Most natural flea remedy lists for cats include tea tree oil, lemon spray, lavender and garlic. Every one of those can make a cat sick, and some can kill one. A cat’s body handles plant compounds very differently than yours does. Here are the natural methods that actually work, the ones to throw out, and why treating only your cat means fighting about 5 percent of the problem.
First, confirm the fleas
Cats groom constantly, so you may never see a flea. Look for tiny black specks like ground pepper near the base of the tail, the lower back and the belly. Comb some onto a white paper towel and add a drop of water. If they turn rusty red, that’s flea dirt, made of your cat’s digested blood.
Fleas cause more than itching. Some cats are allergic to flea saliva, and one or two bites can trigger hair loss and scabs. Cats swallow fleas while grooming and can get tapeworms, which show up as small white rice-like segments near the backside. In kittens, heavy fleas can cause anemia, with pale gums and weakness. That needs a vet right away.
1. A flea comb
It adds nothing to your cat’s body. Fill a bowl with hot water and a squirt of dish soap. Comb head to tail with a fine metal comb, focusing on the neck, belly and tail base, dipping the comb in the water every few strokes. The soap makes fleas sink and drown. Do this daily.
2. A bath
Use about an inch of lukewarm water and a mild shampoo made for cats. Lather a ring around the neck first so fleas can’t escape to the face. Never use human shampoo or dog flea shampoo. A bath only removes the fleas on your cat at that moment.
3. Your vacuum
Only about 5 percent of a flea problem is adult fleas on your pet. The other 95 percent is in your home as eggs, larvae and cocoons. In December 2007, Ohio State University announced a study showing vacuuming killed an average of 96 percent of adult cat fleas and every larva and cocoon tested. Vacuum carpets, couches and baseboards every day or every other day, then empty the bag or canister into an outdoor trash can.
4. Hot-water laundry
Wash your cat’s bedding and any fabric it sleeps on in hot, soapy water every week during an infestation.
5. Food-grade diatomaceous earth (on floors, not cats)
This powder dries out insects. Never put it on your cat, since the dust can irritate their lungs. Take your cat out of the room, dust a thin layer on carpets, wait one to three days, then vacuum.
Never use these on cats
- Tea tree oil Tremors, trouble walking; a few drops undiluted can be fatal
- Essential oils Citrus, eucalyptus, peppermint and lavender are on warning lists
- Garlic Damages red blood cells, and doesn’t work on fleas
- Dog flea products Often contain permethrin, highly toxic to cats
Cats lack certain liver enzymes that break down plant compounds, which is why so many “natural” remedies are dangerous for them.
Stick with it
Flea cocoons can wait weeks or months before hatching, so keep combing, vacuuming and washing for at least a month, and treat every pet in the house at once. Natural methods remove fleas but don’t prevent new ones; vets consider prescription products more effective long term. For heavy infestations, kittens, seniors, pale gums or rice-like segments, call your vet.
