Flea Riddance Remdies!

[DezzeLovell]

Does anyone know of safe ways to rid your cats of fleas that isn't too costly like buying flea products from the stores?

I've used several and none of them work.

I have to find a way to get rid of these fleas quick because I fear for the health of my cats and family...

Not to mention, I'm due to have a child born very soon here, and it wouldn't be good to bring him home to flea-infested feline friends.

PLEASE HELP!!!

[nancyjac]

The problem I have with products like frontline is that they only kill fleas after they have bitten your cat.  The med is absorbed through the skin into the cats blood supply so what kills the fleas is your cat's blood after it has been bitten.  It works great, but only for adult fleas that have bitten your cat.  Does nothing for eggs, larvae on your cat until the hatch and grow and bite.  Shampooing and combing on the other hand removes adult fleas, larvae, and egg and they don't have to bite your cat first.

[kathy434]

I studied up on flea products, and the most effective one is Frontline Plus for cats.  Then you must vacuum your house, especially where the cat prefers to sleep and entertain itself, twice a week to eliminate eggs and newly hatched larvae.  You must continue the vacuuming of the house and contents.  Flea eggs will go dormant during the cold months and then become active when the weather warms and humidity rises.  Flea combs are OK if you have a cooperative cat. Also very fast hands when catching the fleas.  I have two cats and my choice of product is Frontline Plus for Cats.  It is squirt on the back of the head and is effective as the medicine moves over the whole body.

[nancyjac]

Both borax and diatomaceous earth are salts.  So excessive amounts of it could damage plants.  You could try planting some pennyroyal which is suppose to repel fleas.  It gets to hot for it where I am so it doesn't grow to well here and if you already have a bad infestation in your yard, a commercial insecticide safe for plants and pets might be a better choice.

I found this info that specifically talks to the toxicity of borax for cats:

  http://www.ehow.com/facts_5875697_toxic-borax-cats_.html

[opus88]

Jade as far as I can understand about the diam. earth the problem is just if its inhaled...same as many powders.
for inside use it says to keep pets away from area until vacuumed. so I don't know what you'd do about outside, is it possible to rake it into the soil a bit just so it isn't laying ontop and easily picked up on the paws?....if its raked in a slight amount it should still be very deadly for the fleas.
What does the website say?

[Jade59]

Not to mention getting the Diamatoceous earth on her paws that would be licked...

[Jade59]

I finally found Carol Osborne's holistic discussion and she mentions Diamatoceous earth for getting rid of fleas in ones yard (which I am interested in.)  Am I understanding right - this is an ingredient in litter so it would be safe to sprinkle all over our back yard?  This is the impression I get from Dr Osborne, but I'm thinking no, Opus since kitty is so close to the ground, she could inhale it.  

We desperately need something for our yard.  The fleas out there make the expensive Frontline useless!  I use a flea comb on Jade which works great but I'm pulling fleas off her a few days after Frontline use.  Very frustrating!

Opus, I like the dish of salt, idea as well as a saucer plate of dish soup water outside, however, I'd be afraid Jade or another wandering cat might try to drink it?

[opus88]

heres a good article on a study....be very sure to throw out the vacuum bag after each use.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217111010.htm

also read the following just now.
cat livers are ill equipped to handle the chemicals in flea products such as bombs,foggers,sprays,collars,shampoos and powder products containing 'insecticides'
gentle safe shampoo's are, Castile soap(liquid) such as Dr. Bronner's or Black soap(Fair Trade) from Togo or Ghana.
A tea can be made with 'neem' leaf (seep into a tea and let stand 30 min.)
dab this lightly on the cat....very smelly so won't be pleasant.
-made a home made 'flea trap' by adding a few drops of dish liquid to water put in a small shallow dish such as a pie plate or sauce..set this out at night under a light source. the dish should be full of fleas each morning, dump and repeat each night.
-also a similar dishes with just plain table salt left throughout the house will attract and kill fleas, replace as necessary.

let us know ok it any of these suggestions work for you.
♥Opus

[opus88]

I use a similar mix for the yard to rid of ants....(minus the dia earth) and it works great.
the ants/fleas whatever are attracted to the smell of the lavender so theres no need IMO to treat everything and everywhere just the heavily infested areas..as they will all attracted there anyway.
The caution with the dia. earth is when its INHALED, litter box powder shouldn't be inhaled either....also with the borax I wouldn't want to see pets or children get it on themselves and lick it off...Borax is a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water. so it shouldn't be toxic if not INHALED nor INGESTED.

