How Do I Get The Most Out Of A Cat Flea Spray
Remember that a flea spray for cat fleas will provide much better results if used alongside other effective methods to remove fleas from your home. You want to create an environment that fleas cannot survive in.
Use a combination of frequent combing using our recommended best flea comb for cats, regular hoovering of surfaces where fleas can remain dormant and an effective flea treatment to use on your cat itself.
Flea sprays can be a great help in removing fleas from bedding and linen, along with curtains or cushions that your cat is often near.
Buying Guide For Best Flea Home Sprays
If you have pets, your home may have fleas. Wouldnt it be nice if you could just spray the fleas away? With a flea spray designed for home use, you can.
The best products are those you can safely apply to floors, carpets, and furniture to kill fleas and keep them from returning. There are two primary types of flea sprays: those with chemicals and those with 100% natural ingredients. Natural sprays may be safer for pets and people, but they may also be less effective. Chemical sprays tend to kill fleas at all stages of life, but some pose hazards for pets, especially if the pets contact the spray directly.
Once you decide whether youd prefer a chemical or natural formula, its time to scrutinize your product options. Some sprays kill bugs on contact others act more slowly but provide lasting protection. Some sprays can be applied directly to pets others must never be touched or inhaled.
What Repels Fleas In Dogs Naturally
There are many products and methods available in stores and online that work to repel fleas naturally. Listed below are a few examples that may work for your dog.
Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. The Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is made with natural ingredients and offers various health benefits, including solving the flea problem in dogs.
After you wash a dog with its normal soap, mix one-part apple cider vinegar with five parts of warm water and pour it over the dog. Rub the apple cider vinegar into the dogs skin and let it sit for a minute or two. Rinse with warm water afterward.
Wholistic Pet Diatomaceous Earth. The Wholistic Pet diatomaceous earth product consists of organic ingredients. In addition to repelling fleas naturally, diatomaceous earth supports the dogs overall health.
Diatomaceous earth kills and prevents fleas and flea eggs from dogs and the environment. It works by damaging the exoskeleton and draining the water from the fleas bodies. However, only diatomaceous earth labeled as food-grade is safe for dogs.
Essential Oils. Essential oils can be great for treating and killing fleas on dogs. However, in their raw form, oils can be dangerous to dogs. Vitality Extracts states that only diluted oils are safe for dogs.
You can use one drop of essential oil per one milliliter of carrier oil . Do not use wintergreen, pennyroyal, clove, or peppermint essential oils, as they can be dangerous to dogs.
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What About Flea Sprays
Flea sprays are cheaper than their topical or oral counterparts. But many products need weekly applications, so in the long run they arent as cost-effective or convenient as a monthly topical or chew. Since these treatments kill on contact, you also generally need to spray down your entire pet, which takes a lot more work than a couple of drops on the scruff of the neck.
Some treatments, like Advantage Treatment Spray for Dogs, direct owners to rub the spray around the pets eyes, nose, and mouth, and they can cause adverse reactions if ingested. Others, like Vets Best Flea & Tick Home Spray for Cats, contain essential oils that are toxic to cats. Some sprays also contain alcoholwhich sometimes isnt disclosedwarned the ASPCAs Wismer. If a pet is soaked with one of these products, they can actually become intoxicated, and this requires immediate veterinary care, she said.
Easy Homemade Flea Sprays For Cats
Home » 20 Easy Homemade Flea Sprays for Cats
The best flea spray you can use on your cat isnt bought at the storeits made in your kitchen! These homemade flea sprays are safe, easy to make, and inexpensive, but theyre incredibly effective at killing the pesky fleas that are so difficult to get rid of. Follow these simple instructions to make any of these 20 homemade flea sprays for cats, or visit our guide to learn more about preventing and treating fleas naturally here.
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Advice For Making An Effective Homemade Flea Killer
The first rule in making a homemade flea spray is being proactive. There also needs to be some understanding that fleas will eventually adapt to your spraying methods and find some new way to become dormant until the time to jump presents itself again.
Having patience and being committed to getting rid of fleas will leave you with one big bowl of success in the end, and lets just say it is well worth the effort.
Thats why we recommend doing a variety of natural remedies to get rid of fleas on your cat. What I mean is combining your creative and strategic methods to make you one super awesome flea killer.
Do Cat Flea Sprays Actually Work
It depends entirely on the one you buy, of course! You wont go far wrong when purchasing one of the bottles from our list above, but its still important to manage your expectations when it comes to the effectiveness of a multi-purpose tool.
These can be sprayed everywhere and as a result need to be safe for use around children. Their ingredients arent as strong as traditional flea treatments that rely on insecticides.
