Flea Prevention & Treatment: A Holistic Approach

Fleas! They aren’t just annoying; they can also carry parasites (such as tapeworms) and diseases (Lyme disease, among others). Fleas are tough, highly evolved ectoparasites (ecto- means that they live outside the body) that, once entrenched, are not easily eliminated.

Fleas are attracted to warmth, moving shadows, and the vibrations from foot (or paw) steps. When dealing with fleas, you need to protect your cat as well as reach fleas and larvae hiding in carpets and yards. Even exclusively indoor cats can get fleas, which travel in on shoes and clothing or even on their own, jumping through open doors or other cracks and crevices. (Keeping your cat indoors, however, will eliminate the risk of ticks.)

Flea collars (whether herbal or insecticidal) don’t work! They don’t kill fleas, and they don’t even particularly repel them, except for the area right around the collar. The grocery/pet store variety contains concentrated toxic chemicals, and the herbal ones are irritating to odor-sensitive cats.

Topical (spot-on or pour-on) flea preventatives are associated with liver disease and other adverse effects in cats. Permethrin, pyrethrin, or pyrethroid-containing products intended for dogs are extremely toxic to cats and have caused many feline deaths. Putting a dog product on a cat causes neurological signs (twitching, disorientation, seizures) that ultimately kill about 10 percent of exposed cats.

Healthy cats eating a balanced raw species-specific, carnivore diet, properly supplemented with a rich source of Omega-3’s, such as greenlip mussel oil, are much less susceptible to fleas and other parasites and also help your cat to heal during and after a flea attach. If your cat is experiencing a flea problem, work on improving your cat’s overall health and deal with the immediate parasite situation. This is a “holistic” approach in the truest sense of the word! The conventional thinking that fleas are the problem is like saying “flies cause garbage” just because the two are often found together. It is the unhealthy state of the animal that attracts the parasites, just like garbage attracts flies.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Carmen S.

1:31PM PDT on May 16, 2012

thanks for sharing these great ideas

May 16
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Gabriela V.

12:11AM PDT on May 1, 2012

Thank you!

May 1
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Pat W.

12:10AM PDT on Apr 11, 2012

will give these ideas a try

April 11
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Regina P.

10:05PM PDT on Apr 6, 2012

Thanks for the article

April 6
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Lindsey W.

7:45PM PDT on Mar 28, 2012

Thanks.

March 28
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Sandi C.

6:18AM PDT on Mar 27, 2012

GOOD TO KNOW!

March 27
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Judy A.

10:07AM PDT on Mar 23, 2012

Thank you.

March 23
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Amy B.

2:04AM PST on Mar 4, 2012

These are very good tips. I currently use a chewable pill from my vet, but I worry if I might do damage in the long run.

March 4
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Diane L.

7:19PM PST on Feb 10, 2012

Flea collars have never been advisable for cats........first of all, because collars aren't safe for cats anyway. Secondly, as was noted, many cats become very irritated from them, with hair loss, even worse. They have been known to cause extreme illness and death in some cats. I believe there was a big "recall" of one brand. The "spot ons" are far better, and some are better than others. My vet advises Program only. The ones you get at the stores, such as "Bio-Spot" are suspicious.

February 10
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Gabriela B.

3:39AM PST on Feb 9, 2012

The flea collar wasn't good for my cat, it was irritating her and she didn't want to eat. I used spot -on and she's fine with it, but I was worried about it too.