[nancyjac]

That formula is similar to one I have used to kill roaches and ants.  The toxic ingredient is the borax though, not the diatomaceous earth.  Diatomaceous earth is the primary ingredient in most cat litters because it is highly absorbent.  It is also used in a lot of cosmetics, toothpaste, as a facial scrub and as a clean up for toxic liquids like oil spills. It works as an insecticide by abrading and then penatrating the outer surface absorbing the moisture of small and porous pests like slugs causing them to dehydrate and die. The problem I see with using this formula for fleas inside is that it is slow acting.  For roaches and ants or in the yard  you can just sprinkle it and leave it  where roaches and ants tend to congregate and away from areas where people and pets would come into contact with it,  But using it to treat the whole house (upholstery, carpets, bedding, etc.) would be impractical because it basically makes the whole house inaccessible for 24-48 hours it would take to kill off the fleas and even then, it wouldn't kill any fleas on vertical surfaces such as walls or anyplace else that wasn't covered with the powder.

[Cassandrajane]

Skoosh :) thats what I am using. Its for the house..
Its safe for animals and for people as I am pregnant too..  and have reptiles.  My local vet as ordered it for us.
The best thing to do is to de flea your WHOLE house AND the cats. because its no good just doing the cats and not the house or the fleas will never go.

Ask your vet if they can find a product called Skoosh.

:)
xx

[opus88]

good advice given, I have also found a method to rid your home of the beggars.
"fleas spend the majority of their time in your home or yard and not on your cat, therefore treating the cat isn't enough you also need to treat the areas the fleas live"

a holistic method.
-50% borax powder
-15% dried lavender herb run through the coffee or spice grinder.
-5% cornstarch
-5% baking soda
*also recommend adding 25% diatomaceous earth(?) food grade.
however there is a warning with this product. can cause extreme lung irritation and well as siicosis. handle the powder carefullly. don't allow it to fly around. most important for safety keep cats and family away for the areas being treated. protect yourself with a mask while handling...
It also states that not all ingredients are always necessary. so I sure wouldn't be in favor of using this earth product myself, sounds risky.

-combine all avail ingredients than rub mix into upholstery and carpets. let sit overnight or up to 24 hrs if possible. vacuum thouroughly, may need to repeat weekly if dealing with heavy infestation, otherwise every two weeks just as a control during hot humid months.
this mix(minus the earth product would be cheap and IMO safer than a bomb)
claims that this will take care of the problem.??

I've never had to use so just quoting as I read.

Oh gosh sure wish you the best of luck!!!

Opus♥

[Tre74]

advantage is AMAZING! put a few drops on the back of their neck then flea bomb your home ----- works like a charm!!

[Sarajmt]

A bit of brewers yeast on their food will help control the flea population.  Here's a good website for natural flea control.
http://eartheasy.com/live_natural_flea_control.html

[AnnieBrooke]

The simplest thing is to get a flea comb (the very fine-toothed kind, sold in pet stores) and some cat flea powder (the kind they make to sprinkle on the cat).  Comb the cats every day or twice a day, drowning the fleas in a dish of soapy water.  Then sprinkle the flea powder, not on the cat, but into the rug, into the cushions of the couch, etc. etc. and vacuum everything like crazy.  The reason I suggest a flea powder made for cats to wear on their body versus a thing like a flea bomb is that it is more mild and benign to both the cats and you, in other words, it does not make your environment toxic.  Sprinkle it around like Tidy Rug and tap or brush it in, then vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.  Wash the blankets and sheets on the beds.  Vacuum everywhere the cats hang out and a few places they don't.  Between the daily or twice-daily combings, and the vacuuming, you should see good results in a couple of weeks.

If this is too much work, go to your vet and get some Frontline, and put it on each kitty.  I think it is also available online.