Traditional methods of getting rid of fleas in cats and dogs

Fleas can be a natural (and unpleasant) part of living with a pet.

Luckily, there are endless solutions available with over-the-counter flea sprays, powders, and collars to help eradicate the flea problem in your home.

However, while commercial flea medications and treatments can certainly help control your cat's flea problem, there are also a number of do-it-yourself approaches that cat owners can use to keep the bugs away without the use of chemicals or potential side effects. your cat or other members of your family.

If you have already consulted your veterinarian about your cat flea problem, here are a few home remedies you can try that may help get rid of your cat's flea problem for good.

Before trying any of these home remedies on your cat, consult your veterinarian , who will know best which route you should take.

Cedar sawdust or ground walnut shells

It's a known fact that fleas hate the smell of pine nuts—and your cat probably doesn't like it very much either.

However, you can try placing cedar shavings or ground shells around your cat's bedding or outdoors in the garden.

You can also spray cedarwood oil on your cat's fur, as it is a safe, non-toxic essential oil, or apply a few drops to a banana peel or even your cat's collar to keep bugs away.

Herbal decoctions

It happens that the owner did not notice the presence of fleas in time, and they began to actively multiply directly on the animal’s body, causing him considerable discomfort. Naturally, the cat does not understand that the bites cannot be touched, and therefore constantly scratches these places. As a result, large areas are covered with permanent ulcers, and the hair begins to fall out. In this case, delicate methods will not help. To eliminate the problem, you need to buy dried tansy and wormwood flowers at the pharmacy, mix them with a small amount of eucalyptus and add a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil to relieve itching and irritation from the animal’s damaged skin. The herbs should be poured with boiling water and allowed to brew for about two hours. After this, strain through cheesecloth or a fine strainer. This decoction must be rubbed into the affected areas daily until the signs of the disease disappear. The course takes on average 7 days.

Lemons

One of the most effective natural flea remedies is citric acid, which makes lemon juice a widely accepted home remedy for fleas.

You can spray your cat's fur with a solution made by boiling a sliced ​​lemon or two (let the lemons sit for a few hours), then drain the liquid before pouring it into a spray bottle.

Gently apply the solution to your car's fur—just avoid his or her eyes and monitor your pet for redness or other signs of irritation—and repeat the treatment as needed until the fleas are completely gone.

If your cat hates water—as most cats do—you can also try using a comb soaked in the solution to brush out the fleas.

If you are concerned about lingering fleas and flea eggs, add a cup of lemon juice to the laundry when washing your pet's bedding to help get rid of any remaining bugs.

Flaws

Sometimes the smell of lavender causes allergies. This happens in humans and animals. To eliminate it, it is often enough to reduce the oil concentration in the treatment solution. If this does not help, you will have to stop using it. It should be used with caution if there are children under one year of age in the house.

Good to know! Essential oils: how to save yourself from insects and arachnids!

Lavender oil only scares insects, but does not kill them. Therefore, complete removal will require time and repeated treatment. And the protection only works as long as the aroma of lavender is present in the air. If it happens that your household tends to receive such guests, use lavender oil regularly for preventive purposes. It is not difficult. Add a drop of lavender oil when washing the floor and fleas will not go away.

Spices

One of the easiest things you can do for a flea-infested cat is to revive its life with natural ingredients you can find in your kitchen.

Because of a natural compound known as carvacrol, oregano oil can be very effective in removing fleas; Start by mixing one teaspoon of oregano oil with three teaspoons of olive oil and apply a small amount of the solution to areas where fleas tend to congregate, such as your cat's ears, belly, tail, and neck.

Fleas don't care much for rosemary either; Try grinding the leaves into a powder and sprinkling it on areas where your cat usually hangs out in your home.

If your cat won't allow you to apply topicals to her fur, try adding a small amount (less than a teaspoon) of cumin to your cat's food. The spice will make your cat's skin completely unappetizing for fleas.

If you don't have any of these spices on hand, a little table salt can also help as it helps hydrate and kill fleas on your cat.

