Your pets can get bugged by fleas often and they need your attention and care to get rid of these fleas. While there are a whole lot of medicines for your dogs and cats, they are not safe for them. Chemicals in these flea preventives may prevent fleas but they may also have side effects. Why not apply some natural home remedies to prevent fleas and give relief to your dogs and cats.
Remedies to Getting Rid of Fleas on Dogs
1. Use Essential Oils on Dog Collars for Flea Control
Essential oils can effectively repel fleas. We humans enjoy the aroma of essential oils but pests and insects cannot stand these smells. You just need an essential oil or a blend of some of such oils. Few drops of them on your dog collar and you don’t have to worry about your pet. Here’s a list of essential oils that can get your loved dog rid of fleas.
List of essential oils for dog collar to prevent fleas
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
- Pennyroyal
- Cedarwood
- Citronella
- Lavender
- White Thyme
- Basil
- Tea Tree
- Clove
- Lemon
Do this:
- Take the dog collar. This can be a stylish store-bought collar or a bandanna or even a shoelace.
- Pour 2-3 drops of one of the essential oils from the list above. If you worry about harming your dog with such strong oils, you may dilute the oil by mixing it with 2-3 tablespoons of water.
- It will be more beneficial if you mix 3-4 oils together and then pour 2-3 drops of such an oil blend on your dog’s collar. Make a blend that soothes your nerve.
- Rub the oil drops into the collar.
- Now tie this collar around the neck of your dog.
- You should again apply oil or the oil blend within a week’s time.
2. Make Flea Spray to Keep Fleas Away from Dogs
Sprays are yet another effective way to prevent flea from disturbing and harming your dogs. In fact, these flea sprays can have multiple uses. While you can always spray them on your dog for a nice glow along with preventing fleas, you may use these solutions as collar dips or just spritz the collar with it. Here’s the recipe for an excellent flea spray for your dog.
Get this:
- • Vinegar or Apple cider vinegar- 1 cup
- • Water- 1 liter
- • lavender or cedarwood oil (or any other essential oil of your choice)- 2-3 drops
- • Spray bottle- 1
Do this:
- Add vinegar and oil to water and mix well.
- Fill this solution in the spray bottle.
- Now spray this solution on to your dog’s body.
- Do not spray near the face and take care so that the solution doesn’t go into eyes or ears. For these areas, you may dampen a clean cloth with the prepared solution and wipe off with it.
- Spray the solution on your pet’s bedding and its favorite places where it loves to lie down.
Remedies to Get Rid of Fleas on Cats
1. Use Neem Oil as Flea Remedy for Cats
As cats always lick themselves, it is of great importance that you use such things on them for flea control that remain safe for consumption. Neem is one herb which has been safely used since ancient times, not only for humans but for pets too. However, neem is one of the worst enemies for pests and insects including fleas and ticks. Here are some ways how you can use neem oil to protect cats against fleas.
1st way to use neem oil for cats to prevent fleas: Homemade neem shampoo
Get this:
- Neem oil- 1-5 ml (1/5 to 1 tsp)
- Mild pet shampoo- ½ to 1 cup
Do this:
- When your cat is infested with fleas, you may use higher amount (about 1 tsp) of neem oil to shampoo but keep the ratio low when you do it just for preventing fleas.
- Add neem oil with shampoo.
- Wash your cat with this shampoo.
- Rinse out the shampoo properly.
- Do it once a week.
2nd way to use neem oil for cats to prevent fleas: Neem leaf spray
Get this:
- Fresh or dried neem leaves- 1 Kg
- Water- 5 liters
- Cheesecloth
- Filter paper/Coffee filter
- Spray bottle (optional)
Do this:
- Put the neem leaves in a big bowl.
- Pour the water over it.
- Cover and let it soak overnight.
- Next day, filter the water twice- once with cheesecloth and then with filter paper or coffee filter.
- This will give you a clear neem tea.
- If you want to use this neem as a spray, fill it in the spray bottle and mist your cat.
- You may also dip a cloth in this neem tea and then rub your cat’s body with this dampened cloth.
- If your cat loves to stay outdoors, use this neem remedy twice a week. If not, once a week will also do.
Cats are too sensitive to smells. While neem oil may not be put into the category of aromatic essential oils, your cat may not like to have even this oil on itself. In such a case, you can use the next remedy which uses diatomaceous earth.
2. Use Diatomaceous Earth to Get Rid of Cats from Fleas
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is 100 percent natural as they are the fossilized remains of algae. While you and your pet will not be harmed by this fine powder, the fleas would be. The fleas cant’s stand the sharp edges of DE which is made of silica and which cuts through their hard shell. Fleas are then killed due to utter dehydration. However, you should always buy food grade diatomaceous earth in case your cute cat licks it off its own body. Those used for pools are not safe for internal consumption. You can treat your carpets, furniture etc. with this DE and then vacuum after leaving it for 12-48 hours. Here’s what else you must do with diatomaceous earth to prevent fleas from around your cat.
