DIY Natural Cat Flea Treatment Recipes
* If your cat has a flea allergy, you should consult a medical specialist regarding the safest program or form of treatment for recovery.
Signs for Fleas on Cats
Before you start looking for flea treatment for cats, you should check this list of signs and symptoms to see if your pet has fleas or not:- Grooming in excess
- Bald spots from hair loss
- Persistent scratching
- Changes in behavior
- Flea dirt in cat’s coat
- Bumps on skin
Vacuum
Studies show that female fleas can lay up to 50 eggs a day in carpets. Yes, that means that your carpet can currently be infested with fleas without you even knowing it. In order to treat the problem from its roots, make sure that you vacuum thoroughly and as frequently as possible. We even recommend that you get your carpet cleaned professionally so you can be sure that you do not have any further troubles. In addition to vacuuming your carpet, you will also need to vacuum all pieces of furniture, as those nasty little critters have a knack of hiding everywhere they can. After every time you vacuum, make sure that you dispose of the contents in the bag at once, so they do not have a chance of returning. While this might not solve your issue entirely, it will certainly make a difference.Laundry
Vacuuming is not the only measure you can take to make fleas go away. If you notice your cat itching and scratching, you should clean his or her bedding more often. Clean their sheets in the washing machine as you would with normal laundry, even using advanced settings for thorough cleaning. You should do this once a week if the case requires.Keep Your Yard Clean
Like we mentioned in the beginning of this article, cats who wander outside are prone to getting fleas. This means that you should always be careful in tidying up your yard and clearing it of leaf piles and other forms of debris. If you do have pets that stay outside, make sure that the solutions you use for cleaning do not have any chemical content.Lemon Flea Comb
Now, let’s get down to the natural cat flea treatment recipes you can make at home. The first choice on our list is the classic flea comb solution that is very easy to prepare and apply. Your kitty might not appreciate the smell of lemons, but it will help them in becoming flea free. Furthermore, the way that this recipe is prepared will reduce the strong scent of lemons so your cat won’t be very bothered. If you do not have a flea comb or you don’t have the possibility in purchasing one soon, you can use a normal, fine toothed comb to get the job done.Get these:
- Water – 3 cups
- Lemons – 2 to 3
- Flea comb / fine toothed comb
- Pot
- Spray bottle
- Chop up the 2-3 lemons and boil them in the three cups of water you have prepared.
- Just when the water starts to boil, take the pot away from the stove and allow the contents to steep for roughly three hours.
- When this period of time is up, strain the lemons and use the remaining lemon water to place into a spray bottle.
- Gently spray your cat and comb their coat at least two times every day.
- Additionally, you can use the spray on their bedding if it is not too irritating for them.
Apple Cider Vinegar Cat Flea Treatment
Apple cider vinegar can be used to get rid of fleas in kitties in two main ways, either by spraying it directly on your cat’s fur or by giving them a bath with it.Get these ingredients:
- Apple cider vinegar – 3 to 4 cups
- Spray bottle
- (Optional) Shampoo safe for kitties
- Pour about three to four cups of apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle.
- Spray the vinegar directly on your cat’s fur.
- Leave it on for five minutes.
- Rinse off.
- Run a flea comb through your kitty’s coat.
- Take half part apple cider vinegar and half part shampoo and mix the two ingredients together.
- Make sure that you apply the solution on your cat starting with its head, as that is the first area where fleas will flee (no pun intended).
- Gently massage your cat’s fur with the shampoo and vinegar solution and leave it in for approximately five minutes.
- Rinse it out well and complete the process by using a flea comb on your clean kitten.
Castile Soap Bath Natural Flea Treatment for Cats
While cats usually can take care of grooming on their own (and they are quite good at it), sometimes a bad case of fleas requires a good bath with special ingredients. We recommend that you use real, castile soap, because it can eliminate fleas by dehydrating them. Before you use castile soap on your cat, make sure that you check what contents it has (be careful with certain essential oils). Moreover, you should always dilute castile soap before using it on your cat, as it is extremely concentrated.Diatomaceous Earth Cat Flea Treatment
Diatomaceous earth, commonly known as DE, is “a soft, crumbly, porous sedimentary deposit formed from the fossil remains of diatoms”. When it comes to conquering fleas, diatomaceous earth (only the food grade variety) can be used in several different ways. First of all, you can sprinkle it on your floors, carpets and furniture and allow it to work its magic, aka killing fleas. After that, vacuum all of the areas until they are clean. Make sure that you use gloves when handling diatomaceous earth and that you do not inhale it. An alternative is to sprinkle it directly on your cat’s fur or on its bedding, after you have cleaned it. Repeat this dry shampoo solution on your cat’s coat every day until it no longer has fleas.Safe Herbs for Topical and Oral Use as Cat Flea Treatment
If you want to opt for an herbal remedy as cat flea treatment, there is a list of options that you can easily use for your kitty without causing harm. Any one of these herbs can be used either topically or orally:- Lavender – Calming effects, pleasant aroma that is safe for cats. Make sure to use moderately.
- Neem leaf – Organic tea made of neem leaves can be used for fleas in cats. Make a neem leaf shampoo at home by adding 1 to 5 milliliters of neem oil to 100 milliliters of shampoo. Use once a week on your kitty.
- Coriander – the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) classifies coriander as perfectly harmless to cats, being “non-toxic and edible”.
- Lemon Verbena – also listed by the ASPCA as a non-toxic plant.
- Mint – cats love the smell, while mice will flee when smelling peppermint.
- Catnip
- Peppermint – same as in the case of mint.
- Thyme – if growing thyme, make sure that the seeds you use are untreated and that the soil used for potting is sterilized.
- Lemon balm – is great for repelling almost all insects and protecting cats, aside from bees.
- Basil
- Hyssop
- Rosemary