What's more, it helps kill fleas and flea eggs that may be lurking in your carpet (just spray it on), or mixed with water, it can be used on hard surfaces.

WARNING

These spices are a safe alternative to garlic powder, which can be toxic to cats in large doses.

Folk remedies for fleas: effectiveness and application features

There are many remedies in the arsenal of traditional medicine that help get rid of parasites.

Tar soap

Tar soap consists of sodium salts (like all soaps), table salt and thickeners. The composition includes citric acid and birch tar. It is the latter substance that fights parasites. Tar also has an anti-inflammatory effect, eliminates itching and slightly dries the skin.

Birch tar is an effective remedy that is added to soaps, ointments and medicines for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, irritation, and redness. This substance has excellent repellent properties for insects, including fleas.

This natural product is suitable for repelling fleas on puppies, kittens, pregnant and lactating females. Even if wounds have formed on the skin of a dog or cat from constant biting and scratching, you can use tar soap.

This product, unlike specialized medications, is inexpensive and does not contain artificial flavors or dyes.

Our grandmothers used tar soap to remove fleas.

Recently we discovered fleas on our Cornish cat, and our couch potato cat has FLEAS!
Nightmare, horror and panic! Probably brought from the street. While going to the pet store - immediately wash the clothes/bedding, wash the cat... Yes, yes, we thoroughly wet it with warm water and thoroughly soap its paws/belly/sides with tar soap. Avoid ears and mucous membranes. Our disgruntled cat stood in the foam for a couple of minutes. The main thing is that it stopped itching and no one jumps on it (after 2 days, just in case, they washed it again). ArLety
https://irecommend.ru/content/degtyarnoe-mylo-dlya-menya-sredstvo-ot-perkhoti-i-molochnitsy-dlya-kota-sredstvo-ot-blokh-ta

One of my friends advised me to wash my dog ​​with tar soap, there will be no skin problems, fleas and other nasty things.
That’s right, the fur was less itchy, he didn’t itch as much as before, we didn’t notice any fleas either, the lichen went away faster than expected, and in general the fur looked shiny and looked very healthy!!! Anna Fomkina
https://irecommend.ru/content/myli-sobaku

Herbs and plants for fleas

Plants such as tansy, chamomile and wormwood have proven themselves well in the fight against fleas.

There are a lot of herbs, the infusion of which helps protect your dog from fleas.
It can be tansy or ordinary wormwood. It won't be difficult to find her on the field. The smell is pungent, but there will definitely be no trace of fleas left. And the season for fleas is short, they usually only torment dogs in the summer, and when winter comes, that’s it. Fleas are afraid of the cold. Antonina
https://www.mydog.su/forum/narodnye-sredstva-ot-blokh-u-sobak

Sagebrush

To combat parasites, wormwood is used in several ways:

• 50 grams of dried wormwood are poured with a liter of boiling water and left for an hour. This infusion is added to bathing water for a sick animal or used to clean rooms where uninvited guests have settled;
• 25 g of dry grass are mixed with fresh raw materials (50 g), poured with water (0.5 l). Place on fire and let stand for several minutes, leave for 40 minutes. After filtering, spray the broth in the room, wash the floors, and also apply it pointwise to the animal’s fur, and then rub it with your hands;
• 2–4 teaspoons of herb are infused in 0.5 liters of vodka or alcohol for 2 weeks. The product is used for washing floors and furniture (10 ml of tincture per 1 liter of water);
• Wormwood powder and brooms are placed in hard-to-reach places in the house and apartment (in corners, attics and behind cabinets). The smell repels fleas and prevents re-infection of animals.

Wormwood is a plant from the Asteraceae family with a bright aroma and bitter taste.
The plant is not poisonous, it does not harm the health of the pet, it is only important to make sure that there is no allergy to the grass. In addition, the animal is unlikely to lick the fur, since preparations based on the plant have a bitter taste.

