Independent as they may seem, our fabulous feline companions can’t do everything on their own-and this includes fighting off fleas. Being too sensitive to essential oils, and the fact they lick themselves so much, makes natural flea repellents for cats trickier than it is for dogs. Many natural methods deal with prevention (vacuuming, regularly washing bedding, and so on) but there are a few that you can take immediate action with.
1. Flea Comb
This is very similar to the flea comb for dogs, and while some cats may find the scent of citrus unappealing, the way this is prepared can lessen the intensity of the smell to their sensitive noses (but not to the fleas) because you don’t use straight lemon juice. Fleas hate the overwhelming smell of lemon, and it seems to help deter them.
Combining the lemon with a flea comb-it can be either a regular comb, although the super fine toothed ones sold in stores are optimum-does twice as good a job. You get the pests out with the comb, while leaving a lingering scent of lemon that will keep them from coming back.
You will need…
-A fine toothed comb or flea comb
-2-3 lemons
-3 cups of water
-A spray bottle
-A pot
Directions
Pour 3 cups of water into a pot and add in 3 lemons that have been chopped up. Bring this to a boil, and then remove from heat before letting the lemons steep in the water for 3 hours (3 is the magic number here it seems.) After it is done steeping strain the lemons and their particles from the liquid and pour into a spray bottle. You can than lightly mist your cat and go through their fur with the comb. Alternatively you can pour the liquid into a bowl and soak your flea comb directly in the solution and then go over your cat. Do this at least twice a day. You can also mist their bedding down, if they don’t seem to mind the smell. Remember, if your cat seems to think the lemon is unpleasant, try something else. You wouldn’t want to have to live covered in a smell you didn’t like either.
Personally: I have started using glass spray bottles when it comes to anything acidic like lemon juice, vinegar, etc., rather than plastic. Whether or not there is anything to chemicals leaching from the plastic, it puts my mind at ease.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar Bath or Spray
Would you want to chomp onto something that smelled overwhelmingly foul to you? Probably not. The same thing is true of fleas and vinegar-even apple cider vinegar, which I actually like the smell of. Applying this during a bath or as a spray does not change a cats internal Ph. levels, and is a good way to naturally remove fleas, especially on kittens.
You will need…
-A spray bottle
-Several cups of Apple Cider Vinegar
-Some very mild shampoo that is safe for cats (optional)
Directions
Fill a spray bottle with apple cider vinegar, apply directly to coat, and leave on. Alternatively you can carefully bathe your cat, either with just ACV or ACV and mild shampoo mixed together. If you are using just ACV spray a generous amount onto the fur and let it sit on your cat for 5 minutes before rinsing it off and following the bath with a flea comb. I prefer the shampoo route personally. If you do use it, use a half and half shampoo to vinegar ratio, and suds the cats head first-when you place the cat in water, the first thing fleas will do is run up to the head. Work the shampoo blend into their fur well and let it sit for 5 minutes, rinsing out thoroughly and follow treatment with a flea comb. If your cat will not tolerate a bath, use the spray bottle option, or gently pour cups of water of it instead of setting it in standing water (submersion may make the experience that much more scary to your cat.)
3. Dry D.E. Shampoo
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a naturally occurring rock that is made up of the fossilized remains of ancient hard shelled algae (called diatoms, hence the name.) Easily crumbled into a fine powder, DE is an effective and safe means of repelling fleas. While harmless to humans or pets, it is lethal to fleas because of its tiny but incredibly sharp edges that can slice right through the pest’s tough, waxy, exoskeleton. The fleas then die of dehydration. It is important that you only use food grade diatomaceous earth-any other kind is not approved for use on animals or humans, not to mention it will be too finely ground to kill the fleas. Food grade can be safely used externally and internally in both humans and animals, which means that when your cat goes to lick itself off, DE won’t hurt it.
The biggest thing you want to avoid is breathing it in-you don’t want those little particles in your throat. This can be avoided by wearing a mask when using it in large quantities (if you are dusting the cats bedding down, for example) and by not going overboard when putting it on your pet.
You will need…
-Food grade Diatomaceous Earth
-Some gloves
Directions
Wearing gloves so as not to pick up fleas yourself, dust your hands with DE, or take a small handful. Pat or sprinkle onto your cats fur and rub it in so it’s not just sitting on the surface, also avoiding getting too close to their nose. Follow this by dusting your pets bedding (after you’ve washed it) and rubbing it in well so there aren’t a bunch of loose particles floating around to inhale. You can do this treatment on your cat once a day, and on the bedding once a week.
4. Biological warfare
Beneficial nematodes are insect-parasitic, which means that these small microscopic “worms” are safe for pets, people, and plants, but not pests. There are many different kinds of nematodes, but the ones marketed for flea control and pest control in gardens are not one of the nasty ones. These little guys have a unique mission, seek out pests (they love flea larvae) and destroy them. It’s a little gross how they go about it-basically they kill the flea from the inside out and then feed on it-but fleas are nasty anyways right? What goes around comes around I suppose. Nematodes have been shown to be very helpful in reducing flea populations under the right conditions. They need moist soil to thrive and to be able to move easily, but they did not have the same level of effectiveness in dry super dry conditions. If you live in an area where nematodes might be useful, you can place them around the perimeter of the house where they act like a tiny army to defend your home (and your cat) from fleas. Use them in accordance to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Soapy water flea trap
Fleas, well, they aren’t the brightest things in the world, which is good news for us. They are attracted to light, and find its shining splendor irresistible. To take advantage of this, place a very shallow dish with sudsy water under a night light so when they hop towards the light, they hop into the water and drown. Use hot or warm water, as they seek things out by temperature.
You will need…
-A shallow dish (a yogurt lid works well)
-Warm water
-Dish soap
-A night light
Directions
Fill a shallow dish with warm soapy water and place directly under a night light. Check the trap in the morning, empty it, and repeat to help get the fleas under control.
Cats are particularly sensitive creatures, and with the tendency to lick their fur, chemical fleas treatments can make many owners take pause. They also metabolize essential oils differently than dogs, making most of them toxic to felines, which then present another barrier when it comes to flea control. Prevention, such as regularly washing your pets bedding and vacuuming, is one of the best ways to keep you on top in your fight with fleas. If nothing natural seems to work, do know that the infestation may be to such a point that a trip to the vet is needed. Even if you would really rather not go, you and your cat will be better off for it.
Know the Enemy: All About Fleas on Cats
Fleas are dastardly things, but a basic understanding of how they live is a good way to learn how to kill them and keep them from returning (I’ll try and keep this short.) A flea has 4 stages of development-egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The eggs are laid on the host after the female feeds, but easily roll off. Thanks to this little trick, places where the pet sleeps becomes heavily infested-which is why attention to bedding and resting spots is a must. To win this battle, one must fight the flea at all life stages. Kill the adults, get rid of the eggs, and prevent the larva and pupa from ever existing. Easier said than done, of course, but it’s worth fighting for your pets comfort and health.
One course of action you might take…
Kill adults: Use a flea comb to pick them off and drown them in soapy water. Follow this with a flea bath and a dusting of DE. Dust DE on pets bedding and carpets, and vacuum carpets after 30 minutes.
Get rid of the eggs: Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Vacuum carpets like your life depends on it, and be even stricter about your pet’s bed and resting places. Wash bedding often in hot water with a splash of white vinegar as well. Empty vacuum right away and take trash out to prevent the flea eggs from hatching and re-infesting the house. Eggs hatch every 2 days to 2 weeks.
Mowgli
Prevent pupa and larvae: If you are religious about doing the above, it becomes possible to prevent pupa and larva from developing and reproducing as they can only reproduce after they feed on blood (which sounds straight out of a bad horror movie doesn’t it?)
Prevention: Fleas populations break down as such-%50 eggs, 35% larvae, 10% pupa, 5% adults. Eggs lead to adults, of course, so don’t underestimate the benefit of regular vacuuming or spraying with something like the lemon spray.
