Natural flea treatments?

[tankgirl73]

After 7 years with our kitties and never a bug to be seen, all of a sudden last week they are both COVERED with fleas.

Now I grew up with a dozen cats and fleas were just a part of life lol... but still, we don't want to risk turning this into a major problem. Plus, one of our current cats is having some major hair loss as a result -- which I didn't even realize was a possible effect of fleas, none of our cats when I was growing up ever had that issue.

The other cat has really, really, really thick (short, but dense) fur, so no noticeable loss, but it really traps all the flea dirt so she's filthy lol... Plus they are obviously itchy, poor things.

I broke down and bought some nasty horrible chemical pesticide spray stuff and coated the poor dears with it -- we were going to be away for the whole day so it would give them time for it to dry and wear off a bit before our toddler would be handling them. That's a primary concern for me -- the chemicals and the toddler. Not to mention the cats themselves. And the environment in general. Etc.

But, if that's what it takes, I'll do it. But I'm wondering what alternative "home remedies" there might be out there, that WORK.

The spray I got says that it kills the adults for at least 7 days and prevents eggs hatching etc for 2 months, with just one application. Crazy. Maybe we can use the nasty stuff every couple of months as needed, IF needed, after this initial application (but I'm not even sure I got hair-loss cat covered enough, he was NOT cooperative and still seems very itchy), and just use something home-based for maintenance?

Anyway, so far no signs of home infestation, just itchy kitties. Any suggestions?

[Sailor]

What kind of spray was it? I ask because the stuff you put between the shoulders - you shouldn't buy the cheaper versions at the pet store. They're not as effective and are actually more unsafe than their counterparts.

If you have a major infestation - your best bet is to get the stuff that goes between the shoulders. You can get it from your vet. Or, I believe, you can get advantix(sp?) online. Yes, it's chemical and not ecologically friendly. But, it's the only thing that will get rid of a major flea infestation. Your cats can actually become anemic with a major flea infestation - this happened to my mom's cat.

In terms of prevention ... I don't know much about cats. I give my dog raw garlic everyday. But, I neither know if a cat would eat that nor if it's safe.

If your cats are outside cats or outside/inside, and you live in a warm area, it's going to be tough preventing flea infestation with just natural means.

Either way, though - forget about the store bought spray, and get the stuff for between the shoulders. They can't lick themselves there, and it's super effective.

[Nicole915]

Sailor is spot on, the meds that are available through your vet are head and shoulders above what is available over the counter. There are many conditions in veterinary medicine that are ideal to address with natural remedies, but sadly fleas are not among them. I personally like Revolution best (Pfizer) but there are several good options, your vet can point you toward what is best for your cats.

For years, the main alt medicine treatment for fleas was pennyroyal oil, which does indeed repel fleas... BUT it also damages the liver profoundly.

Several years ago I had a patient who simply could not tolerate flea meds, not due to the active drug, but due to the solution. Those (awesome) owners were able to keep fleas under control by treating the house and using a flea comb for an hour every day. Thankfully their cat loved being combed, because I'm not sure what we would have done if the cat had protested.

(I'm not your vet, and this isn't medical advice.)

[tankgirl73]

Thanks. I had been under the impression that the between-the-shoulders stuff was readily available at pet stores, from the quick research I had done previously. This particular store is a pet FOOD store and they only had one type of flea treatment, available in spray, shampoo, and powder. I figured it was worth a shot, though the shoulders stuff would have been my first choice if it was available.

We haven't looked for a vet yet since moving here last year, but I guess it's time. I'll check online suppliers too. We're in Canada, if it makes a difference for availability.

Our cats love being combed too, and we've been doing that. Hair-loss cat seems to have stopped losing hair, maybe even growing it back already, so that's a good sign. If this treatment doesn't end up doing the trick I'll hunt down the other stuff.

They are indoor/outdoor cats so I know it's not a sure thing, but they've ALWAYS been indoor/outdoor cats and we've never seen a flea before. I shouldn't be surprised, in fact now that I think about it, it's more surprising that we've never had a problem before lol... But because we were used to parasite-less living, it IS a surprise lol.

[ParisApril]

My 12 year old dog has fleas for the first time this year. I bought some Zodiac from the pet store and it didn't work at all. She was itching like crazy still three days after the treatment so I gave her a bath with dish soap and left it on for 5 minutes to kill all the live bugs on her. I think all the meds probably/hopefully washed off with the bath too. The website I read this at said to soap the neck quickly first so the fleas can't get to the eyes and ears to try and hide. That worked well for the bugs living on her and she slept like a baby that night but the next day she was scratching again.

I asked my friend who is an organic animal farmer what they do when their animals get fleas and she told me to try Diatomaceous Earth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth in her fur. I have put it on her for three days now and she is not scratching/itching very much anymore. I have been vaccuming every other day to try and get all the new fleas that might be hatching. I put a cat flea collar in the vaccum to kill bugs. I am changing her sleeping towel every day and I am washing all our bedding today to try and get rid of any eggs that might be hanging around.

It's working for us so far. I don't want to put anything really toxic on my old dog. She has cancer and who knows if she could handle the side effects.

Good luck!

[Peace+Hope]

parisapril,

i just bought some diotomaceous earth too, but i have cats. i JUST noticed flea poop during my weekly flea comb of them two days ago. i know i can sprinkle it around and vacuum it, but i didn't think it was safe to put directly on the pet.

how's your doggy doing now?

do you think it's safe for cats? anyone else? the bag says to wear gloves and not injest, cause it is so super-absorbant and will dry and irritate skin. but i'm trying to avoid the medicines at almost all costs!

thank you,

p&h

[ParisApril]

She's doing really good. She is still scratching a bit, nothing like she was though. I figure she will continue to pick up fleas that probably now live in the yard everytime she goes outside to pee. As long as the ones that are getting on her are killed before they can lay eggs I'll be happy. The DE hasn't bothered her in the least. I also put a bunch of the DE on the floor and base boards around where she sleeps.

I think it will be fine to use on your cats.

Diatomaceous Earth is the primary active ingredient in these products to control numerous pests, particularly, ants, fleas and ticks.
You can rub this into your dog or cat's fur it's so safe. Insects cannot become immune to it because, it's a mechanical insect killer, not a chemical. Insects come in contact with this powder and die of dehydration within about 48 hours of contact. Safe for use in kitchens, on carpets and in the area where your pet sleeps. Diatomaceous Earth has been used in Asia to control insects for 400 years.
If you feed the fossil shell flower on a regular basis to your livestock, and use neem oil mixed with our natural pet soap when cleaning your animals, you can cut the fly population in your barn or shed by more than half. Your animals will be very thankful and your time in the barn will be a lot more pleasant.

April

P.S. Fleas suck!

[Dr.Worm]

I could use this stuff too...where do you get it? Is it expensive? We were about to do a bug bomb and we REALLY don't want to...is the earth stuff as effective as a bomb?