Home Remedies for Fleas in Cats

The first home remedy for fleas in cats is certainly a good bath. Cats are extremely clean animals, but once they have been infected with fleas, self-cleaning is not enough to eliminate them.

To prepare a good bath that eliminates these fleas you will need:

• Warm water
• Baby shampoo for sensitive skin
• Lavender oil, cintronela or eucalyptus
• Fine toothed cat comb
• Patience

Prepare a special anti-flea shampoo by mixing a portion of shampoo with an equal amount of oil (you can use one or more of the oils suggested). While washing your pet make sure you rub their back and tail well, as most of the fleas will be there. If possible, let the shampoo and oils soak for about 5-10 minutes. Remember to avoid wetting or using shampoo on their ears and head.

Then rinse the cat very well and dry thoroughly with an absorbant towel. This is the best part for them, so do it with lots of affection. Finally, get rid of the annoying fleas by brushing all over your pet's body.

Important tips:

Your cat is not a dog so under no circumstances use products intended for flea control in dogs. Not only will they not be effective but they can also put the health of your feline at risk.

If they are still a kitten or a cat up to 3 months of age do not use the oils. The skin of cats is very sensitive and they could create significant skin irritation.

Cats spend most of their time licking and cleaning, so it is very important to remove any shampoo from their body. Otherwise, in addition to ending the flea problem, your cat could become intoxicated.

Not all cats like water. In fact some hate it. So, to make the process less traumatic for them, do it all with love, patience and care. Be sure to control the water temperature too. Not too hot, not too cold.

During the drying process, place your cat on a light colored or white towel to make sure you kill any fleas that may fall.

There is no use applying specific medication on our pet or to give them a good anti-flea bath when your house is not kept clean. Eliminating fleas from cats not only involves direct action on the animal but also in all areas we have control of: our house.

They will not only become infected with fleas. These fleas will invade their body as well as the furniture, their scratching post and all those places where your pet spends most of their time. Therefore, once we have acted on our cat, the next thing we must do is disinfect our home.

To carry out this home remedy which is natural and effective against fleas in cats you must have on hand:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Washing machine
• White vinegar
• Lots of hot water

Wash all blankets and clothing that has been in contact with your pet. (Yes it's not the most fun of experiences!)

As well as this, vacuum the furniture, scratching post or areas where you find your cat. We cannot risk free fleas that can infect our friend again.

Finally, prepare a solution of white vinegar and hot water to clean the entire house. Use this for floors and surfaces such as shelves or any furniture.

What is diatomaceous earth?

Diatomaceous earth, also known as white earth, is a 100% natural and ecological product that is used in the treatment of external parasites in animals. It is a white powder of mineral origin that works as an insecticide.

This product, available in pet and organic stores, adheres to the body of cold-blooded parasites and absorbs their fluids, killing them right away.

If you want to use it, you can spread it like talcum powder on furniture and the scratching post. Let it act for 10 to 15 minutes and then use the vacuum cleaner over these areas. Repeat the process a couple of times.

Another of the home remedies for fleas is a citrus spray. To do this you will only need a couple of things:

• Toilet
• Orange or lemon skin
• Atomizer bottle

As if trying to make a tea, boil half a liter of water with the fruit peel. Leave it on the heat for a few minutes so that the skin of the fruit gives off its aroma and then set it aside until it cools completely. Pass the mixture through a strainer and fill the atomizer.

You can use this anti-flea citrus spray directly on your pet or other contact surfaces such as toys, scratching post or furniture where they like to be.

Cats are not very fond of citrus scents, so taking into account that our feline friends have a very developed sense of smell, it is advisable not to overdo it when spraying this natural flea spray.

Another thing you can use is chamomile. Unlike lemon and orange, this smell does not bother cats. In addition, if they are a small kitten, instead of using a spray, you can take a cotton pad with the chamomile solution and apply it gently over their body, especially on their back and tail.

An effective way to keep parasites at bay is to control your cat's diet and make them smell and taste unappealing to them. To achieve this, you can include in their portions extra products like:

• Brewer's yeast
• Garlic

You can use either of these two foods or alternate them, in small quantities, within the rations of wet or normal food that you give your pet. Once a day will be more than enough and will make your cat unappetizing to them - so they won't attack.

Toxic cat food

Although there are toxic foods and plants for cats, neither brewer's yeast nor garlic pose a risk to your pet. In fact, garlic is considered a natural insect repellent, but that is, always keeping an eye on the amounts. However, to become toxic, your cat would have to eat about 50 garlic cloves a day!