Paws
For Kittens: Treating baby animals with fleas is always a challenge. Even if you plan on using flea medication from the vet, it can’t be used until they are a certain age. They are small, and fragile, and it takes an extra chunk of dedication to safely rid them of the pests. If using DE, always make sure you aren’t being excessive, which might result in the kitten breathing it in. I think regular flea baths and going over them with a flea comb is a good idea, time consuming as it may be.
Tip: Don’t know if your cat has fleas? If you can see little brown or black specks on your pet’s skin, it may be flea feces. Smear one on a wet paper towel-if it turns reddish, its flea excrement, and that’s blood you are seeing.
Dog owner? Take a look at our flea remedies for dogs.
We Want to Hear from You! Let us know which remedies work and do not work for you, ask a question or leave a comment:
20 mule team borax in the laundry detergent isle sprinkle it around and behind stove furniture its CHEEPER than any other remedy,I sprinkle it into the carpet then leave it a day then i vacume it up repeat once a week for 2 weeks,be sure to bathe the pets to get fleas of of them I dont have roaches or fleas
Borax is toxic to cats so if you use make sure to vac all of it the powder gets on their paw pads and they ingest when grooming don’t bathe them in it acv lemon better bath and spray on
Hey if anyone reads this I have a small white cat who is constantly fighting fleas it seems like nothing we try works for him and I Cant figure why. We have tried bathing him but he hates it so we cant really do that we tried flea brush we can get some out but not even close to all of them and he fights back against almost everything we try. He is a small white kitten with long hair black tail I believe he is a main coon cat but he is always covered in fleas and he’s my little buddy so I don’t want him tortured like that and another problem is that he is around me all the time so my bed and room and probably everything eventually will have fleas. The strangest thing is that I have a dog and another cat but they don’t have fleas only my buddy does if anyone sees this tell me what I should do
Your buddy will have unbelievably thick fur if he’s a Maine Coon… it’ll take forever to do anything to it. The only answer is to go to the pet store and buy a supply of Front Line or Advantage flea-and-tick killer. It’s expensive, but much less than having the vet treat him. It comes in tiny vials, and you squeeze it on to the back of his neck, where he can’t get to it to lick it. You have to do it every 30 days, but it works, and the cat is blessedly flea-free.
Wish I had another Maine Coon.
No, actually I wish I had Bozo Catly Rex back.
My cat has fleas also I have tried flea collars my cat lost his Fer around his neck and got sores then I tried advantage flea and tick that didn’t do anything long story short I went to pet smart and spent over $80 on pills spray comb etc this better work. Thanks to my friend she brought her dog over that is infested with fleas. My cat is 16yrs old is an inside cat and has never had fleas before needless to say I am not a happy camper and neither is my cat.
I’m going to chime in on this because I have experienced flea problems on my cat, too. I used a product called Bio-Spot (for cats) which worked very well on other cats I had. Naturally, I went back to Bio-Spot with my current cat; then my cat started acting bizarre… sleeping in weird places (on the ironing board in the garage), distressing meows, changed appetite, anxious and antsy. This went on for about a week then I realized something was really wrong. Took her to the vet and and the vet gave her Predisone (in liquid form) and instructed me not to use the “off brand” flea protection/ prevention as they contain a chemical that some cats are very sensitive to and recommended Front Line or Advantage (for cats) only. I’m commenting on Eloise’s remarks above to reinforce her recommendation. Don’t use the cheapo stuff!
Buy a Hartz flea collar. They last 7 months. I also do the flea “traps” (sticky paper or the dish of soapy water under various night lights), vacuum, use that flea comb twice a day. I had no luck using the Frontline. I have 10 cats and a flea infestation. The flea collars with the flea traps and flea comb worked the best. Previously I’d been trying to immerse the cats in water, which does drown fleas, but you can’t do that every day so it did not keep up with the fleas. Also, I just purchased a zapper flea comb, but dunking your flea comb fleas in soapy water also works well. Some people use the vacuum hose to vacuum the flea eggs off the pet – I’m going to try that as well.
I use advantage on my 26 indoor cats. I don’t have a flea problem at all as long as I keep up with the flea treatment. Only 1 of the 26 goes outside for a short time. I don’t have carpet and I have a leather sectional so I don’t worry about fleas from that stand point. However, I do vacuum there beds and boxes they sleep in to make sure the fleas aren’t finding a place to hide. I also treat my yard twice a year with “Eliminator” a flea and ant preventative. I get it at Walmart. If you can stop the problem on the outside, you should be able to stop the problem on the inside. Even if your pet stays in all the time, we humans still go out and bring them in to our furry friends. I have never heard of vacuuming a pet, my cats all run when they see the vacuum come out. I can’t imagine getting that close to any of them without giving them an anxiety attack.
My parents have a forest cat who had the same problem being a half outside cat next. He basically single handedly infested the whole house and all of the other animals :/ It finally got to a point where my parents couldn’t kill the flea colony in his thick fur with frontline or any other method and I opted to shave him. (dunno if your little friend is as incredibly hard to bathe and shave as mine since he’s such a big strong fella, but we have to give him a micro amount of some diluted CBD oil in his food before he’ll even let us near him with a shaver) I could not believe how many fleas he had on him. I felt so bad. After cutting his hair, I bathed him in a mixture of half oatmeal flea shampoo and half ACV. After he was dry we rubbed him down with food grade diatomacous earth and sprayed him lightly with a mix of calendula and peppermint hydrosol(<–That's HYDROSOL & not Essential Oil) His fleas were gone within the week, and now that my parents dust their house with DE and spray peppermint regularly, as well as give their cats occasional ACV/water spritz's there hasn't been a reoccurrence in two years with three inside cats and two outside cats as well as two big dirty labs :] So I guess what I'm saying, is you've really gotta shave a main coon when they get a bad flea infestation. Try some of the things that worked for us, I'm pretty sure you'll yield the same results. Good luck :]
Give litty good flea bath (they’re pretty trusting) and cleanits bedding throughly. Keep him away from other, “infested” cats also. Repeat as necessary!
OK I have used about every product there is to rid my Scooty of fleas. I have the same problems as you do— he will not let me bathe him and if he sees me coming with a spray bottle or a tube or a shot of cortisone he runs and hides and growls and will even bite me if I try to do anything. it has gotten so bad that he has chewed the fur off his hind end and down the backs of his legs and on his tummy. He is allergic to fleas. So Logan don’t waste your time using any of these products because they only work for two weeks IF they work at all. I am to the point that I want to be reimbursed for all the times I have bought these products because had they worked my baby would not be suffering to the point that he is. Revolution however has worked and I believe that it is because it worms them at the same time. It however is extremely expensive. 83.00 the last time I used it. Who can afford that every month? I have to take him in to get a cortisone shot which I HATE because they are very bad for cats internal organs and they reduce their life span but if I don’t he relentlessly scratches and chews at himself and I cannot stand watching him mutilate himself. I believe that the vets and these companies know that these products do not really work and that they know what natural remedies do but if they told us then we would be able to treat our beloved pets ourselves and we would not need them and they would not be making a fortune off of us. I have used herbal remedies and they do keep them at bay. Cloves will kill the eggs but you cannot put them on your cat as it is poisonous. I mop my floors with it. Diatamaceous earth will kill the fleas in your house and in their bedding but you must be careful not to breath it in , get it in your eyes and DONT VACUUM it up like everyone says. That is a lie. It will only fill the house with it. I never put it on my carpets. IN FACT I don’t even have rugs or carpets anymore because of the hell I go thru trying to get rid of them. It is just one more place for them to wage war on me and my cats. They hate vinegar and will hop off of the cat but it does not kill them so when it wears off they hop right back on and it does not kill the eggs or larvae so it really isn’t worth it.DONT use a flea collar. They are bad for cats and dogs. I have seen animals that have been chemically burned around the neck due to wearing a flea collar. And for real the smell almost knocks me over so just think what it does to your cat. They have to be getting a chemical high and it cant be good for them internally. I have found a book that has helped. It is called Herbal Care For Cats and there is one for dogs too. It is by a homeopathic vet named Randy Kidd. I really like this book and I think you will find it helpful. My cat Wally is now missing a patch or fur from fleas so you are absolutely right about it getting out of control. I am now going to go ahead and spray Ortho Flea killer around the inside and outside of my house as I am not able to bomb it . A lady I work with went thru the same thing and she is a naturalist but she advised me to just go ahead and do this because if not I will continue to live like this and I am not going to watch my babies suffer anymore. It is safe for pets but you have to remove them from the area you are going to spray and let it dry completely before letting them come back. Best of luck to you and your little buddy. If you find any natural remedies PLEEEZ post it on this website because I would rather use herbs than chemicals any day and stop having to take him to the vet for a shot.