I had a similar story with parasites.
The cat suddenly got fleas (she doesn’t walk outside with me). I tried a lot on the poor animal, scoured the entire Internet and this is what I found out: flea control is not enough to get rid of parasites, you also need to treat the room, since fleas like to hide in the cracks of baseboards and parquet. So I bought a cat in an infusion of wormwood, put on a collar and moved in with a friend for a couple of days, and called exterminators into the apartment. Only after this did I manage to get rid of the fleas. Lera
https://www.woman.ru/home/animal/thread/4312013/

In our basement there are fleas living on stray cats, and when we go for cans, they inevitably end up in the house.
We got rid of it with the help of wormwood, we bought it at the pharmacy. We did it as the solution was written on the package, only to be sure, I doubled the dose, just to be sure, and sprayed the walls, carpets, and beds liberally. Then I washed the floors. I didn’t believe that it would help, but they left. kruchek_nv
https://forum.ditenok.com/showthread.php?t=34939

Chamomile

Chamomile can be used to control pests, but not ordinary chamomile, but Persian chamomile. The plant contains pyrethrins - substances that are effective in combating various insects. The closest relative of this herb is Caucasian chamomile. It is no less effective and easier to find.

Chamomile is used to combat fleas, but not ordinary chamomile, but Persian chamomile

The plant needs to be dried, crushed and scattered around the house, paying special attention to hard-to-reach places and animal beds. You can also lay out a fresh plant.

Persian chamomile is added to special insecticidal products for fleas (for example, Lugovoy shampoo).

Shampoo "Lugovoy" - a natural and modern flea remedy for dogs and cats

It’s better not to put chamomile, but wormwood.
We used to even put it in the dog’s kennel in the village, and somehow we had to treat the sofas at home. But this is the safest way, otherwise everything needs to be processed. Lyra
https://www.nn.ru/community/my_baby/my_baby/blokhi_v_kvartire-_ili_kak_ya_skhozhu_s_uma.html

Tansy

The essential oils contained in this plant repel fleas with their scent. To get rid of parasites, stems with inflorescences are used both fresh and dried (30 grams of inflorescences or dry tansy powder per glass of boiling water).

Some sources recommend wiping the pet’s fur and skin with the resulting product and using the liquid to clean the premises.

It is worth noting that an infusion of flowers effectively copes with parasites only if the flea is completely immersed in a product that is dangerous to it, so it is much more effective to bathe your pet in a medicinal bath with tansy (the liquid is prepared in the same proportion). As for treating premises, this remedy is suitable for prevention, but its usefulness for getting rid of parasites is questionable.

Targeted use of the infusion is ineffective: the parasites simply move from one place to another.

The bright yellow plant, found throughout the country, is an excellent flea repellent for pets.

I tried to use tansy and wormwood, other “flavors”.
But what causes fleas to run away can it be harmless to a dog? I learned that you can use stove ash (not to be confused with soot) to control fleas. In my opinion, this is completely unacceptable for a dog. Moreover, fleas have already adapted to modern ecology. My “dog” experience tells me that we need to stop doing experiments on our pets. I am for modern means of protecting dogs. Anvani
https://www.mydog.su/forum/narodnye-sredstva-ot-blokh-u-sobak

Garlic

Fragrant cloves are placed in corners, on shelves, in cabinets and on baseboards to scare away unexpected guests. An infusion is prepared from garlic (for wet cleaning) or scattered around the apartment in crushed form.

Tomorrow I’ll go looking for neostomozan, otherwise I’m already tired of scattered garlic around the apartment) although it helps.

Daria

https://www.woman.ru/home/medley9/thread/3852484/6/

Bay leaf

The fragrant seasoning is used both in dry form and in the form of tincture. Dry leaves are laid out in corners and crevices to repel parasites throughout the house, and the infusion (10 grams of leaves per glass of boiling water) is sprayed on the home.

Essential oils for fleas

Essential oils can be used effectively to treat rooms when treating pets.

Most often, oils are used in the form of a suspension by mixing the selected product with some water.

Add 25 drops of oil to five liters of water. The resulting solution is used to treat shelves, baseboards, and floors. After filling the spray bottle with the product, treat furniture, curtains and corners in the apartment that are difficult to clean with a rag and vacuum cleaner.

