best "natural" (non chemical) cat flea control?

[Flaxbee]

OK, I have switched to Advantage from Frontline b/c Frontline DID NOT work for my cats this last month.

One of my girls is older and pretty fragile, and has never been able to handle meds well - always really ill after vaccinations (which I have ceased to give her; she's 13 and after 13 years of shots, plus being an indoor only cat, I'm giving her system a break), and topical flea control - both Advantage and Frontline, have always made her feel like crap for a long time after application.

Anyway - I don't want to use Advantage on her. The other cats are fine, but Clarisse can't handle it.

So, does anyone here use natural flea repellent? What are my options? What have you found useful?

Thanks for any suggestions! :hi:

[japple]

1. You might try Diatomaceous Earth (food grade), available at most

garden centers. It can be sprinkled on the cat like a flea powder.

http://eartheasy.com/live_natural_flea_control.html

[BrklynLiberal]

2. There are herbs and essential oils that you can use .....

Includes warnings about OTC flea products and what oils you can use and how to use them...

http://www.thewholedog.org/EOFleas.html <<<<<<<<<< I have also been told by one who knows that Cinnamon oil..the REAL Essential oil is good as a flea, mosquito and fly repellent.



http://www.preciouspets.org/fleafree.htm

http://www.petsynergy.com/fleaskin.html

http://www.healthypetjournal.com/default.aspx?tabid=19241

[Warpy]

3. The problem with the flea repellents like eucalyptus and pennyroyal

is that they're noxious to the fleas, but not deadly. The fleas will still bite, they just won't stay on the cat for the duration. They'll hop off and generally find you, which is what happened to me when I lived in an area where the cats found fleas and I was looking for alternatives.

If she can tolerate a chemical collar, that's the next best thing to the topical stuff. Just get a breakaway collar if she's an indoor-outdoor kitty.

Lots of older animals can't tolerate the topical stuff and some appear to be born with a sensitivity to it. I've never had a cat that didn't tolerate the chemical collars. Those things will eliminate fleas from everywhere but the tip of the tail and even there when the kitty curls up to sleep.

I don't use diatomaceous earth because the cat licks it off and it can be a little hard on the innards.

[amerikat]

4. Vinegar works well.

I had a small outbreak of fleas last week. I spayed the effected rooms
and no more fleas. You can add a small amount to the cats water or use it
directly on the cat... more at link.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5134909_rid-fleas-vinegar.html

[travelingtypist]

5. This company is now a sponsor of the Randi Rhodes show.

http://www.cedarcidestore.com/testimonial.html

I'm thinking of trying them.

[Dover]

6. Does she HAVE fleas? If not, maybe you can skip it and just treat the ones that do.

I know that may seem like a silly question, but I don't use a flea treatment because my cats
don't have fleas. Or at least I'm not seeing any. They do go outside and love a dust bath,
so maybe that's a deterant. I've mentioned this here before as it's sort of a mystery to me
that there's no flea problem with my animals. I have always assumed that ALL pets get fleas, but perhaps that's not the case. All I can figure out is that their diet and the health of their skin is a factor. I give them a supplement with their food of turmeric and a product called Seameal by Solid Gold which makes their coats extra shiny. Their diet is variable but they get a good quality hard food mixed with either raw chicken gizzards/livers or a good canned food. As far as their indoor environment, I don't have any wall-to-wall carpteting (just hardwood with rugs).

I'm wondering if fleas behave as many insects do in the garden relative to plants. Insects seem more likely to be attracted to plants that are less robust than others. If an animal's skin/fur is really healthy perhaps that makes them less susceptible to fleas. I'm just theorizing, as I really don't know.

[Betty88]

7. Check out the CedarCide Store

http://www.cedarcidestore.com/pest_control_product.html

My mom just got a bottle of the stuff and says its working great. All natural but it is expensive. I'm going over next week to fog the house with the stuff, take a look at the videos.