Get this:
- Food grade diatomaceous earth
- Gloves
- Face Mask or cloth to cover your mouth
Do this:
- Wear the face mask or cover your mouth and nose with the cloth. Fine particles of DE can irritate your throat if inhaled.
- Wear the gloves.
- Now take some diatomaceous earth in your hand and rub the palms together.
- Now rub your DE smeared hands onto the fur of your cat. Avoid the area close to the nose of the cat for the same purpose as you have worn a mask.
- For the first few days, rub your cat’s fur with DE every day and then make it a weekly ritual for the whole fleas season.
We are trying the Lavender oil!
I'm impressed I'm always having trouble with fleas now after reading all the remedies I can use I'm getting excited to which one I want to try first and hopefully it works thank u for shareing
checkout our FB page for non-toxic flea and tick discs, we are also advocates of using essential oils
Cats livers cannot metabolize many of the constitutes in essential oils.
I have a kitty that's very sensitive to every commercial flea and tick treatment I have tried. Friends of mine have had a lot of success with a few drops of lavender oil between the shoulder blades . . . Since my step daughter is allergic to Lavender I am still on the hunt. I can't very well put Lavender oil on her favorite kitty and then have her snuggle with her.
Yea tree oil is very bad for your pets Google before using
Any essential oils are toxic to cats. They can't process it through their liver & it will kill them.
NO tea tree oil for dogs!!
You stated, "If you worry about harming your dog with such strong oils, you may dilute the oil by mixing it with 2-3 tablespoons of water."
Water does not dilute pure essential oils. Water only intensifies an oil's "heat." For example, if you put a drop of 100% pure essential oregano oil on your tongue, it will burn like fire. If you try to relieve the pain by rinsing your mouth with water, you will only intensify the heat. You need to dilute with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.
I read that and immediately scrolled down to inform them of the same thing! 🙂
Melanie Gibson What!? I've never heard this. Perhaps if it's not therapeutic grade oils because you have no idea what else they put in it. You must buy reputable oils that are 100% and generally they aren't the cheap things you buy in health food stores. Even when they say 100%, they aren't. They only have to have one drop of actual EO in it to call it that because that ONE drop IS 100%. That's the downfall of no real regulations. I have a 21 year old cat who was having proplems walking and no longer attempted to jump up on the couch. I gave him a raindrop treatment (used with coconut oil) every day and after three days he was walking normal and jumped up on my desk while I was working. I backed off to every couple days and am now at once a week and he's doing amazingly!
(I'm not talking about just this page alone.) It amazes me how many people say that using essential oils on pets isn't safe, yet billions of dollars are spent on flea sprays, powders, and topical chemicals every year.
I've been using Eucalyptus oil on both cats and my dog all summer. A line down my dogs spine once a week and a single drop on the back on my cats neck every few days. No fleas, their all healthy, and it doesn't n ask e them sick for 3 days like the other stuff does. The cat that had the most sensitive is actually very fat and playful all the time. No ticks either and ticks are a major problem here
According to one of the top vets in the nation who first started making oils a part of her vet care she says yes dilute with water for animals.
if the oil is distilled and pure therapeutic grade like Young living Essential oils the part that causes allergies is distilled out–should be fine–other oils sometimes have trace chemicals used to extract more oil
I believe cats and dogs are different than humans in sensing heat temperatures and food spices. I know felines have a higher heat tolerance than us.
is your husband a dog or a cat?
A diluted form of tea tree oil along with other essential oil works well 🙂
Direct application of tea tree oil is not good for pets. But you can use it with the combination of other essential oil and dilute it properly. It works!!
Will the DE also get rid of worms when the cats lick it off their body?
I have used it on my dog most of his life and my vet has told me to continue. My dog is 217 lbs. The tea tree is diluted and it works for his skin issue.
Does tree tea oil keep fleas away
Toxic to cats. so are most essential oils.
Debi Samuels lavender oil is deadly for cats..not most oils r..most u can use. Tea tree I don't think is good for fleas..lemon u can use ..but on their collars..for flea prevention. Look up essential oils and cats
Tea tree oil is TOXIC to dogs and cats!
No it isn't. My dog is alive & well & flea flee for the past five years. For cats, that's another story.
No it isn't. My dog is alive & well & flea flee for the past five years. For cats, that's another story.
Good to know. 🙂 I've been using lavender and palo santo on the dog and it seems to work well.
Shari Nicole how much of the tea tree oil do I use and how do I go about it?
Does the diatomaceous earth work on dogs as well as cats.
Jackie Atkins
I think tea tree oil is only toxic in high levels. I mix a little with my dogs shampoo and he is fine.
Can Apple Cider vinegar and water be used for cats as well?
Shari Nicole
I have tea tree liquid soap. I have used full strength on my cats. Heals sores and kills fleas. But it can sting if sore are big. So you can dilute with water or have them wet down real good. Rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse. Very important!