Homemade Anti-flea Shampoo for Cats

The first thing you should do is check if your cat really has fleas. To do this, see if they have the following main symptoms:

• They scratch intensely, with special emphasis on areas of the tail and head.
• They are discouraged, and don't want to play.
• They want you to brush them more often.

Once the above symptoms are detected, the best way to check if they really have fleas is by cleaning their fur and inspecting their skin, as well as using a flea brush and checking if there are any nits or fleas. If you confirm the presence of these parasites, act as soon as possible!

The battle against fleas is a team effort, your cat will not be able to fight against them alone, so you must help them. One way to do this is by creating your own anti-flea shampoo.

Vinegar is a great choice to remove fleas that have come in contact with your cat's skin and helps prevent future infestations. With its strong smell and taste, it works as the perfect repellent. Glycerin soap, on the other hand, will give the moisturizing effect that your cat's skin needs so the fleas can slip through the fur. You can locate and remove them better with the flea comb. To prepare this homemade anti-flea shampoo for cats you must follow these steps:

1. Buy shampoo for babies.
2. Pour around 150ml into a large bottle.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of water.
4. Plus 1 cup of white vinegar or apple.
5. And 1 cup of liquid soap based on 100% natural glycerin.

Bathe your cat with this solution and lather it in, let it act for several minutes, repeat and rinse with warm water. Prepare this bath every two weeks. An important note is that you must keep this anti-flea shampoo away from your cat's nose, eyes, mouth and genitals. We do not want to cause any kind of irritation.

Prepare a special anti-flea shampoo for cats by mixing a portion of shampoo with an equal amount of oil (either lavender, cintronela or eucalyptus). 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 absorbent 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.

You can also use vinegar again to create a spray solution. Apply it directly on the skin of your cat between baths, as well as spraying areas of the home to prevent the appearance of fleas. To make this homemade remedy against fleas in cats, you only have to mix 3 cups of water with 1 cup of white vinegar and you're ready! A spray to combat these pests!

Desperate to remove fleas from your beloved pet, you will be tempted to use all kinds of treatments and products available on the market and in pet stores. However, our AnimalWised experts recommend that to protect your cat's skin and health from harmful chemical products and ingredients, try this homemade cat flea shampoo at least once, you will find it very effective.

Likewise, choose to purchase anti-parasitic products of quality and that do not harm the animal.

We explain in more detail in our article home remedies for fleas in cats, but we want to address the main points here.

Clean house = happy cat

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.

• Wash all blankets and clothing that has been in contact with your pet.
• Vacuum the furniture, scratching post or areas where you find your cat. We cannot risk free fleas that can infect our friend again.
• 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.

Diet: Make your cat unappealing to fleas!

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.

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, in order for it to become toxic, your cat would have to eat about 50 garlic cloves a day. Therefore, it's highly improbable.

We hope you found this useful! Let us know if you try out these remedies in the comments. If you have any queries at all, don't hesitate to ask in the comments below!

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