Basically, fleas are super gross and even though I bought really expensive flea, tick, and heartworm protection for my pets, and applied it a few days AFTER giving them flea baths, still they linger. (I'm hoping the treatment works better for heartworm protection...)
I'm searching for more information about this, since I really hate these stupid fleas and want them to stop biting Sam and Max but NOT COME BITE ME - EW. I find
this website very informative but also covered with disgusting photos which for me is quite frankly TMI. You don't have to convince me fleas are nasty, webmaster; just tell me how to get rid of them! Luckily, they provided a list of natural solutions to the problem of fleas as well.
Fighting Fleas Naturally:
The following informs of a few natural, non-toxic ideas to help make your home, garden, and pets less appealing to fleas. These methods may not eliminate an existing problem, but will greatly assist in keeping the numbers down to a manageable level.
1. Supplement your pet's diet with Brewers Yeast and or garlic. This makes the host taste intolerable to the flea.
2. Sprinkle copious amounts of borax powder on your carpets, and leave for as long as you can. Then vacuum thoroughly. The borax draws in fluids and dries the insect out, killing it. You can mix borax and baking soda together to make a natural rug deodorizer. This is not particularly recommended but it can work.
3. Rub your legs with a natural repellent, like Citronella Oil, TeaTree Oil, Pennyroyal, Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender Oil, or Cedar Wood Oil, as they do not like these strong odors. Eating a lot of garlic is also good as a repellent but it does not only repel insects.
4. When you groom your animal brush in some of these oils diluted. Mix a drop with warm water, shake and spray onto the coat. But be warned, the fleas may avoid your pets and start attacking you. Do not rub your animal with pure essential oils as these can be very strong and cause shock and discomfort.
5. Brush / Comb your pet OUTSIDE, as often as you can with a flea comb, it gets easier the more often you do it. Grooming daily can keep you on top of the job. Use a chemical spray to kill the fleas on the comb.
6. Spread Nematodes, which is a natural flea treatment, available at garden-centers in you garden. A nematode is a colorless worm, also called a roundworm, of which there are over 10,000 species. Nematodes live in soil, fresh water, and the sea. Some are parasites of plants or animals; others feed on dead organic matter and smaller insects. See also guinea worm; hookworm; pinworm.
I'm most definitely NOT doing that last thing, but I like the other suggestions. The flea bath I used was really nice (although it didn't kill all the fleas, but it helped for a while and maybe if I vacuumed twice a day it will help for longer). It has essential oils in it and it leaves a WONDERFUL fragrance on Sam y Max! Although, when I gave the cats their very first bath they were so stressed out that Sam promptly peed in the corner of my bathroom. That was definitely him at his most pitiful--wet, skinny, big eyes, pulling out his last stop... I almost gave them baths this weekend, but then I remembered that and put it off again.
Of course,
this website says that essential oils are toxic to cats. Specifically, "Although one or more applications of an essential oil product or blend may not cause immediate harm, the effects of essential oils can be cumulative and manifest themselves at a later date in the form of toxicity for which owners and vets often can find no attributable cause." Hmm, that's not good.
I certainly don't want to use chemical products. Aside from the fact that I don't want to put stuff on Sam y Max that I can't put on myself (EW), there's
this EPA warning about the "safety" of such products as well.
So, that leaves me -- where? I guess I'm going to start vacuuming twice a day (awesome...). And the nutritional yeast. According to
this website: For cats, a teaspoonful of yeast flakes (nutritional, not baking), and a small clove of garlic daily should be adequate.
Great! Oh, but according to
one of the websites I quoted above, "Cat owners: Please be aware that raw garlic is known to be toxic to cats. According to Dr. Randy Kidd, the use of garlic, as well as onions, shallots and chives, has been shown to cause damage to feline red blood cells which can result in hemolytic anemia and eventual death. Raw garlic and onions can also cause ulcers and irritation of the mouth, esophagus and stomach."
Sigh. Who knew parenting could be so complicated? And less importantly, what am I supposed to do with all the leftovers of that yummy-smelling flea bath!?
Left: Max considers whether or not to show me her newly pearly whites.
