My cat has had fleas for ages and I have spent a fortune on treatment for my cat and surroundings. I am getting fed up of it now. I don't know quite what to do. I have had the powder for carpets, sprays, tried Frontline on my cat, pills, you name it, I have tried it. Any advice please?
By Natalie
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The only product that will kill creeping, crawling, jumping, biting, etc. with out harming pets and people, when I say that I literally mean you can mix in chicken feed, dog food, etc. Is .....drum roll...diatomaceous earth(fresh water, food grade). It is completely natural, used as anti caking in cat litter & farmer's grain, mixed with feed for livestock and other farm animals to keep bugs out.
Bonus; the flies die after landing in their poo! It's even used in pool filters as a medium.
You can find at tractor supply, feed stores, online, and it is very cost effective! empty a large baby powder bottle and fill with DE (as it is referred to) using a funnel, pop the lid on close holes most of the way shake, squeeze upright to make a fine cloud that will coat & kill! Or use a medication syringe to apply into cracks and tiny holes. I dust my window sills and after a fly comes in I find it dead in under two hours!
It was discovered by Mr. Nobel (like the prize!) that the fossilized shells from a hard-shelled algae called a diatom stabilized nitroglycerin for storage and travel. (that helped out with the name). Later came the anti-caking factor and then the slug killing factor, and on and on.
It works by slicing through the exoskeleton of insects and they will basically dehydrate and die with in 24-48 hours. By that time the bug has come in contact with other bugs and food and spread a bit of DE deliciousness for all to enjoy! That is a wonderful thing when you live in Corpus Christie, TX where there are cut ants that will strip a 30 year old oak in a night (after all the good plants and trees and vines are gone of course). Plus they have a memory (30 days or so) so bait is a waste. Also they can travel up to 1/4 mile to eat your plants and their dens, under ground, can be the size of a small house! (oh they don't eat the leaves just chew them up, line the den, grow a fungus on them and that is what they eat!)
Try NOT to inhale it, tobacco is natural but we see how well that is going! You should try to wear gloves (I don't but my hands look like the elbows of a 190 lb 'outside dog') it will make your hands very very dry if left on, or at least wash them often. Keep it in dry storage. Read the bag.
Super bonus - Even after you vacuum or sweep there will be a light coating which is all that's needed to be safe for all, but the un-wanted.
Hope this helps.
Go to earthclinic.com and look under the pets tab. I would do the following things in the following order:
Put a flea collar in your vacuum.
Vacuum, the carpet.
Frontline is not very effective anymore since they changed their composition of their formula. I would not buy frontline. The other sprays do not work. I would look at earthclinic and make the lemon spray up for them, or just get lemon juice and put it in a spray bottle and spray their bedding with it all the time. I would put it on your hands and work it in their coats. Make sure it doesn't touch open wounds. I would also put about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per four cups of water that they drink. They really cant taste it.
These are the things I would do and do, in fact, for my animals. There is not enough emphasis that can be placed on constant vacuuming of the rugs to get the eggs. The table salt will also destroy the eggs.
Note that tea tree oil, which is beneficial to dogs and humans, is toxic to cats.
Blessings,
Robyn
Natural control and elimination of fleas. 2 to 2 and a half cups 20 mule team Borax for each average size carpeted room sifted from colander. Leave for 2 weeks before vacuuming. Cedercide, spread in yard, are natural granules that are not expensive. 5 pounds will last more than a year.
Let me start by saying two things. 1. Most people think it's the pets that bring the fleas in. That is so wrong! Yes pets bring them in, but so do people! They get on our shoes, socks, pant legs, whatever and catch a ride into the house. So don't just blame the cat. Anyone and anything who comes in can and will bring fleas in too.
2. In order to get rid of them you have to treat everything at once.
I live in the southeast and fleas are always bad here. This summer had been really bad with this heat. What I do is get a bunch of foggers that specifically treat fleas along with other bugs. Be sure the label lists fleas or it won't work on them. I get 3 times the number of cans that the label says it takes. I'd rather have way too much than not enough.
Then I take my animals outside and set the foggers off inside. I make sure I bring my purse and car keys too because it'll get awfully hot outside while we are waiting for the foggers to work, and then waiting for the house to air out when they are done.
While the foggers are working, I bathe and flea dip each of my animals. I don't allow them to go out into the grass until they are completely dry. I have a deck and make them stay on it.
When it gets too hot, we all pile into the car with the a/c on.
After the foggers are done and I have gone in and opened all the windows and let the house air out long enough, I go in and start cleaning. Counters, drawers, shelves, tables. Then I vacuum everything--floors, furniture, even the curtains. Especially any curtains that are floor length. After vacuuming the bag gets taken outside to the trash immediately so that anything left alive doesn't find its way out and back into the house.
This is a lot of work, but it does get rid of the fleas, along with any other creepy crawlies that may be around.
Good luck!
As for Muttmom's tip about the Borax. Sure it'll get rid of the fleas, but you'll also be burying your cat too! Borax is very toxic to pets. And as much as cats lick themelves to clean themselves, they are especially susceptible. And unless you keep it in a cage for the weeks that the Borax is down, then for the days after that it would take to vacuum all the Borax up (it'd take many times to get it all up) your poor cat would be in danger of being poisoned.
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