I have two cats, Bartholomew is a long thick haired black cat and O’Malley is a short haired cat. I’ve been battled fleas ever since I bought O’Malley because the previous owners neglected to tell me he had them. I’ve spent $200+ on flea treatments, collars, sprays, carpet powders. And none of its working. Suggestions anyone?
My daughter brought a kitten home that the lady neglected to tell her was infested with fleas. I came home within the hour and could see them crawling on the kittens nose! It was horrible. Straight to the vet because I was worried about using a treatment as he was only 9 weeks. The vet said due to the severity, use Frontline. We treated him and our 2 other cats(as a precaution) and the fleas were gone within 36 hours and we haven’t had a problem since.
On a side note, one of our other cats was bitten by one of the fleas. He developed Hemobartonella. It is carried by fleas from one infected cat to another. He passed away 3 weeks later from the disease. So, be wary when your cat has fleas. If they become withdrawn/not eating/drinking, get them to the vet ASAP. We did, and spent about $600 trying to save him with steroids and antibiotics and he passed away anyway.
I am going to try this method on getting rids of fleas from my cats & kittens. Hopefully this will work so I can bring 1 or 2 of them in the house & finally have a house pet. Thanks for the info & I will let y’all know how it works.
any ideas on how to get rid of gnats in the house? I have tried ACV in the bottle method & all it seems to do is attract them without them actually going in the bottle. I will again try bombing the house but with my respiratory problems it really isn’t my best option.
thanks so much.. Lisa McWilliams
Pour some wine into a small cup. Then rubberband plastic on top. Finally poke small holes into the plastic with a toothpick. The gnats will crawl down the holes but won’t be able to get back out.
I have had the gnat problem before as well . Couldn’t figure out why they were coming into the house and multiplying faster than I could kill them . It looked to me like they were even coming up from the septic tank and out through the toilet bowl . I made sure all of my sink drains had water in the p-traps ( if they dry out , sewer gases can come into your house ) , all you have to do is run some water down the drain for a few seconds – you could even pour a little bleach down as well . Weeks went by and we still had the problem so I had the septic tank pumped . Well , no luck going down that road either . After a few more weeks of aggrevation I notice that they were more concentrated around a closet where we keep canned goods and our ” onions & potatoes ” . I don’t use onions & potatoes all the time and didn’t really think about it until I openned the closet door and was overwhelmed by the smell of rotten onions , old potatoes and the swarm of gnats . I threw the mushy , blue & black colored onions & old potatoes that had sprouts growing off of them into the trash , sealed the bag , hauled it off to the recycling center ( aka – the dump for the monetarily challenged like myself ) and the gnats went away , I MEAN GONE , almost as fast as they came . You really wont have to kill them once you find the source of what is attracting them , they will leave on thier own , it’s amazing actually . Look for the area where they are congregating , could be a moisture issue , a small peice of food hidden under something , or forgotten ” onions & potatoes ” . Good luck , hope this story helps . Signed copies can be available for a small donation to the save the onion & potatoe foundation 🙂
bleach can be VERY dangerous poured into a sink that drains into a septic tank,, its toxic when mixed with septic waste
I have NO idea what you are talking about and I doubt you do either.
Bleach when used in the proper amounts and where the proper amount of water is passing through your septic tank makes NO long term or damaging effect on the flora in the tank. I have had septic tanks for MANY years and never a problem with normal use of bleach.
I occasionally put a small amount into my p traps to assure no mosquito larva exist there (yes I have had this happen in Florida). We use bleach in our laundry on occasion and even use it to sterilize the toilet bowls. Our septic tank is a small one by today’s standards and is so efficient that 3 people in our house constantly using the septic and we only have to pump every 5 or so years!
Bleach does NOT become a toxic thing, until it breaks down it is THE toxic thing that is used to sterilize, clean and whiten as necessary.
Very true! I had gnats, fought with them for days. I then found a stray sippy cup hidden under my daughter’ dresser. It took a day or two but they went away….
Those aren’t gnats, they’re fruit flies. They’re attracted to any kind of food source, but mostly stuff that’s started to rot. Stacy’s suggestion of wine is what I use to get rid of them, and it works perfectly. My only suggestion is to add a drop of dish soap to the wine (or apple cider vinegar) – it breaks the surface tension, so the fruit flies can’t just land on top and then fly back out. They end up sinking into the liquid and drowning. Try it and I guarantee you’ll see loads of them after only a day.
You will need…
-Food grade Diatomaceous Earth
-Some gloves
Directions
“Wearing gloves so as not to pick up fleas yourself, dust your hands with DE, or take a small handful. Pat or sprinkle onto your cats fur and rub it in so it’s not just sitting on the surface, also avoiding getting too close to their nose. Follow this by dusting your pets bedding (after you’ve washed it) and rubbing it in well so there aren’t a bunch of loose particles floating around to inhale. You can do this treatment on your cat once a day, and on the bedding once a week.” – Cats have very sensitive skin as do dogs this crap does nothing but irritate the skin of both species adding to their suffering.. void this stuff like the plague!
Completely agree!!! DE is a carcinogen and inhaling it is very painful.
No, DE is not a carcinogen. It is the only non-toxic useful thing in dealing with fleas besides ACV. It’s science.
where can i purchase DE?
you are absolutely correct..DE is NOT a carcinogen, it is a natural product from the earth….it is finely crushed dead algae , mainly from the Dead Sea. The reason why it works so well is that every tiny particle under a microscope looks like a snow flake with barbs…all insects that have antennae and clean them that become in contact with the DE will ingest the DE and the barbs get trapped in their throats and slowly they die. Our animals can ingest it and we can ingest it as well with no harmfull effects. Breathing in large quantities can become an irritant but mainly because the powder is so fine…DE powder has been used for years, it is the base product in many powdered products. It is a great non pesticide bug killer in your garden and home…it is extremely inexpensive too.
I use DE for various things but on my cat was not a good idea as he inhaled it while grooming causing a cough like broncitis
Lol what? No. Pool/filter grade DE is baked at 1000 degrees and hardened. It also is about 60-70 percent crystalline silica, which is why it will hurt your lungs, and on top of that chemicals are added to the filter grade which makes if poisonous and not safe to use in your garden, your home, on your pets, and certainly not to ingest. However, you should read up on it before you freak people out and keep them from finding a potentially very useful medicine and tool by making it sound like this is the DE we’re talking about here. FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH is 1/10 of 1% crystalline silica and 89% amorphous (non-crystalline) silicon dioxide. Not harmful to you or your furry friends (though i don’t suggest you go inhaling it for funzies) It has not been hardened though it starts out harder than diamond anyway, and has no poisons added to it. There are four deposits out of about 600 in the us that supply FOOD GRADE DE.
