Safe and Natural Ways to Rid Cats of Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks can cause a variety of diseases in your cat including anemia, allergic reactions, skin irritation, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis, according to the Partnership for Animal Welfare. If you have found these parasites on your cat, avoid placing harmful, toxic chemicals on the cat's coat to remove them. Instead, use natural, safe ingredients to rid your cat and home of fleas and ticks.

  1. Grooming

    • Brush your cat's coat with a flea comb to remove any adult fleas and flea eggs from your cat's coat and look for any ticks on the coat as well. Coat the comb with natural vegetable oil to help the fleas stick to the comb. Place the comb in a cup filled with hot water and two to three drops of dishwashing liquid between brushing to trap and drown the fleas. If you locate any ticks on your cat's skin, use a pair of tweezers or a special tool called a tick scoop to remove them as close to the skin as possible. Pull the tick out and place it in a cup filled with alcohol to kill it. Dispose of the cups filled with fleas or ticks by flushing them down the toilet.

    Bathing

    • Bathe your cat with dish soap or a natural castile soap to drown any fleas. Place your cat in a bathtub with a few inches of warm water and wet your cat with a hand-held shower attachment. Lather up your cat's body with the soap, up to, but not including, the face and ears. Let the soap sit on your cat's fur for 15 minutes to drown the fleas. While the soap sits on the coat, use a damp wash cloth with a drop of soap on it to wipe down your cat's face, avoiding the eyes, nose and mouth. Rinse your cat's coat thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap and fleas. If you feel any ticks on your cat's coat, take a cotton ball soaked in water and place a drop or two of soap on it. Place the cotton ball over the tick for 15 seconds, which should remove the tick. Wash and rinse the area.

    Natural Repellants

    • To naturally repel fleas and ticks on your cat, rub it down with a small amount of apple cider vinegar or use it as a spray-on conditioning rinse to the coat after a bath. Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your cat's drinking water every day to make its blood unappetizing to both fleas and ticks. You can also add 1/2 to 1 tsp. brewer's yeast to your cat's wet food daily, or apply it as a natural flea and tick powder to your cat's coat, according to Christine Makowski, D.V.M., of Mother Earth News. Brewer's yeast contains thiamine, a form of vitamin B that improves your cat's health and makes its blood and skin unpleasant for parasites.

    The Cat's Environment

    • When fleas lay eggs on your cat's coat, they fall off around your home, settling in cracks and crevices, as well as in your cat's bedding. Ticks can also settle into these spots and continue to bite your cat and any humans in your home. Rid your home of these pests and prevent them from re-infesting your cat by vacuuming any fleas and eggs from corners. Dispose of the bag in a tightly closed plastic bag. Wash pet bedding in hot water to eliminate remaining parasites. Sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth around your home, which dehydrates and kills fleas and ticks naturally. Vacuum the diatomaceous earth from the carpeting after 24 hours.