A Holistic and Preventative Approach For Fleas

Every month clients stop in to inquire about flea meds. Between the TV commercials and vets pushing these flea meds, it becomes top of mind when trying to figure out “what do I need to do for my cat” to prevent them getting fleas.

The simple answer is to not let them go outside ever...no free-roaming, no walking on a leash and harness…basically do not let their paws touch the ground!

Beau, Bouvier and I are INDOOR ONLY cats and have not been treated for fleas since we were rescued and readied for adoption years ago. Mom has a big problem with the “poisons” as she calls them in flea meds unless they are absolutely necessary. And why treat a cat prophylactically in case it might come in contact with a flea when the odds are virtually zero that it will.

It is better to treat an outbreak, were that to happen, than to expose your cat to chemicals and toxic pesticides month after month, year after year when the chances are so low to even have a flea outbreak.

When mom read that pet parents should not sleep with their pets who wear a certain flea and tick collar, she thought but why is it ok for my pet to wear it then? Many of the commercial flea and tick meds have caused some extreme side affects in some pets though the pet med community always tries to say the reward outweighs the risk.

So, when would it be necessary for the indoor cats to have some preventative flea protection?

If the cat is an “indoor-outdoor” cat and is allowed to free-roam around the neighborhood....and/or if there is a dog in the house.

There has been a lot of debate on the topic of whether indoor cats really need flea meds even if there are no dogs in the house. The traditional consensus is YES because you could bring a flea in on your shoes from your property or the street. But the holistic-minded pet parents would say NO, it’s not necessary unless your area or property is flea-infested.

As always, let’s try to do it without chemicals, harsh treatments and collars that can have side effects and adverse reactions from skin irritations, flea allergy dermatitis, hot spots, seizures and even death.

Before we start, let’s remember that a healthy cat from the inside out has a better chance at not getting fleas than a less-than healthy cat.

We recommend a diet of fresh, raw whole animal proteins filled with naturally occurring digestive enzymes and vitamins that would otherwise be destroyed by processing and cooking. 

In lieu of a raw diet, focus on human grade hi-quality canned wet food and gently baked dry food. 

When we cats eat commercial pet foods from “Big Pet Food companies", the ingredients are often made up of animal by-products and other discarded parts deemed not human-grade that are filled with hormones, pesticides and antibiotics. 

Should your cat get fleas, do not use a commercial flea dip! They are filled with lots of chemicals. Fleas will die with any gentle soap such as our organic shampoos or even Dawn soap.

Check out our Project Sudz products and our Alzoo items for flea prevention!

In addition here are a few natural defenses against fleas!

• Cedar chips – sprinkle them in your outdoor garden as a ground cover. Fill your pet’s bed with cedar chips inside

• Rosemary – grind up into a powder and sprinkle in your pet’s bed and condo 

• Cumin OR Brewers Yeast  – add a ½ tsp food which makes the cat’s skin become unappetizing to fleas 

• Create a spray for the cats with the following choice of ingredients:

  • spray your hands and rub/pat your cat down with raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar diluted with water or brewed chamomile tea, let it cool and dilute with water 

• You can also squeeze a fresh lemon (NOT a citrus essential oil) and rub your cat down.

• A cup of lemon juice is also very good to add to the wash when cleaning their bedding if you have an outbreak of fleas.