In terms of a treatment for internal and external ‘bad bugs’ FGDE works because of three reasons;
1) It’s shape. It looks like a cylinder full of holes. 2) This cylinder has a very strong negative charge-As these millions of cylinders move through the stomach and digestive tract, they attract and absorb fungi, protozoa, viruses, endotoxins, pesticides, drug residues, E.coli, and heavy metals (things with a positive ion charge). These are trapped inside the cylinder and passed out of the body. And 3) any larger parasites that happen to be in the stomach or digestive tract are “cut up” and killed by the sharp edges of the Diatomaceous Earth.
As an added bonus, the 89% amorphous (non-crystalline) silicon dioxide I mentioned earlier- turns out that’s basically the stuff you’re made of. As a matter of face, Silica is the most important trace element in human health. And chances are, you’re not getting anywhere near enough of it in your diet. The average human body holds approximately seven grams of silica, needing significantly more silica than even important minerals such as iron. Most people are, in fact, silica deficient. Among other things, enough silica in the body is vital for calcium absorbtion to allow calcium supplements to work. If Silica deficient, as is the case in the vast majority of us, calcium supplementation can even be a negative. Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is an excellent natural and organic source of silica.
I’ll leave you with some benefits of Silica / DE, because I really do believe everyone should be taking it and educating themselves about it.
.Blood Pressure regulation
.Cholesterol regulation
.Osteoperosis treatment and management
.Weight Loss
.Strengthens Hair, Nails, Teeth & Gums,
.Boosts Energy
.Eliminates bad Bacteria
.Eliminates Mucus
.Anti-Aging
.Treats Urinary Infections
.Treats Headaches
.And many more things I’m sure I just don’t know about
End rant/informative post :]
Thank all of you for the info on fle remedies for cats and dogs i love animals and am a softy when it comes to them so i have 3 dogs and 5 indoor /outdoor cats and i usually have them on the confortis but could not afford it this month so unfortunately i have a flea problem and they are getting on me too so i was very happy to find this web site thanks again everyone i will let you know how it goes
We use the vinegar trick…fill a pudding dish or any small bowl and fill it 1/4 full of apple vinegar and place a piece of sarah wrap pull very tight. Then poke holes thru the wrap with a tooth pick, they fly into the holes and can’t get out and drown…
The trick with any of these traps is to put a little bit of dish soap in. It changes the surface tension of the liquid making it so the bus cannot stand on the surface. So you do not need the syran wrap on top. Try this with any sweet scented liquid and you will be amazed!
Gnats are usually found around very ripe fruit….
use a small dish like a ramekin with saran wrap and a rubber-band, fill with ACV cover with wrap and secure with the rubber band, poke small holes with toothpick and leave near a spot where you see a lot of them. as with the wine they are attracted and cannot escape plus you’re not wasting wine! I had to change the ACV about 3 times in a month before they were all gone. good luck. if the gnats are in your plants a solution of water with a bit of liquid dish soap in a squirt bottle works well. just spray the soil each day till they’re gone. that also works on spidermites for plants.
Oh! The trick to the ACV method is just to use a dish with a bit of the vinegar in it, and put a dab of dish soap on your finger, and swirl it around in the vinegar. This breaks the water tension so they drown. I tried the bottle method too with no avail and my mom told me about the dish soap. I literally have like a good hundred gnats in my bowl that’s been out for a week. I only see one or two flying around still. Try it! And please don’t bomb your house with poison D: You might try and keep your fruit in the fridge too, and check to make sure what you’re seeing aren’t drain gnats…ewe.
for gnats, put ACV in a small masson jar put some plastic wrap on it and use eather a rubber band or the ring that fits the jar to seal it then put small holes in the plastic i usualy put a small piece of fruit in the acv try it with and without
BLUE DAWN DISH SOAP MADE THE FLEAS DROP OFF
what do u do with the blue dawn dish soap?
You bath the pet with it! Use it like pet shampoo! I had a vet to tell me to do this with some kittens that were too young for the flea collars or flea drops!!! it work!!!
Some docs have told friends of mine who own daycares to use Dawn on the kids for lice. The lice shampoo is so horrible & dangerous to the central nervous system. Dawn does the same to the bug, but doesn’t harm the child. So might be the same with pets & fleas?
Dawn dish soap is a lifesaver, I just adopted a kitten and had to bathe her. She wasn’t impressed but she feels so much better now.
im going to tried this, but where u buydiatomaceous earth
I got mine at a natural foods/vitamin store. 9oz. for $13.79 large canister of powder. I put some into an empty spice jar so I could shake it on. Keep it away from eyes and nose.
Amazon.com You can usually get free shipping when your total order is over $25. I also LIGHTLY dust this on the bottom half of my mattress pad, under the sheet, on all the pet bedding.
I got mine at the Feed store (Olsens Grain). I paid $20 for a 50lb bag. Best deal I could find. I put the stuff in a can with a plastic lid that has holes punched in it and I sprinkle it all over my yard. Kills any kind of sucking insect before it can even get to my pets. I only have to treat the yard once ever couple years, it works that well. Neither my house nor my pets ever have fleas, and my chickens don’t have mites. No tics, ear mites, or any other nasty bugs that try to habitate on my darling little animals.
this may be the best secret EVER……. thanks for sharing
i don’t know the product you were speaking of but I really need it…please let me know what it was I have a dog and a cat and they are on double doses of flea meds per the vet it’s costly and not effective- I get bit in my yard from fleas-got to be something I can do–please help
Patti, it’s called diatomaceous earth. (dy oh toh may shus)
Thank you for sounding it out, I keep looking like a crazy woman when i talk about it with my hubby!
Yes, I thought it was amazingly cool for there to be something not toxic for us to use. Too bad this seems to be a problem for some er, people? here that this great thing is out there for us to use without harm. Anyway, It’s earth made up of diatoms.
Everyone keeps saying “Diatomaceous Earth”. Do NOT get just any kind of Diatomaceous Earth, get HUMAN GRADE Diatomaceous Earth. It is safe, and do NOT breathe it in, like flour it can clog up your respiratory system.
There`s the proper usage of this product, do not put directly onto your animals it dries out and irritates the skin. use it outside around your home like a barrier. it dries up the pests killing them before they get on you, your pets or into your homes.
D-Earth food grade is the best for humans internally too! I take a heaping spoonful every morning in juice. Google it!
What is the name of the powder you apply to pet and yard. Is this good for dogs and cats and is it safe. Thanks for your help. Heln
The best place to buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is your local farmer’s co-op or feed store – they have them even in metropolitan areas.
A local health food store had Food Grade DE for $10 for a small jar, versus $18 for 40 pounds, You do the math.
Since I use DE for everything from flea control to gardening to adding it to my animal’s feed to prevent worms, to me it is worth it to get the 40 pound bag, which I’ve had for about a year and have so far used slightly more than half.
You could also go in on a large bag with a friend or two. 😉
I bought my DE from a feed store. They use a lot of it with horses. It says that it can be ingested by humans. I got a 50# bag for around 15 dollars. I use it on the cats and in my yard to prevent the fleas from the yard where the cats go out. I currently have 4 kittens and have no problem with it hurting them. I am careful when applying it to keep it away from their noses. Good luck! I take the cats out for about 24 hours and bomb my house with bombs that are designed for fleas and bedbugs. I no longer have fleas in my house. This place was empty for quite some time, but there were fleas in the carpet. I have successfully gotten rid of them.
what’s a good, natural remedy for bedbugs; why can’t you use the same thing you use for fleas?
Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) will kill anything with an exoskeleton, including bed bugs. Make sure to dust on ALL fabric items; sofa, carpets & bedding that can’t be washed. Work it down into the carpet with a broom. I DUST (not dump) on lower half of mattress pad, under sheet. I don’t like washing electric blankets; I do dust the powder on them and make sure I keep a sheet between me and the blanket. Toss stuffed animals, your & your pet’s bedding into dryer for 15-20 daily. Some say every few days, but I’d rather err on the side of getting them dead! My daughter is a bug bite magnet. I do wash them once a week. Check stuffed animal tags, most can’t be washed. Fleas & bedbugs don’t disappear instantaneously, but they will disappear. Chin up!
rubbing alchol will kill the bedbugs but not the eggs bombing doesnt work and neither does spray went through it and had to exterminate good luck
I saw a carpet cleaning solution that used ingrediants you already have in your home. I can’t remember what most of these were. I think it had oxicleanpowder & maybe peroxide. If you have this reciepe I would be so glad, because my carpet has stains & non of the store bought cleaners seem to work. Thanks.
