Finding the best natural flea treatment for cats, often signals that we are looking for an alternative to traditional flea control methods, which typically use strong chemicals to keep fleas away.
Adverse reactions to chemical products will send us looking for chemical free options. We live in such a chemical world that sometimes it just seems enough is enough and a natural flea control option for our cats is worth trying.
Ingredients To Avoid In Natural flea treatments For cats
Even “natural” ingredients can be problematic when looking at flea control options.
Avoid tea tree oil, garlic and to a lesser extent peppermint essential oil. Examining the ingredients of a flea treatment is the best place to start. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals lists these products as being toxic to cats.
Although tea tree oil is used widely in cosmetics and skin wash for humans, it is best avoided for use with cats.
Also avoid using garlic as flea prevention control.
Peppermint essential oil is also an ingredient to avoid in cat flea treatments, although it is common to see a very small solution of peppermint oil in cat flea products.
10 Natural Flea treatments For cats
Flea Spray For Cats Using Natural Ingredients
We have listed cat flea sprays for cats that fall under the “natural banner”. The ingredients are listed next to the product.
| 1.Vet’s Best Cat Flea & Tick Gentle Mist Spray Active Ingredients: Peppermint Oil 0.20%, Eugenol 0.46%, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate 1.78%.Inactive Ingredients: Water, Sodium Benzoate. |
| 2. Wondercide Flea And Tick Spray Active: 4.2% Cedar Oil, 2.2% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, 1.5% Lemongrass Oil, 0.1% Sesame Oil, Inert: 92% (Water, Polyglyceryl Oleate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Ethyl Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Vitamin E). |
If applying a cat flea spray is an impossible task on your cat, try this method.
Put on a pair of cotton gloves, spray the flea spray onto the glove and then rub into kitty.
1. Vet’s Best Cat Flea & Tick Gentle Mist Spray
This cat flea spray is a fine, misty spray, so perfect for those cats who react badly to being sprayed. The spray kills ticks, fleas and flea eggs on contact and also repels mosquitoes.
Notice the words – on contact. This is a literal interpretation, it kills fleas on contact but won’t stop new fleas from coming for visit. You do need to be conscientious about application of a natural cat flea spray.
Reapply for the cat flea spray for ongoing protection. Wait 2-4 hours before reapplying.
Spray in places your cat likes to recline such as the cat’s bedding, favorite pieces of furniture plus pillows, blankets, cat window perches, rugs and carpets.
2. Wondercide Natural Flea, Tick & Mosquito Spray for Pets & Home with Essential Oils
Shake the flea spray well, before using.
| 1 | Test the spray first for sensitivity. Spray the flea treatment onto a small area at the base of the neck 1 hour before full body application. This is a smart move when introducing any new treatment. Cats, like people, can have sensitivities to plant based ingredients too. |
| 2 | Rub your cat’s coat in the opposite direction of growth, spray, and rub in. Spray the body, the belly, the legs, and tail. A light but thorough misting gives best results. |
| 3 | Spray into your hands, or cotton wool ball or cotton gloves and rub onto your cat’s ears and face. Avoid the area around the mouth, nose, and eyes. |
| 5: | Reapply daily, every 24 hours for ongoing protection. |
| 4 | Add to your regular cleaning routine to freshen the home and treat areas used by pets. Test fabrics like silks and suedes before full use. This is a water-based product with oil. |
If at first, you start to see more fleas after a flea treatment is applied you may think that the treatment is not working and that there are more fleas than ever before.
However what that really means, is that the flea treatment is doing its job and the fleas are rising to the top of the coat as the fleas die
This is a link to a detailed look at flea sprays for cats. The ingredients for each flea spray is listed at the top of the article, so you can at a glance, see which flea sprays fall into the “natural category”.
Diatomaceous Earth Flea Control Using Natural Methods
Diatomaceous Earth is considered by many to be the best natural flea treatment for cats.
Diatomaceous Earth or DE, can be used by itself as natural flea control or can be used with other natural flea control methods, to provide an extra element of defence against fleas.
DE can be used actually on the cat and in the home and around the yard if necessary.
What is diatomaceous earth?
Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock, that is composed of the fossilized remains of diatoms.
When ingested by insects, the sharp edges of the diatoms slice into the exoskeletons of fleas and the fleas die within a few days or weeks after exposure.
Because humans lack an outer skeleton, we are not harmed by breathing in diatomaceous earth dust or handling food grade DE.
Some people experience skin irritation when working with large quantities of DE, but this can be avoided by wearing protective clothing and using respiratory protection if necessary.
An exoskeleton (from Greek έξω, éxō “outer” and σκελετός, skeletós “skeleton”) is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal’s body, in contrast to the internal skeleton (endoskeleton) of, for example, a human. In usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as “shells”.
wikipedia.org
Please note, you will need to use Food Grade DE in your home and on your pets.
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade
- Natural Product - Composed of 4lbs of 100% ground freshwater diatomaceous earth with absolutely no...
- OMRI Listed - Listed with the Organic Minerals Research Institute, a non-profit organization that reviews...
- Powder Duster Included - Powder duster in the bag for easy and efficient application of diatomaceous...
- Supports a Great Cause - Harris donates a portion of profits to support the local Etowah Valley Humane...
Diatomaceous Earth is quite surprisingly useful. This is a link to a detailed look at Diatomaceous Earth items plus an explanation of DE, how it works, how to apply to the cat and how to use in the home.
Non Toxic Flea Wipes For Natural Flea Control
Non toxic flea wipes are useful for those times when your cat needs some extra protection, right there and then.
Flea wipes are easy to use around the face of the cat, because you can direct the flea wipe, avoiding the eye area.
Note: Non toxic flea wipes for cats have been difficult to source recently. Only one brand of wipes (shown below) that I originally recommended are still available. I will update If I find anything that is worthy of adding – May 2024.
Although the image on the container says DOG wipes, the description states that these wipes are for cats also.
Here are the ingredients of the flea wipes: cellulose, eugenol, peppermint oil, sodium benzoate. Always do a spot test on your cat before using on the whole body.
- FLEA WIPES FOR DOGS: Say goodbye to flea and tick infestations with our premium quality flea dog wipes;...
- CERTIFIED NATURAL FLEA AND TICK PREVENTION FOR DOGS: Made with certified natural ingredients like...
- EASE OF USE: Our flea and tick wipes for dogs are easy to use, especially in sensitive areas like ears,...
- DOG FLEA & TICK CONTROL AND HOME DEFENSE: Our flea wipes for dogs are suitable for both pet & home use;...
This is a link to information about non toxic flea wipes