Remember that sprays remain one of the most cost-effective flea treatments around, but we definitely wouldnt rely on a spray alone to kill fleas that live in your cats fur.
You should aim to use a flea spray to help stop fleas residing in certain places in your home, while another more suitable flea treatment gets to work on ridding your cat of them.
If you make use of shampoo to rid your cats of fleas, then theres definitely a chance fleas residing in their surroundings can jump back on. This depends on the type of shampoo youre using, since flea shampoos usually leave some sort of flea repellent in your cats coat for a while after application.
So in conclusion, yes, an effective cat flea spray for your home will remove fleas, but you shouldnt rely solely on them to solve all infestations.
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How Do Flea Collars Work
Other than using natural flea spray for cats, there are other effective ways to combat them, like flea collars. Many flea collars use a substance with active ingredients that provides full-body protection, killing fleas and ticks at certain life stages. Some collars specifically target certain types of fleas and ticks, like eggs, larvae, adults or a combination of all three.
Best Prevention: Naturvet Herbal Flea Powder
Application Type: Powder | Active Ingredients: Thyme oil, lemongrass oil, and rosemary
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Powders can trigger asthma
Meant for use on pets and throughout your home, NaturVet Herbal Flea Powder is for both cats and dogs. Formulated by a veterinarian, its simple, fragrant herbal ingredients are safe enough to use on bedding, and on weaned kittens and puppies over the age of six weeks whenever you need.
A money back guarantee should dispel any worries that such simple ingredients wont be strong enough. As with all powders, follow the manufacturers instructions including applying in ventilated areas. If you like the powder, you can also try the brand’s spray for added protection.
Based on personal experiences, Wondericide Flea & Tick Spray earned the top spot because its safe enough to use directly on your pets and throughout your home whenever you spot a flea.
We also included a spray, powder, and fogger with strong insecticides that will get the job done when youre overrun or when other products have failed.
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Best Topical: Bravecto Topical Solution For Cats
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Only need to apply once every three months
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Scientifically-backed ingredient
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Protects from more than just fleas
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It’s easy to forget after three months to reapply
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Higher initial cost due to how long it lasts
Similar to Revolution Plus, Bravecto is a spot-on treatment that is applied to the back of your cats neck. It protects from fleas and ticks and one treatment lasts for up to three months. A Bravecto Plus option is also available if you would like heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention too , but it only lasts for two months instead of three. Either way, Bravecto products make it easy to provide safe and effective flea prevention to cats without the monthly application. This product also requires veterinary approval prior to purchasing.
Vinegar And Tea Tree Oil Spray
Cat fleas hate vinegar, making it a great ingredient in homemade flea sprays. In addition to repelling them, vinegar can also kill adult fleas and their eggs. To make a spray that contains both of these benefits, mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 10 drops of tea tree oil. Then pour into a spray bottle and give your cat a good dousing every other day. Spray in areas where she spends most of her time and try to hit as many areas on her body as possible . This is because adult fleas typically congregate around their hosts head and neck regions while young ones are found closer to their lower body parts.
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Using Flea Treatments Responsibly
NEVER use a flea product on a cat that has been formulated for use on a dog some of these contain permethrin, or related compounds, that can kill cats. Care should be taken to ensure that cats never have contact with these products, including contact with a recently treated dog as even this can lead to sufficient exposure to cause toxicity and death in cats
Some household pesticides such as wood treatments, ant and other insect killers may contain similar active ingredients to those used in flea treatments. To prevent additive effects, care must be taken to limit exposure to these.
Always read the small print carefully. Keep package inserts as they usually contain more detailed information than the outer packaging concerning any possible toxic hazards. If your pet does become ill after application of a product, always take the package insert with you to the vets. If in doubt, ask your vet.
A Homeopathic Treatment For Animals
Homeopathy is a complete system of medicine that treats patients by employing remedies that trigger a healing response. Homeopathic remedies contain nothing but water and are non-toxic. They can be taken in conventional medications without causing any drug interactions or side effects. Homeopathic remedies come in many forms, including tablets, tinctures, ointments, and sprays like those discussed below. There is no reason why your pet should suffer when safe and effective alternatives to conventional fleas treatments are available. Many homeopathic remedies are also safer than chemical pesticides because they use natural substances that cannot cause respiratory problems or allergies in pets.
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Vets Best Flea Home Spray
Vets Best Flea and Tick spray for your home is the perfect answer for those who prefer something more natural.
Its entirely natural formula uses plant-based alternatives to chemicals used in other flea sprays to produce a product that seems just as effective at removing fleas from bedding and linen.