I use warm water and plain white vinegar in my carpet cleaner. It got the stains out of my carpet and didn’t leave my house smelling like vinegar.
i don’t have a comment , but a question about my chihauhau 9mo. old and his weird actions .i thought since you love dogs , you might know what is wrong with my dog.
Your running a gauntlet there, could be too many things. Take him to All 4 Paws to the vet if you got one, cheapest I have seen. Since I got no ideal what your value of weird is I doubt anyone could tell you much.
How do you spray something on a cat that won’t tolerate having something sprayed on him and runs away and hides and even if you hold him, he claws his way out of your hold and runs away and hides??? Is there any alternatives to spray? We have a cat that was a stray for 20 and we took him off the street when we moved into this house so not only are we dealing with his psychological problems of people shooing him with brooms and such and throwing things at him, but we are also dealing with 20 years of fleas, 20 years of claw growth that he won’t tolerate us trimming. He probably has heart worms, worms, ticks, pukes occasionally, always has diarrhea when he goes to the bathroom and Lord only knows what else but we cannot afford to take him to the vet at this point in time. So yeah, we are trying to deal with the flea problem first because I am getting bit up very badly and I alaredy have a compromised immune system. So far my fiancee hasn’t gotten any bites, praise the Lord. But yeah, our cat will NOT tolerate spray. I did bath him in white vinegar and Dawn dish soap and I thought everything was ok for 24 hours but afterwards our cat was still itching…yeah…
FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth (DE). It kills anything with an exoskeleton. Dust on cat trees, carpet, crease of fabric sofa. You have to work it int carpet w a broom. My daughter is a magnet for flea bites. Put a tiny amount in your hand and work into fur. Wash bedding once a week & Dry all bedding 15-20 min a day. Flea Comb every day…can’t stress this enough. Look at comb with every comb and dunk into soapy water if there is a flea. Otherwise, rake comb onto napkin to remove eggs & dried blood specs (what larvae feed on) EVERY time you pull comb through fur. This way you aren’t redepositing those back onto cat. Yes, this is a pain, but, it works…eventually 🙂
I don’t know about the cat, but for some relief for yourself you can get a good tea tree oil soap and laundry detergent. This works to keep the flees off of me and my clothes; otherwise they eat me alive. Keep in mind that the soap can be drying to your skin, though, so don’t use it too often. Tea tree is bad for cats though, so don’t use it there.
Did you know that if you take a few tablespoons of brewer’s yeast daily, mosquitoes and fleas will not find you tasty… cures your acne too.
I sprayed my dog Cuddles with ACV spray every day, but she still managed to get fleas. Now, they are biting me. Using ACV was a waste of time. The only thing that it did was make my dog smell like a pickle.
I put some Frontline on her and haven’t seen any since, but they’re still in my room. I’m going to try to wash everything tomorrow, and I might go out and buy DE to sprinkle all around.
Don’t waste your time with ACV.
I had a cat used the apple cider vinegar on. Got sick. Took to vet and they said it had no fleas on it at that time. Later when talked to them it was covered. It seemed the only thing the ACV did was get them drunk, they sobered up and back. I got 20 to 30 cats so I got fleas. They was in the house biting me. I sprayed different poisons, some was old and 2 was new like 5 times, Black Flag and stuff, still the fleas. Used DE as put all around and in a few days fleas gone from me. Cats still got fleas, using the DE on and Lemon’s boiled, steeped spray. They are still having fleas. Try’d all natural collars and still fleas. Try’d a few poisons as the cheaper spot on stuff, seemed to make the cats too supersensitive to fleas and they chewed themselves up. Have not try’d Bio-spot yet but will. Problem is you see all these comments on everything and as someone would say this was bad makes you wonder if they are not doing that for the expensive companies on purpose so people run to this outrageous priced stuff. Still heard stuff on that too, true I would not know. I’ve had problems as burning the neck with collars even the natural ones and the Hartz spray and Sergents cheaper brand spot on is where I saw the cats chew themselves to pieces. Just have to do the best I can, 20 to 30 can barely afford the food these day for them. But ACV doesn’t work and I did not see the Nematodes bio-organisms for the ground work. Do DE and Lemon spray and experiment from there. The Soapy/water alunaman pie pan does work, I’ve seen that but you got to watch the cats they try to drink that too.
Be sure to treat the premises as well to prevent flea eggs from hatching. This could be why you keep getting reinfested. One time when I had a bad flea problem I made a spray using a quart bottle with some salt and lemon juice extract. Within a couple of days I had no more fleas. I sprayed the carpet and even lightly sprayed the cat that the fleas came with. Animals that have had fleas will also have tapeworms and should be treated accordingly. Some feed stores (such as Tractor Supply) will have the dewormer specifically for tapeworms. Other otc dewormers will not eradicate them.
PLEASE tell me you did not use Bio-Spot? I cringe any time I see this awful companies name anywhere. This POS company almost killed my dog with there poison. They use agent orange in their flea prevention and she had an immediate reaction to it. The worse thing I have ever seen. Blue original dawn dish soap with an ACV rinse does work your situation may just be too out of control.
And the big question here would be do you work for Frontline? I’ve read the fleas are getting use to that so now Frontline Plus and Frontline Plus 100 and everything else under the sun. I understand that and most stuff as that gets into the nervous system and in time I would think that could not be good, not that fleas are. But then I got a herd of cats, not 1 or 2 so I battle on and Frontline and anything over a few dollars is out of my reach. Makes you wonder how any cat out running loose even survives.
I’m not laughing at your situation , but when I read what you said about your dog smelling like a pickle I about fell on the floor laughing so hard , I’m still having a hard time typing this without LMAO . AGAIN PLEASE EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE because I can sympathize with your situation . I am truely an animal lover , cats , dogs , birds . We are very clean people , but at one time , we had fleas so bad I had to call an exterminator to get rid of them . He used something that had IGR its a growth inhibitor for fleas , it worked extremely well . All of this is supposed to be safe for both , humans and animals . He even said they have a spray ? or something to use on the pet(s) to continue keeping your pet(s) free from fleas . I didn’t buy or try it yet but , I think I’m going to have to – the kids ( my 2 cats ) are being eaten alive and I’ve tried frontline , hartz and the other big name treatment with no luck . The treatment he used inside killed the fleas we already had plus new ones the cats would bring in from outside . It’s been over a year and , knock on wood , no fleas inside – but my kids need something . I use about a tablespoon of Adams flea shampoo and about an inch of water in the canister of my upright when I vacuum for preventive maintenance . I have found that this kills any fleas once they go into the shampoo mixture after being sucked up into the canister . Alot of people vacuum then empty the canister into the trash , well , guess what ? If you do this you are enabling the cycle of life for the fleas that you just vacuumed up – they will find a way to get out of the trash can . The only downside to doing the vacuuming with the shampoo/water mixture is , your canister will have the smell of the mixture in it after you are done – even after you clean it . When I finnish vacuuming , I empty the canister outside in the yard – it’s just hair , dirt , dead fleas ( if you have any ) and water then I wash it out . Just be carefull not to lower the handle of your vacuum to low – remember you have a little water in your canister now . People are probably going to think I’m crazy when I start laughing if someone asks me if I want pickles on anything , hang in there cuddles – love and hugs my furry little friend .
Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth!! Put it around the outside of your house. I sprinkle it in the grass too…my ant problem went away too 😉 it’s safe for animals. There’s also some type of worm that helps but living in a dry climate it doesn’t work since they need it moist. Oh an if you ever want a better vac… buy a rainbow! I love mine. Got an older model for 300 on Craigslist.. a new one is 1500 I think but they all have a lifetime warranty. My folks still use the one they bought in the 80’s! It is a water basin vac so no canisters or bags… no surviving bugs and wet dust can’t fly 😉 Love it. Great for allergy sufferers. You can put essential oils in it and you can get a carpet shampoo attachment for it as well. I leave it running on the basin without any attachments and it purifies the air…sucking up all those nasty allergens. and you can vacuum up the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth if you use it on carpet. For the kiddos, I recommend finding a good b complex multi vitamin for them. there dr should be able to direct you to a safe dosing one. adults b50 complex at Walmart or health store helped me! No mosquito bites either. Someone suggested yeast and I heard it works but as I am allergic to yeast I have to take their word on it. Good Luck1
I would think instead of a spray you could just use a rag and wipe it on them. I would used a diluted rate doing that and work your way up to see if it effects them or not and if it does anything for the problem. I think dipping a flea comb in the liquid you are using would be a good ideal too.
Maybe having so many cats in one place is the problem, the fleas keep breading and re-infecting faster than you can get rid of them. I would keep up with the DE and lemon water. Also, consider using Advantage for cats in an emergency. It really works. However, I was researching alternatives online as I would prefer not to use poison. And no, I do not work for Advantage! 😉
Sprinkle your carpets with regular salt. Let it sit overnight then vacuum the carpets. Repeat every few days for at least two weeks to a month. Gets rid of fleas in your carpets for the price of salt……………..Also dispose of your vacuum bag weekly…………Good luck
I find that its easier to wet a washcloth wih the lemon water and rub it on my cat he likes the feel of the warm cloth and allows me to rub him down with it.
go get that diatomaceous earth powder from the feed store and sprinkle it around your yard, be careful not to inhaile this stuff and i wouldent let the cat out in the yard tell you think it settles in, then for your kitty i would try spraying boiled lemmon spray around in the house or apple cider viniger, you could also bath him in the acv, my cat was pukin up sometimes to so i switched his food to purinna indor hairball controol i believe the bag was green make sure you do not switch the food to fast make sure too slowly switch by mixing them and eventualy rid of the old kind it helped 100% as for spraying him maby try just givin him a rubdown with it like while you message him or pet, alse get a shallow lid like a yogert lid and put warm water with dawn in it dont make it bubbel but mix it up then put it under a night light the fleas atract to it then change it when needed,, hope this helpes
I see that your post is 3 years old. Maybe someone can use this information. My Mom showed me a technique which requires 2 people and patience. Gently coax the animal into your arms. The other person wraps a large bath towel around the animal. You can then get to their feet one at a time to trim their nails. This can also help in holding the animal still while you comb them.
For the spray bottle technique, it might be easier to sprinkle the liquid on with your hand and work it in. Try to remain calm and talk gently to your family member (pet). Animals are very sensitive to our moods.
You might set the tone by putting on some soothing music. Different animals like different music. See if you can help your family member find some tunes he likes.
Do you think I could use the cat remedy on a ferret? I have 2 cats and a ferret that live in my bedroom for the most part, but don’t want the ferret inhaling the dust.
For fleas in the carpet, I use table salt. The flea dehydrated after they eat it.
I use the salt shaker and spread it on the carpet, the next day I vacumm it.
do it again in 7 days to catch the new hatched and when ever you see fleas
jump on you.
It does hurt animals or babies.
Maybe not having carpets when you have a pet would make life much easier…. and cleaner….
I’ve created a very good flea spray for carpets, curtains, bedding, etc. that seemed to work great!! I use 1/3 hydrogen peroxide, 1/3 apple cider vinegar and 1/3 Dawn dish washing liquid (the blue one only). I shake it just a bit, then use a spray bottle w/a fine spray. I’ve sprayed this onto my carpets, furniture, etc. & within 2-3 days I had not one sign of fleas. I repeated the spraying every day for about a 3-4 days. Right after I used this the first day, I gave my cat a bath in Dawn, patted her dry & sprayed 1/2 hydrogen peroxide & 1/2 apple cider vinegar on her. It worked like a charm!!! The fleas began falling off of her during the bath. When I began drying her, I first held her in the towel for at least 5 min., then patted her dry, combed her for a while, then sprayed her with the above mixture. This will work on kittens as well since they’re too young for formal medications. The mixture doesn’t hurt the carpeting or furniture and the smell, if any, goes away within an hour or so, plus my cat’s fur is just as soft as can be! Give it a try…..it’ can’t hurt them or you & is a very inexpensive way to rid you, your cat & your house of fleas.
This, from every website I’ve read, seems like the best idea for effectiveness, price, & ease. 2 things tho: I’d repeat every day for 2 weeks (hatching cycle). And I’m not sure about hydrogen peroxide on cats fur (won’t they lick it? Are your cats still OK?) Might just skip that one ingredient on that one part.
I know humans can rinse with it and a few other things that would make it internal. Not fully sure about cats???
Just wondering about using Hydrogen Peroxide…is it safe for cats especially if they lick it? Did you use food grade HP?
I put this mixture together today and almost instantly my cat stopped scratching! I also put him on a half capsule of brewers yeast on the moist food once a day. He seems so much happier now….Thanks so much for the tip I think this is going to work!
This sounds great, but can the combo of hydrogen peroxide and ACV cause fading on upholstery and carpets? I know it can lighten hair lol.
Hi, did you rinse them after you sprayed them with hydrogen peroxide and apple cider vinegar solution? Because I wouldn’t want them injesting any of that. Just making sure. Thank you
Thank you very much, your explanations have revealed a lot. I’m also dealing with dust mites, and I figure this will help with that also. I cringe when I’m reduced to using chemical flea treatments, and i’ve known the housecleaning is strategic, and now I know how to use DE outside, re a post here. I’ll try bathing my cat, but i think applying with hands will work better.
I was at the dog site and clicked this link for cats. I have 2 dogs and 1 cat. I stopped filling my cat’s water dish years ago cause he never drank out of it. He drank out of dogs dish cause we give the dogs better water I guess. We have his food dish up on a shelf cause the dogs think we give him better food. Anyways the other site said something about putting a little vinegar in drinking water if I do that and my cat drinks from it too will it harm him?
I read somewhere as a drop was okay, I did the drops in like a half gallon of water, a few drops. Not sure on the effectiveness on that.
Holy Christmas, Batman!! Just tried Dawn dish soap (the blue one) on my 6 week old kitten to treat for fleas and it worked like a dream. The fleas couldn’t fall off fast enough! Simply our approximately one ounce of the soap into a kitchen or bath sink full of warm water, let it suds up and quickly dip the kitten in the soapy water. Be sure to rinse the soap off with warm water. Have a flea comb ready and quickly run the comb through the wet fur. Use an all natural flea spray on the kitten fur and continue to comb through it til all of the fleas have been removed. Be sure to kill the fleas or simply run the comb through water. Wash all of the bedding and be sure to use the spray on carpets, sofas and any other place the kitten uses for bedding down.
Hi,
All you peopl who are using the Dawn dish liquid, are you in the USA? I live in the UK and have never heard of it or seen it anywhere?
Thank you.
Yes dawn is a north american product. I’m not sure of the exact name but I think it’s green fairy is made by the same company. Might help. Could hurt to try
Sorry couldn’t hurt that should read
Good for you, Bunny66, for bathing your 6-week-old kitten (who’s 3 months older now). Cats generally hate water, especially bathing, so doing it while the kitten is young will hopefully get it used to water and keep it flea-free for years.
Thanks for your useful advice, regarding natural flea treatment. I am going to get some lemons.
If you put possibly-flea-infested pillows and blankets in plastic bags and leave them for month, will the fleas and all their progeny die? I know I can do this with lice but I don’t know if it works with fleas, or if needs longer, or what. Thoughts appreciated!
