Expert: Tomay - 2/20/2006

Question
Hi!  We have 2 indoor cats.  After 3 years of no problems, they have picked up fleas!  We have no idea how this happened.  Any ideas?  Also, they are rescue cats, and one is very small and of fragile health.  I do not want to use anything too strong.  Any natural ideas that work for pets and home?   Thank you.

Answer
Hi Judy,
Fleas are easily transferred from area to area.  Roaming cats, squirrels and the like, travel through your yard as well as everyone elses, and are, many times, flea carriers. The flea only spends 10 percent or so, of it's time on the host for feeding. The rest of that time is in the yard, the carpet, the sofa, etc.  Rains can also carry fleas and other pests from one yard to another.  So something as simple as walking from your car into your home can introduce fleas into an otherwise flea-free enviornment.  For the outdoors, you can try the natural way to rid the yard of fleas via nematodes.  It takes a little longer, of course, but it is effective and safe.  Nematodes are little bugs that are naturally present in your yard. Their sole diet is fleas and other pests. By increasing their numbers significantly, they will take care of the job, and then 'die' off as needed.  
Check at a local privately owned pet shop or grooming shop, and maybe the vet's office.  The nematodes come in a freeze dried state, and then are 'resurrected' when the proper instructions are followed to introduce them into your yard.  For the house, wherever there is carpeting, add some table salt.  Just sprinkle it around and reapply every time you vacuum.  The salt won't harm the fibers of the carpet, is safe for pets and kids, it's cheap and serves to dehydrate flea eggs.  Thouroughly vacuuming EVERYWHERE, especially seams in floors and baseboards.  Sofa's, chairs, etc.  Put a flea collar (herbal or otherwise) in the vacuum bag.  This is the ONLY thing flea collars are good for.  Any incoming fleas will be killed. For the cats, you can either take them in for professional treatment or do it yourself..!.. Just be sure the service provider understands that cats are NEVER chemically 'dipped'.  A bath with a NATURAL flea shampoo is best, and will sufficiently remove the fleas that are presently on the cats.  If you do it yourself, select a good shampoo, tearless, and made specifically for cats.  Be sure it says 'cats' on the label.  Avoid Hartz and like grocery store products.  The key to getting rid of the fleas in the bathing process is letting the cat marinate in the suds for anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes.  Set a timer, because 10 minutes with a wet cat can seem like an eternity! Put him in a carrier if possible.  Be sure and rinse THOROUGHLY, as a common cause of itching among cats as well as dogs, is inadequent rinsing after the shampoo, leaving residue and creating itchy, flakey skin.  There are other natural remedies out there in the form of herbs and flower esscenses and the like.  Again, check at local pet shops or at natural health and remedy pharmacies, or like places, in your area. Fleas in large numbers can drain a small or weak animal in a relatively short time, making them sick, anemic and in very severe cases, death.  Also be on the look out for tapeworms.  The ONLY source of tapes is the ingestion of a flea.  You will be able to tell if you notice rice like segments in the stool or around the cats rear  end.  Not to worry, these are very common and cleared up easily with over the counter medication.  The smaller kitty may benefit from a better, more natural diet.  I don't know what you are currently feeding, but Precise is a great cat food, dry and canned.  Keeping in mind that cats are carnivores, meat consumption is very important.  If there are no medical issues, then a kitten formula food would be good to add higher protein and caloric intake.  A sardine every two or three days would also help and is actually a good dietary supplement for all cats.  It adds essential nutrients. Hope this information is helpful.  You might also refer to an upcoming, (within the next couple months,) website that will have lots of information about natural approaches to everything from flea control, to diet, health, ailments, and behaviours.   groomingdalesofaustin.com  
Thank you for your inquiry, and may you have good luck and a high body count!!!
Tomay