Do you have any natural remedies for getting rid of fleas?

I don't own a pet, but I have a cat that visits every few days. Apparently she has fleas! She hasn't been here in a while, but I see the fleas (although not many), jumping out at me out of the carpet (they are biting me, too).

Is there a natural way I can strongly discourage them from being in my house (herbs, etc? ) I don't feel it appropriate to treat the cat, being that I am not her owner. I can't decide whether it will be necessary to tell her to leave; we love her so much she is the sweetest cat ever! Maybe I should talk to her owner?

Asked by RebeccaLove 51 months ago Similar questions: natural remedies rid fleas Pets > Cats.

Similar questions: natural remedies rid fleas.

Fleas I read: Put a plate with some water and dish soap in it next to a lamp on the floor. (At night and light the lamp). Fleas like the light, and will drown in the water & soap.

Since there are no harsh chemicals involved, it shouldn't harm anyone. For floors without carpets, mop floors with a mixture of water and the juice and rinds of four or so, lemons. This same book says the fleas hate the smell and will leave.

I would think they would head for the carpet tho', so the other remedy may work better. Hope this helps. Sources: Readers' Digest, Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things .

I would hesitate treating the cat... Just in case it does have an owner who has given her a topical flea treatment..which can only be applied every 30 days. The feas could have jumped on the cat, not bitten her yet..and jumped onto your sox or clothes...coming into your home....laying eggs in your carpet and reproducing. Or, the cat may not even be at fault...fleas just could have come in on you.

I have heard of two completely natural ways to kill fleas in the carpets...but haven’t tried them yet, because our pets are treated with Advantage... One method is to sprinkle table salt, heavily, onto the carpets...wait a few hours and vacuum well. The other way is to buy a bag of FOOD GRADE diatamatious earth...(not swimming pool filter grade). It’s so safe that it’s used in grain foods for human comsumption.It has minute particles in it that will actually cut the flea.

The flea then bleeds to death...because fleas blood doesn’t coagulate. So far, I’ve only been able to find the ’food grade DE’ on line. Remember to treat any stuffed furniture, too...fleas are pretty difficult to get rid of.

Pennyroyal The last few years seem to have been really great the for fleas. The warmer winters in my area at least, seem to allow the fleas more of a fighting chance. Battling them with chemical repellents is very easy, but there are many people and animals that are allergic to the chemicals.

Here are some “natural” ways to fight fleas. First vacuum every inch of carpet and furniture that your pet frequents, now dispose of the sweeper bag. Wash all bedding, rugs, slipcovers and anything else that your pet lays on.

Now sprinkle carpets, dog beds and furniture with dried pennyroyal (mentha pulegium), which is a member of the mint family, or pyrethrum powder (the dried flowers tanacetum cinerariifolium). Repeat this step after 3 to 4 days. You will also need to bathe your pet using your own mixture of flea URL1 make this shampoo, combine 1 cup of a very mild dishwashing soap and 2 teaspoons of oil of eucalyptus.

Wet your pet down, then lather, rinse, now lather again and rub this into their coat for about 5 minutes. Now rinse your pet in a strong tea which you have made from pennyroyal leaves steeped in boiling water, then cooled. Dry your pet and brush.

I had a friend that swore by this next idea. S dog spent part of his day outside in a kennel in the yard. He planted pennyroyal in his dog’s pen and around the outside.

This will freeze in colder climates, but will reseed itself. Pennyroyal makes an excellent ground cover and will spread quickly.My friend actually ended up having it grow all over his yard, but it looked attractive and smelled nice and can be mown just like grass. Pennyroyal can be purchased in most gardening centers, and while it will take a little while to grow, the benefits will be worth it.

Another thing that you can do for your pets, is to make them a cloth tube or use an old bandana. Stuff the tube with pennyroyal. Or if you prefer put a few drops of oil of eucalyptus, on a piece of cotton and put this inside of the tube.

Now tie it around your pets’ neck. This will need to be refreshed every 3 to 4 days. Inserting the herbs and oil inside of the tube will prevent your pet from actually licking the repellant when they are grooming themselves.

Some herbal oils will make animals ill, so by encasing the herbs will keep the animals from ingesting any by accident.Do not try keeping your pets out of the house if you are having a flea problem. The fleas will then attack you instead. Flea eggs are stimulated into hatching by activity, if the activity stops, so does the flea egg hatching cycle.

Try vacuuming several times a day, this will stimulate the flea eggs into hatching and you can suck them up with the sweeper. Again change your sweeper bag daily since flea eggs can hatch inside the sweeper bag. You can also build your own flea trap.

Fill a cookie sheet or other low long pan with water. Place your pan under a light source at night, the fleas will be attracted to the light. When they jump towards it they will land in the water and drown.

These flea traps are very similar to commercial flea traps that use a screen and sticky paper to catch fleas. Again with using a light source for attraction the fleas jump towards the light, fall through the screen and get stuck to the sticky paper. Also, for a few quick tips, be sure to keep your grass clipped short.

This will allow the sun to get to the flea eggs, the heat from the sun will kill them. Keep your pets away from damp, dark areas. If you take your pets in the car with you, cover the seat with a sheet or towel, immediately remove the cover from the seat and wash.