The following oils are suitable for preparing the solution:

• lavender;
• mint;
• tea tree;
• carnations;
• eucalyptus;
• anise;
• cedar;
• pine trees;
• thyme;
• wormwood.

Oil is also poured into small open bowls or jars and placed around the house. The smell repels pests, and they run away in search of a new home.

Essential oils have strong antiseptic and insecticidal properties due to the plant substances they contain.

Oils are not only well suited for treating premises, but are also used as drops on the withers. Use such homemade “drops” with extreme caution, as if they get into the mouth they can cause serious consequences and cause a loss of smell in tailed pets.

When using oils for cleaning or as medicine for the first time, be sure to perform an allergy test. Oils should not be used in a home where there are pregnant women and small children.

Oils of bergamot, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender and others are effective insect repellents, and when using them, you can even completely abandon synthetic flea products for dogs and cats.
It is enough to wipe the animal's fur with one or two drops of oil. Dogs are generally more tolerant of this type of grooming than cats, and their fur can be rubbed or combed with a mixture of these oils diluted in oil and then water. For cats, it is better to use lavender oil. Rub a couple of drops of oil in your palms and simply stroke the cat. Some cats will tolerate this procedure without objection, but others may not like it. If you have a fluffy cat, then put some oil on the brush you use to brush it. The same method can be used on a dog if you don't want to get its fur wet. Patricia Davis
Aromatherapy from A to Z

Lavender oil is a pleasant and useful remedy for the treatment and prevention of fleas in pets.

This is nonsense... I took SO many of these ampoules and once I even got poisoned myself, but after a couple of weeks it all started all over again... But what helped was COCONUT OIL!!!
Refined, deodorized, absolutely safe for us warm-blooded people, I bought it where everything for soap making at home is sold, I smeared it on my cats and the floor and that’s it! no more problem! It is also anthelmintic, so when cats licked it off they were also prevented from these parasites. Since my cats go outside, I repeat the procedure once a month. SVT
https://forumodua.com/showthread.php?t=484346

I treated my dog ​​for fleas with a mixture of lavender and tea tree.
It seems they don’t download Cerise
https://forum.aromarti.ru/archive/index.php/t-937.html

Apple vinegar

Another grocery store product that fleas don't particularly like is apple cider vinegar. While apple cider vinegar is not effective at killing bugs, it can cause fleas to jump out of your cat's body so you can better treat the problem, making it a great first attack in your personal war against fleas.

Try mixing apple cider vinegar with water in a 2:1 ratio and spraying it onto your cat's fur.

Fleas can be a very stubborn bunch, so you may have to go through several home treatments of applying vinegar to your cat's fur to get rid of fleas completely.

You'll also want to vacuum all floors and upholstery (and throw away the vacuum cleaner bag immediately), wash all bedding in hot water, and consider removing pet food bowls, bird feeders, trash cans, and any other food sources from your yard. to avoid attracting wild animals that could reinfect your pet.

How to make the fight against fleas in the house more effective?

You can enhance the effect of using essential oils to get rid of fleas in your apartment in the following ways:

• after general cleaning, it is necessary to clean the vacuum cleaner and immediately take out the garbage, otherwise insects may spread throughout the house again;
• When starting the fight against parasites, you need to not only treat the apartment, but also wash your pets with anti-flea shampoo or put on special collars for them;
• Fleecy surfaces should be treated with special care: floor coverings, carpets and door mats, bedding and pet houses

Using mixtures of several oils, you can make pest control more effective. Popular combinations:

• mint and lavender;
• clove, lavender and tea tree;
• mint, lavender and eucalyptus.

Regular use of the aroma lamp will help to consolidate the results.

Dishwashing liquid

Believe it or not, even the most gentle dish soap formulations have proven to be very effective in killing fleas. Dish soap breaks down the exoskeleton of fleas and kills them in minutes, even after it has been dissolved in water.

