Home Remedies For Fleas In Cats Reviewed

How effective are home remedies for fleas and natural cat flea products in case of a feline flea infestation?

Cats and fleas often come together. Here is a review about possibilities to control cat fleas with natural cat flea products and measures of sanitation.

Effectiveness of household and plant-based remedies depends in fact very much on the grade of infestation, which means how many fleas, eggs, larvae and pupae are actually present in the direct environment of your cat (indoors and outdoors).

Chances to get a light – mediocre infestation under control are quite good, but to conquer a heavy “flood” of fleas you will probably loose the battle without the usage of chemical insecticides.

Plant-based Cat Flea Products

Plant-based products contain extracts of citrus oils, such as linalool and limonene and pyrethrins.

These substances are deadly for adult fleas and their larvae and are low in toxicity for cats, if applied according to manufacturer's instructions.

Keep in mind that some cat breeds are proned to allergic reactions when exposed to citrus oil containing insecticides.

Volatile Oils

A lot of natural home remedies for fleas contain volatile oils, that are toxic to fleas. Herbal pads and sachets or fresh cedar wood shavings may help as long as they are fresh, but they usually last only a short time.

Their effectiveness and impact as an insecticide is usually not eliminating enough fleas to improve the situation satisfactorily.

Diluted White Vinegar

Some cat owners find that spraying in water dilutes white vinegar onto their felines and their bedding helps to prevent infestation. Treatment success depends on the intensity of infestation.

Brewer's Yeast and Garlic

Brewer's yeast does not work as a cat flea product, as tests have revealed.

Garlic is known to help to get rid of fleas and can be purchased in pill or capsule form. Garlic and especially onions are toxic to cats, no matter if freshly given or in whatever dried form.
Cats (and dogs) fed consistently over a longer time with garlic or ingested a one-time high dose may require veterinary treatment, because they develop an anaemia due to blood cells being destroyed by a derivative of brimstone or sulphur (thiosulphate).

Treating the Environment Effectively

The environment of your cat is infested with flea eggs, larvae and pupae, the immature life stages. Larvae live mostly in your cat's bedding, in upholstered furniture and carpets. They rely on feeding on excrements from adult fleas, containing dried, digested blood.

Most home remedies for fleas rely on eliminating these insects and their immature forms mechanically through vaccum cleaning.

Proper sanitation means vacuum cleaning regularly in short intervals of carpets, flooring, furniture and underneath in your cat's living and sleeping area.

Intervals should be around 5 -10 days according to the newly hatching and developing immature and mature life stages of this insect.

Powders based on borates are used to eliminate larvae through contamination of their food. Immature life stages are more sensitive, adult fleas feed on fresh blood and survive.

However, using borax powder long term and in households where infants live should be avoided, also contamination of areas of food preparation must be avoided.

Diatomaceous earth containing powder will destroy the protective, wax layer of the flea's chitin shell and leads to dehydration and death. Be aware, that pets can also develop dry skin and show eventually signs of irritation and itchiness.

Insecticide releasing collars seem to loose their effectiveness quickly. Collars can be cut up into pieces and put into the vacuum bag or filter of your vacuum cleaner to clean carpets and upholstery. Bags or filters should still be binned after cleaning, because fleas can survive in them and re-infest the living area again.