Its suitable for kittens and cats aged 12 weeks or more, and their special formula not only kills fleas, eggs, and ticks on contact, it also repels mosquitoes! Made entirely in the USA, theyve created a product that uses certified natural oils to kill fleas while smelling great.
Features of the Vets Best Flea Home Spray include:
- Natural formula with no harsh chemicals
- Safe for use on any and all linens and fabrics
- Pesticide-free and safe for use around plants
- Leaves no stains or residue
It smells lovely, much better than flea sprays that use chemicals and insecticides to tackle fleas .
The most impressive thing for us is that a natural flea spray can live up to the standards set by insecticide sprays and is even cheaper than them! Natural and cheap are not usually two characteristics you find together in a product.
Lemon Juice And Water Spray
All you need is a spray bottle, lemon juice, and water. Add 10-15 drops of lemon essential oil to a gallon of distilled water and mix in 4 tablespoons of organic lemon juice. Shake well before each use, then spray your cat or dog down and then allow them to shake off any excess spray. Do not use near an open flame, as many homemade flea sprays are flammable. You can also add some catnip to your mixture if you like!
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Keep Your Living Space Free Of Unwanted Pests
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the bestproductslearn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
The Spruce / Sabrina Jiang
No matter what types of pets or how many you have in your home, controlling fleas is an inevitable part of pet ownership. Although theyre more common in warmer, dryer climates and their population in your home and yard tends to be highest in the dryer summer months, its possible for fleas to get out of control quickly no matter where you live all year long.
But how can you tell when its time to treat your home for fleas? You can do home flea treatment in the beginning of spring or summer, since it is the season of fleas and ticks, explains Ryan Smith of Ant and Garden Organic Pest Control of Beaverton, Oregon. But no matter the time of the year, a home flea treatment is necessary and should be done immediately once you see signs of infestation on your pets.
Here are a few of the best home flea treatments available today.
Application Type: Spray | Active Ingredients: Cedar, lemongrass, sesame oils | How Long it Lasts: Unclear, but kills on contact
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One spray for cats, dogs, and home
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Gentle enough for puppies, kittens and senior pets
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Avoid their peppermint scented spray
Its mild enough to use every two to three days as needed. The spray is also cruelty-free, biodegradable and made in the U.S.
Where Do I Spray My Flea Spray In The Yard
Whether your cat is going outside to run around in the yard or just to relax in the grass, its no doubt a place they enjoy. Your yard can also be susceptible to fleas without your knowledge.
Before you spray your yard for fleas, be sure to remove any excess leaf and dirt piles as they could be hotbeds for flea infestation. Its also a good idea to remove any unused furniture from your yard and mow it regularly. Once youve taken these precautionary steps, take your flea and tick yard spray and use it all over the entire yardfrom corner to corner.
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Bayer Advantage Flea Treatment Spray
The Bayer Advantage Flea Treatment Spray contains pyrethrins, piperonyl butoxide, and MGK 264 Insecticide Synergist. This spray effectively kills adult fleas, lea larvae, flea eggs, ticks, and lice. The whisper-quiet spray is perfect for nervous cats and can be used upside down for those hard-to-reach areas on their bellies. It will also help combat flea bite dermatitis and keep fleas from maturing enough to reach the stage at which they bite.
A single application of this spray lasts an incredible 100 days, so while this is a little more expensive per ounce than some other flea sprays, you get value for the money! This spray can also be used to treat bedding, carpets, upholstery, and more, to help remove any fleas that may be on your cats bedding and other surfaces.
The Wondercide Rosemary Home & Pet Flea Spray. This spray is made in the U.S.A. without the use of harmful chemicals. Instead, it harnesses the power of naturally derived plant-based ingredients, including cedarwood oil and lemongrass oil. It also has a fresh rosemary scent and is completely safe to use on your cat, dog, and all home surfaces. Youll initially need to apply this every 2-3 days to gain control of a flea infestation, but the good news is that you can safely use this repeatedly without worrying about exposing your cat to harsh chemicals.
- Cannot be shipped to some states
Do Natural Flea Repellents For Dogs Work
Yes, natural flea repellents for dogs work. However, the exact working mechanism depends on the specific repellent.
According to My Pet Nutritionist, using a natural flea killer for dogs is much safer than chemical treatments. The site also states that natural repellents are usually effective.
Rather than poisoning fleas and ticks, they repel them. The repelling effect safely prevents a dog from becoming host to fleas.
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How Long Does House Flea Spray Work
Each product is different, and some last longer than others. Depending on the brand, it can take as little as 24 hours for the spray to start working. But if youre working on removing an entire flea infestation, that can take up to 3 or 4 months. And you will likely need to re-spray the home or yard periodically. Follow the instructions on your product for more detailed instructions.