Simply wet your cat's fur—a spray can will do the trick—and gently apply dish soap to his or her fur (paying particular attention to areas where fleas usually hide) before rinsing it off.

To use dish soap to catch and kill the fleas that have made your home their permanent home, you can try filling a shallow dish with warm, soapy water and placing it near a light source. They will be drawn towards the light and drown in the liquid.

Eliminating the consequences of infection

To eliminate the consequences of flea infestation in the form of bites, you can use folk remedies. First you need to disinfect the bite sites with iodine, alcohol or antibacterial soap. Then you can apply a piece of ice or gauze soaked in cold water to the bite site. A longer lasting result is achieved by using Fenistil gel or Psilobalm. In addition to them, you can use tea tree oil, strong tea leaves or chamomile decoction. Soak a cotton pad in the liquid and apply to the bite areas.

Lavender and chamomile

A gentle way to soothe your pet's skin—and maybe even help him or her get some sleep—lavender is actually a powerful, fast-acting flea killer.

In fact, some studies have shown that mixtures containing diluted lavender were as effective at killing fleas as commercial chemical sprays.

To use lavender at home, let fresh lavender soak in water overnight before straining the liquid and spraying it onto your cat's fur (no need to rinse).

Another compound known for its skin-soothing properties, loose chamomile tea can also be used to attack fleas on your feline friend.

Simply brew the tea and, when completely cool, apply the liquid to your cat's fur. You can repeat both procedures daily for as long as necessary.

Benefits of use

Most chemical insecticides have a very unpleasant odor, and a whole bunch of warnings: they are poisonous, and cause allergies, and avoid contact with skin, and this and that. Lavender oil is a completely different matter. It aromatizes the room and has one health benefit: it calms the nerves, kills germs, and takes care of the skin.

From a financial point of view, there are also advantages. One bottle of high-quality oil lasts a long time, the price is quite affordable. People with modest incomes can afford such a purchase. Without extra costs, you can treat the room for preventive purposes, just in case. To prepare the solution, you don’t need gloves or a mask – and this is also a saving.

Rosemary oil for cats

While it is often considered a calming essential oil, pet owners may wonder, “Is rosemary toxic to cats?” According to the ASPCA, Rosmarinus officinalis is completely safe for your pets.

In a 2016 study, rosemary essential oil (along with thyme essential oil and oregano essential oil) was used in a natural shampoo to treat fungal infections in cats, especially in the ears. Overall, essential oil shampoo for cats was well tolerated and did not cause any side effects.

Note. Using essential oils on pets can be dangerous, as many essential oils can be harmful to animals. Extra care should be taken when treating or working with cats and essential oils.

Safety regulations regarding essential oils for animals vary greatly depending on the animal. Do your research on the specific product and always consult your veterinarian before combining essential oils with pets.

Table salt is a great helper

This gentle folk method for fleas is suitable for kittens from three weeks of age and adolescents. Its essence is simple: a sufficient amount of warm water is poured into a basin and salt is added at the rate of 10 tablespoons per liter. It will be necessary to place the kitten in the basin, constantly making sure that its head is above the surface of the water, and that the salty solution does not accidentally get into the ears, eyes or nose. After 10 minutes, the procedure can be considered complete. Now you need to thoroughly dry the fluffy ball with a warm towel, let it dry a little (under no circumstances should you dry it with a hairdryer) and comb out the salt crystals with a comb or fine-toothed slicker brush. This method does not guarantee immediate relief from parasites if they have already laid eggs, but if fleas have only recently entered your home, then it is possible to get rid of them after the first bath.

Is marjoram essential oil safe for cats?

With natural antibacterial properties, marjoram essential oil may be useful for treating ear mites in cats. In a 2016 study, researchers used marjoram essential oil as a natural remedy for Otodectes cynotis, a common cat parasite that can cause ear infections.

Marjoram essential oil was applied to the ears for a 30-day period. Results show that marjoram essential oil reduced the number of ear mite eggs by 99% by 30 days. Although the results are promising, always consult your veterinarian before applying any essential oil to your cat.