I would think 2 weeks would be good since that is the life cycle of the flea and it can’t reproduce without blood.
Sorry, but that two weeks is optimal conditions for the flea. They can remain dormant as eggs for a Very long time. Cocoon stage is at least 6 months. The total life cycle is 100 days for the flea, and 6 months for the cocoon plus the length of time for eggs to hatch etc.
Figure one year!
I recently used the ACV with Dawn liquid soap & a little water in the spray bottle for my 3 months kitten. It looks like it’s working. She’s a white cat where fleas are attached more to them. I used salt on the carpet- rubbing it in with a poof sponge to get into the carpet, It was very affective. cheap too.
I’m wondering if the Dawn dish liquid leaves soap in carpet??
It would have too. I just know the vets at all 4 Paws told me it worked on fleas but you had to make sure you rinse it good. If you did it a lot I would think it would hurt any animal you are putting it on.
Never use citrus, like lemons, on a cat!! (Lemongrass, however, is OK when diluted). Citrus oils are toxic to cats, and they will instinctively avoid their scent. Cats don’t have the enzyme to process citrus oil molecules, which can accumulate in their liver. Using citrus — especially essential oils — around the house, on our bodies, and anywhere else near a cat could cause an eventual build up to the point of toxicity.
Thank you for voicing your concern! The toxicity in lemons comes from the essential oils, which are located in the peel/rind of the lemon. To obtain lemon essential oil, it must be extracted from the rind, either via cold-pressing, steam-distillation, or with a solvent. None of the compound is found in the juice itself. In my experience, I have not run into problems with lemon juice and cats used in the manner listed above 🙂
I had no idea about the toxicity of citrus for cats , i am glad I found this site . Makes sense to me now though . The other day I was drinking a diet mountain dew and one my two cats came to see what I was drinking and I held the bottle up to her nose so she could smell it and she turned away very quickly .
Does anyone have a easy natural remedy for cat ear mites?
For ear mites use a q-tip and baby oil. Do not go deep into the ear!
try Listerine, it works GREAT!
My vet advised me to use 4 drops of Frontline spray in each ear. ONLY 4 DROPS mind you. It really does works though.
When using DE in the enviroment, I use a small can or jar that fits in the hand with two layers of cheese cloth and a rubber band to hold it on as a ‘lid’. then sprinkle as low to the item as I can to prevent dust up. its like flour in the air. I put the animals out of the room til the dust settles. and I wear a mask if doing a large area. A little goes a long way.
For my dogs and cats I put DE into a clean small sock just a bit into the toe and rubber band the sock closed at the top. this way you can rub on the animals in specific places fleas like to tread. Neck, back of ears, arm pits, back legs, tail, head and back. I circle the animals body with the DE so if a flea gets on my lil friend, it will eventually have to travel thru the line of DE.
Remember DE works well to kill but the flea can still bite so if you deal with flea allergies with any of your friends use this in conjunction with some type of repellent like she teaches above.
Note: DE takes a little while to do its job. It’s not instant. Be patient.
If you live in dry areas you can sprinkle outside as well but it will wash away in wet.
I vacuum then sprinkle my carpets til the next vac, but I don’t care that I have white powder on my floor. If you do then sprinkle, wait an hour or 2 then vacuum
Good Luck! where we live fleas are a year round problem. Neither hot or cold enough for die off and its so hard and annoying to control.
Tried using the dawn soap on the kittens and it worked perfectly! Washed the fleas off instantly. What should I use for the big cats because they’re not going to let me give them a bath with the soap?
I just used the blue Dawn dish washing liquid to give my cats a bath and removed a lot of dead fleas after lathering them up really good. It works like a charm. Wondering how do you know if your cats have worms?
We had to put down one of my favorite kitties last week. We found out she had feline anemia. She had been sucked dry by fleas. I had no idea it could kill them like that, and so fast. I have a floor furnace, and all the neighborhood cats live under there. Thats how they were getting in. I have 3 cats left, and are presenting the same symptoms of the one who died. They are loosing their fur, lethargic, etc. Ive been vacuuming 3 times a day, using dish soap, combing, I take my vacs outside as soon as Im done, each time, and dump. I also have acv in a spray bottle. And I’ve bombed my house. I’m at my wits end. And exhausted. Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong, or any more advice anyone can give me?
Be sure you make sure the local cats don’t have access anymore. Your doing all the right things. Need to break the egg / larvae / adult cycle. Have you tried these methods mentioned above like Apple Cider Vinegar or Diatomaceous earth ?
Why did you have to have her put down could she not be treated?
Just commenting on the “dawn dish soap” question. The UK version is Fairy Platinum its blue too
I read somewhere that mixing a small amount of garlic powder in the cats at food will keep fleas off the cats. It does work and the very said the garlic won’t hurt the cats. Fleas can only survive if they can feed. They don’t like the garlic skin. I guess the garlic expels thru the skin and the fleas won’t bite. IMy ankles and arms are so chewed up. I spray a light mist of tree oil hair conditioner on my six and around my ankles. It keeps them from buying me. Any smelly perfume or body airway will work to
I need to know if the apple cider vinegar would burn if the cat had scratch marks on his skin? My cat has fleas and I have been bathing him in baby shampoo. Did not know about the dawn, hydrogen Peroxide, Apple cider mixture until now. I would like to try that mixture to see if it will work. Just need to know if the Apple Cidar would burn since my cat has numerous scratch sores on him. Is there any remedy to soothe his skin sores? Thank you for your help.
Amanda, you need to take your cats to the vet and make sure they don’t have worms.
Dumping the vacuum outside only relocates the fleas outside where you can track them into the house on the dirt and sand that cling to your shoes.
You also have to eliminate the access to the outside cats as they are reinfesting your property.
Everyone, when you have feral cats living around your homes you will have an issue with fleas unless you address it.
One of the ways you can slow or maybe even halt flea infestation is to provide the feral animals with a place to sleep, like a doghouse bedded down with clean straw over Diamateceous Earth under the bedding.
Cleaning this doghouse out every couple of days and bagging the bedding will help with those fleas that the feral cats may carry.
I am looking for a place that will de-flea my 2 cats while my house is being de-flead..Any help will be greatly appreciated.
What about a cat that freaks out when he know
It’s about that time for a bath. We adopted him thru our Humane Society here & apparently he was abused before we got him. Dawn soap does work to an extent but we didn’t get to finish bathing him. A
Try putting lavender oil out in the room you’re bathing him in about 20 minutes before you start and soft music when you’re about to take him into the bathroom. This works to keep BOTH of you calmer. Also, lay a towel in the tub so it’s not so slippery, that goes a long way to maintaining the calm. Treats aftwards are a good thing too. Good luck.
My cat gets fleas now and again I use frontline seems to work but not for long but to effectively kill fleas in,carpets eggs and full grown fleas I simply used boiling water boil pans and kettles and just soak your carpets then vac it up again killed all the fleas in the house works great only cost the electric price no need for fancy chems heat kills them as for furniture a steam cleaner will kill them effectively
This home remidie actually works I got the ticks right out of my cat with the apple cider vinager this only took up to a week a little long but it worked!!
Is this safe for chickens if a sprinkle in the yard? They run free all day, together with the dogs and fleas:)
I have fleas. The are in my hair and they bite me all over. Can I use the vinegar in my hair? Does anyone have anymore suggestions for the fleas that are on me. I read how to get rid of them in my house, but the fleas on me are driving me crazy!
Yes you can use the Braggs acv in your hair
Yeah Braggs is actually quite good for your hair, as well as effective against fleas and lice. You can rub some lavender and rosemary on your scalp too after you wash.
I am trying everything under the sun to get rid of fleas on my cat. I noticed them Friday, went to get a flea collar on Saturday after work. And the collar is pretty strong. It’s now Monday and I am still seeing alive adults. I found one dead, but one living on the flea comb I got today.
