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Recently, Claire suspected me (inequitably) of having fleas. All this because I scratched myself with too much insistence. Me. Pixie.
I was very hurt, and I went to hide under my front-roof. Claire is stubborn, she inspected with a magnifying glass ALL our beds and ALL our baskets in the house, and petted us against the nap, almost deloused like little monkeys, to see if she found a track of these parasites. Nothing at all.
As she’s a big follower of the precautionary principle, she has implemented the last natural trick she discovered : diatomaceous earth. She learnt recently that it was great and harmless to fight against fleas.
What is diatomaceous earth ?
Diatomaceous earth named « calcined », used to clean swimming pools, is to ban ! We speak here about diatomaceous earth of feed quality, named « amorphous », or « not calcined ».
The amorphous diatomaceous earth (dioxide of silicon) consists of very sharp marine microscopic fossils of seaweeds. It has an insecticidal action and without side effects ; strongly abrasive and drying, diatomaceous earth attacks the shell of numerous parasites and crawling insects which empty of their humidity and die by desiccation. It’s necessary to use it with caution because it can irritate eyes and respiratory tracts. It’s harmless for animals in case of licking.
How to fight against fleas with diatomaceous earth ?
Sprinkle beds, baskets, sofas, carpets … diatomaceous earth to clean them up. Avoid putting it too much, and distribute well uniformly. If possible, tap to bring down the surplus of powder. Let act a few hours before vacuuming.
You can also apply diatomaceous earth directly in the coat, against the nap (every 2 days in case of infestation). Avoid the nose and the eyes. Don’t make in and out movements which could create a cloud of powder : diatomaceous earth can be irritating for eyes and respiratory tracts. However, Claire would not do it, because it seems difficult to her to avoid a cloud of powder by applying Diatomaceous earth on a cat who is wriggling …
Diatomaceous earth is generally used dry, but it’s possible to create an anti-fleas spray :
- A soup spoon (approximately 5gr) of diatomaceous earth
- One liter of water
- A bottle spray
Mix ingredients in the bottle. Spray beds, baskets, sofas, carpet,… Once dry, tdiatomaceous earth finds all its properties back.
Diatomaceous earth can also be used for dogs and birds. It also allows to fight against unwanted insects in the house.
Did you already know this natural way to fight against parasites ?
Oh, no FLEAS! We were plagued with those a few years back – nasty things! We tried your remedy as well – and we pulled up all the carpet and threw it out! Best wishes for you sweet babies!
WE have tried that stuff and I think it works but hard to use. Fleas are hard to get rid of. Great post.
I hope those fleas leave you alone sweet Pixie, they are evil little buggers!
We have not used this on fleas, but my hubby uses it in the garden to get rid of bugs.
We hope those pesky fleas leave you alone. They can be such a pain in the kitty butt. We hope this works for people who may have a flea problem around the house. Thanks for the share. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend.
I too have used it in the garden, but never in the house. Fortunately we have no fleas.
We purr very hard that the fleas decide to stay away from you kitties 😉
Purrs Georgia,Julie and JJ
Yep, we wrote ’bout it befur. Sorry you got scrubbed and manhandled. Mommy’s can be relelntless sometimes. ‘Specially when they think we might be sick or hurting. Big hugs
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena
Of course you were upset to be accused of having fleas, Pixie. It feels good to have a scratch now and again. I have use DE in the garden for pest control but not for fleas, although I have heard it recommended before.
I’ve heard about it but didn’t know too much about it…thanks for the info!
What a great natural remedy for fleas. It’s so cold up here, we don’t get fleas. Amazing isn’t it?
Budd
My human got bit recently – I hope it wasn’t a flea! I’m supposed to have regular flea treatments as a therapy cat, but she slacked off a little bit.
I never tried to put diatomaceous earth on a cat but I do sprinkle some on their bedding and perches sometimes.
It’s good that Claire didn’t find any fleas on you. Maybe your skin was just irritated by some dirt or pollen.
I, Marvelous, have not seen a flea since I came to Canada. Mom says she has not seen any either, but when they first moved to the wet coast a zillion years ago, they moved ito a rented house that was INFESTED! My human brother and my Dad had a heck of a time getting rid of them before Mom and the “then hairy slobbery sister Kokanee” moved.
I am so happy that you did NOT have any!
Purrs
Marv
I hope you have no actual fleas, nasty little buggers.
Ugh! Fleas are terrible little things. We hope that diatomaceous earth keep them away from you and Zorro, Pixie!
I know petcretary has had that grade of DE in the house for years. But she hasn’t evfur put it *on* any of us furry ones, past or present. She might use it on the carpets, in the garden or in the cupboards. Living ruraly sometimes we get all kinds of unwanted trespassers.
how dare your mom think you could possibly have fleas!!! Incredible–though I had never heard of that special earth so thanks for the info!
The problem with diatomaceous earth, is that it can really irritate eyes and lungs, of both people and pets. Despite that, I’ve rubbed some into The ‘O’ Cats coats, and sprinkled it in their shelter. I’ve never seen any difference that it’s made on fleas. In theory, I’m all for it, but in reality, it’s not that useful.
We like to use natural whenever possible. I’m glad you checked out flea free. ☺
it is like magic and it helps a lot … much better than chemical treatments what fail often because the fleas are bulletproof after a while…
Interesting! I love learning! We hope you’re feeling better soon, Pixie!
We are not having fleas here. But decades ago in another place, TBT found little crawly things where a Cat Who Came Before used to sleep. Yes, they were flea larvae. They all left the house for 2 days while TBT flea-bombed the house and them used large fans to air the house after. Never had another problem.
6 years ago, TBTs Dad kept claiming WE had fleas because we scratched ourselfs sometimes. So TBT hauled all of us to the vet and he couldn’t find a single one. Sometimes you just have an itch…
We only use natural things against everything, Zorro and Pixie. Granny used pure selfmade lemon to clean everything and I got a Homeopathic Remedy so that they don’t like me, when I had fleas of the dirty water in the garden, when we were living in the other house. It took more than a week to get rid of them, but they never came back 😀 Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend
Fleas can be a real pain in the you know what! Mom has read about that diatomaceous earth, but she hasn’t used it at my house, ’cause she doesn’t want to upset my allergies or her respiratory issues. We’ve heard that it can be an effective treatment to rid of fleas, though. Mom gives the doggie a flea preventative every month, so that seems to be keeping the fleas out of the house and away from me these days. Maybe a visiting doggie brought fees to your home? Tee hee hee. Cheek nuzzles.