When brushing or combing your pet, keep a bowl of water nearby to dip the comb or brush in to drown any fleas that may come off by combing. While commercial repellants are easy to use, and work much quicker, for those people and pets that cannot tolerate chemicals, this will do the trick. Sources: http://oh.essortment.com/fleanaturalr_rcta.htm .

1 If you know the owner of the cat, definitely talk to this person. The cat should be treated with Advantage, which is safe and effective. If the cat spends time in your house, treatment with Advantage should control the flea problem there as well.

Fleas will jump onto the cat and die. If the cat's owner is not interested in caring for the cat, maybe you can adopt her permanently! .

If you know the owner of the cat, definitely talk to this person. The cat should be treated with Advantage, which is safe and effective. If the cat spends time in your house, treatment with Advantage should control the flea problem there as well.

Fleas will jump onto the cat and die. If the cat's owner is not interested in caring for the cat, maybe you can adopt her permanently!

2 Tell the cat owner - Cedar oil is very safe and Natural : see below- YOU have come to the Right Person for Natural options in flea and tick control. The Spot Treatments, ( most of them) are poison to us and the animals. But, the BIG drug company is making a Fortune!

OUR pets and Ourselves may suffer or WILL suffer in the future. Here is my Flea and Tick Natural Kit...YOU can use all or some of the optons....1. Critter oil / WONDERFUL and SAFEEEEEEEEEEhttp://www.critteroil.com/index.htmOR2.BEST Yet "Cedar oil" ( For CATS and DOGS) ANIMAL HEALTH PRODUCTSCEDAR OIL FORMULATIONS FOR CONTROL OF FLEAS, TICKS, MITES, LICE, MANGE AND EAR MITES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ELIMINATE DANGEROUS SPOT DROP TREATMENTS OF YOUR PETS AND EXPENSIVE CHEMICAL PRESCRIPTIONS THAT PROVIDE ZERO RESULTShttp://www.cedarcidestore.com/ANIMALHEALTH.html3.NuVET Nutritional Program ~~~~ ( NOT in stores/ JUST thru HOLISTIC vets and the manufacturer...)~~~ For dogs and cats...Everyone needs one or two NuVET Wafers per day - Keeps the bugs away and also Keeps your baby safe and Healthy... KEEPS the VET away, too!

MOST dogs only need 1 NuVET wafer or 1 teaspoon of NuVET Powder per day. NuVET is sold by Holistic Vet Offices and the manufacturer..Go to : http://www.nuvet.com/81098 Ask for at least a 60 count bottle of the NuVET Plus at 39.00Also, mention discount code 81098 and get your 15% Off Program. Call 1-800-474-7044 and Discount code 81098 **TELL them PET Nurse Marie sent you ...4.D.E.( From the EARTH)*** Diatomaceous earth (DE) works, and it's non-toxic not only to your dogs, but birds and other animals that pass through your back yard.

About D. Earth:Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring substances made up of crushed fossils of freshwater organisms or marine life. Insects like the fleas have a waxy coat which helps to prevent water loss through the body surface.

What the diatomaceous earth does is that it slices through the coat of the fleas and as such causing dehydration and eventually causes death of the fleas, larvae and eggs. DE is inactive in presence of water, it's more suited for use on dry walks, dry decks, dry patios, dry lawns. Outdoor flea treatment should focus on areas where your pets rest, sleep, and runs, such as doghouse and kennel areas, under decks, along fences and next to the foundation.

Use natural grade rather than pool grade diatomacious earth. Natural Grade for pets.........It is seldom necessary to treat the entire yard or open areas exposed to full sun. Simply sprinkle the Diatomaceous (DE) powder onto these areas.

PLEASE NOTE****If it rains, you will need to re-apply the D. Earth to your yard. You can also use D.E.On your pets/ just avoid the face/ eyes...NON toxic and very safe...( get a salt shaker or powder shaker...)GARLIC/ In the NuVET - VERY small amounts do help!

Also, give a NuVET wafer per day to your dogs...NUVET has a trace amount of Garlic in them...PLUS loads of other supplements that Keep the Fleas away...Fleas hate the taste of a Healthy pet's blood... They JUMP right off. If you have D. E powder they may not jump on at all.

CATS can use D.E. , too! As for the cats, you can use D. E for them too...Just dust them 1 x per day with the D.E.Powder.

Make sure you get the PURE and Plain D.Earth. CATS have a NuVET formula too! Cats also can benefit from some NuVET feline powder, too.

Ok, I have given you some very good options - you will need to use One of the top 2 and then a NuVET -Or you can try the D. Earth and the NuVET. HOUSE dogs and CATS may be able to get away with the D.

Earth powder and one NuVET per day...KEEP me posted. This will be so much safer for your pets...Marie Peppers LPN MAAsk the Pet Nursemtnmom@gci. NetNEED Help - Don't know what to choose?

Write to me at my private e-mail ( mtnmom@gci. Net)I will try to direct you..

Tell the cat owner - Cedar oil is very safe and Natural : see below- YOU have come to the Right Person for Natural options in flea and tick control. The Spot Treatments, ( most of them) are poison to us and the animals. But, the BIG drug company is making a Fortune!