I dipped the comb in soapy water per instructions and brushed along his head, neck, under his chin and the base of his tail on his back. I got dirt, and one dead adult. I’ll brush him again tomorrow and hope I get more off.
I don’t want to lose him due to feline anemia if I can’t get rid of the dastardly pests. I want to say another word, but this is a family site. But any help will be appreciated. Would dish soap water work on the comb instead of hand soap?
I have volunteered with a cat rescue group for five years and I can safely say an effective way I have gotten rid of fleas was boiling fresh lavender buds in water let it steep overnight and bathing cats, afterward we also will use dawn dish soap to smother the fleas, johnson and johnson baby shampoo can help especially tear free. Planting lavender in your yard or kept potted can also deter them as well as spraying furniture and bedding with the distilled water lavender buds. For anyone who has a cat with high anxiety your best bet is to ask a vet if they can reccomend something to help relieve stress and anxiety , for anyone who would like over the counter check out Bachs Rescue Remedy it helps alot with my dog and cats it is also holistic and a liquid that can be added to your pets water with a dropper. For a house infestation your better off getting rid of possessions , have your pets taken out of the house and bathed in something like a garage or a groomers, then having a exterimator come spray your home with pet safe solutions. The biggest thing to remember are ways your cat or dog can get fleas, either from going outside which with wild animals around they are constant flea carriers and can be transferred anywhere the flea goes, other pets walked in your area can transfer fleas to the grass length doesnt matter but they can be transferred that way. If an animal has fleas the eggs and larvae can be transferred through their feces. Also People can transfer them from simple day to day life going outside and any public transportation, or being around friends or family who dont know they have fleas. The most important rule I live by checking pets and fosters constantly with a flea comb if you see 1 flea bathe your cat or dog immediately, once the flea tries to come off the fur grab it and pinch it onto clear tape, or use a flea comb and once said flea is caught dip the comb in a bowl of bleach to kill it wipe it off wash the comb and continue inspecting your pets. Some key areas a flea will hide is the fur around the face, front and hind quarter arm pits, the genitalia and anus. If you have a long haired pet shaving their fur will help alot with not only finding fleas but it will allow constant monitoring while treating them.
Hello!
I am very happy to have tried this, just now. Used apple cider equal cups with water. First off, I wiped with a rug the source! My cats! Then cleaned the whole house with vinegar then sprayed with lemon (water with lemon and the lemon skin to wipe my cat’s cage). My cats feel better, no more noise! No more annoying skin bites on me!
Thank you for sharing this natural remedies! I have used it instantly and practical for my pocket!
Well I did the 1/2 vinegar 1/2 peroxide and bathed with dawn.. so I pray it works because my cat had an infestation and I don’t know what else to do
My cat is so covered im getting worried. I had no idea they could get anemia from fleas! Weve been using the dawn blue soap but hes not getting any better. Im to the point where (as horrible as it is) im getting ready to give him a second bath before i vaccuum the carpe . Im gona suggest the acv to the people i live with but i need to know… do i need to take him to the vet? They are all over his face. I rub between his eyea and like 10 or 15 scatter. And when i bathe him i see them running into his ears to hide.
Dear Rebecca, I think you should take your kitty to the vet – groomer like Banfield Pet Hospital in a Pet Smart Store or where ever. They can help get rid of the fleas,
Also try the brewers yeast, 1/2 capsule like the reply’s above.
Hope you get relief for your four legged sweetie.
Monday December 01, 2014
Thank you so much dear! Finally, my cats can get some relief.
Great article ! My cat started going outside & eventually seemed to get an infestation over night 🙁 I poured borax on my carpets & made sure to sweep it deep into the carpets. Left it on for 2 days, fleas were gone ! Washed bedding, washed clothes, cleaned & vacuumed leather couches & anywhere else cat goes. I’m still battling the fleas (it’s been about 2months) but it’s nothig compared to what it was. No fleas jumping around the house but he still has some. I’m just starting to bathe once a week now to finally rid them for good ! I lucked out though, he doesn’t fight me with baths, he is very attached to me so he doesnt try anything crazy. My boyfriend on the other hand, he bit his arm when bathing him. Lol Borax works great & I can’t stress enough the vacuuming and cleaning of everything in the home ! My cat is 14 lbs & has tons of long hair, fleas have a party on him , but these methods have been doing some damage to the amount he has. So don’t give up the battle with fleas!
Can anyone tell me when using the apple cider vinegar spray on cats how saturated I need to get them? And does this kill the fleas or make them jump off the cat into other areas of the home? Thank you.
i have a black cat. i did find 3 adult fleas i showerd him with my shampoo after that bath he nhasnt scratch anymore not once. i do keep checking and checking if he still has anymore fleas but i dont see anymore. he use to always scratch and act all weird quite alot. he does go out alot so thats where he got the fleas from. today he went outside and came back and he still has not scratch himself at all. to be safe i bought alot of flea killing products though and i will continue to avoid these damn things.
so, also i did use to get bit on my ankles but its been a long while sence i have not gotten bitten by anything so i dont think my bed has any fleas or anything.
my question is (is it possible that my cat doesn’t have anymore fleas?)
I am going to ask a really dumb question here with regards to fleas, but is there any difference between cat fleas and dog fleas & can they live/breed of each other, recently my ex husband thought my life was becoming a little easy so came down with a preset for the kids in the form of a little black pug and i noticed he was very bald underneath his tummy and legs immediately i thought fleas as my black cat has an allergy to fleas and will shed his fur at the very mention of a flea, i was told the dog had received treatment but looking at the condition of my cat i now believe that was a lie as he losing fur by the day, my other 3 cats don’t suffer with flea allergies, his fur loss has been under control by treatment from the vets for the past 2 yrs until the dog arrived. I am wanting to give the lemon juice treatment a go, would anyone here think its advisable or have another suggestion, I live in the UK my other thought was maybe he is allergic to the dog full stop i dont even know if thats possible Thanks in advance xx
I have three cats. one of them is a Maine Coone X
This is my method to deal with fleas.
I run a few inches of luke warm water into the bath.
Then add 2 table spoons of Epsom salt and mix with the water till it is dissolved.
Then add 3 tablespoons Elizabeth Anne Baby Shampoo. The aqueous shampoo which is SOAP FREE.
Mix this well too.
See that you have a few clean bath towels ready and that the windows are closed.
Remove the collar from the cat. Start singing a little song to your cat.
Pick the cat up gently and walk backwards into the bathroom.
Lower the cat into the bath and hold on gently yet firmly. (keep singing till the bath is over)
The idea is to rinse the cat off with this mixture.
Also apply of the Elizabeth Ann shampoo to the body of the cat and keep rinsing the cat off with this mixture. Then simply pull the plug and drain the bath.
The last time I bathed my cats I added a few drops of sweet almond oil which I have read is not toxic to cats.
The fleas are smothered and I believe the Epsom salt added also kills them.
(Next time I am going to add a few lavender flowers to the water.)
The Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) is calming too. Your feline has just had a little spa treatment.
Hi. We recently moved into my husband’s grandmother’s house. We have a cat who has never had fleas. Now,in the grandmothers,home she has 3 cats and a huge flea problem. The fleas have now infested our cat which we keep in our room and they are also eating me alive. Our cat is extremely stressed and I can see how uncomfortable she is and she’s constantly scratching. She is very sciddish At the moment How do I get her to be calm to do the sprays and combs and vacuum of the fur.?
My cats are all adults and when I got them the vet told me only bath them on arrival to home and never bath them again because they have a natural cleaning agent in their saliva. How do I get rid of fleas when you have a freaked out cat. Is it Ok to just rub them down with lavender and teatree oil? Will that be safe?
Diatomaceous earth does NOT “repel” fleas, it only kills them when they come in contact with it. I wish it DID repel them and we’d all be free of them. It has no odor or repellent qualities.
How often do you have to apply the apple cider vinegar remedy for cats?