its legs, she decided to treat it with turmeric. Perhaps she had experience with using the spice for such an issue in the past and decided it would work on her cat as well. For whatever the reason, she rubbed turmeric on the infected areas.
With some not so astounding results. At least to anyone who knows how very badly this spice can stain.
Now, I’m guessing she didn’t apply the spice over the cat’s entire body, just its legs. But anyone who has watched a cat for any length of time knows how they lick and groom. So it’s likely that is how it managed to spread the turmeric and therefore dye its entire body.
Or who knows. Maybe some spilled on the floor and it rolled around in it. Regardless, the results are the same.
An Internet Sensation
After seeing that her once white cat was now a lovely pastel hue, she did exactly what many people wound now do. She posted a picture to her Facebook, explaining what she had done, and sharing the outcome with friends.
Predictably—it went viral and the news agencies began to pick the story up. Because, you know, yellow cat. How often do you see one of those?
Supamas has also decided to have some fun with it. To keep her cat in the limelight—or should I say—lemonlight—she has spent some time editing some of her previous photos.
Presumably, she is something of a Pokémon fan and has realized a resemblance between the cat and Pikachu, a yellow creature. I’m hoping these are Photoshop touchups and that she hasn’t further dyed her cat.
Veterinarians Speak Up
Most of us turn to home remedied occasionally, even for ourselves and our children. So it really isn’t much of a stretch to think someone would do the same for their pets.
However, vets urge caution. After all, something that may be completely safe for our physiology may be detrimental to our pets.
As far as turmeric goes, there isn’t any research to prove it will work on a cat.
Dr. Kurt Venator, DVM, Ph.D., and Purina’s Chief Veterinary Officer, tells PEOPLE,
“Turmeric has been used on the human side for years and many healing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties have been attributed to it, however, it hasn’t been studied extensively in pets. I would recommend consulting your veterinarian about safe and effective treatments for your pet before using turmeric as a medical remedy on your own.”
Chad Dodd, a veterinarian, and member of the American Veterinary Medical Association advises against the use of turmeric because,
“…it can take months to fade away.”
But all is Well
Fortunately, all seems well with the cat, despite its lovely hue.
Fox News reports that Supamas has thanked her new followers for their concern and that the cat was,
“Overall, ok.”
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