Should I Spray Rosemary on My Cat for Fleas?

The jury really is still out on whether to use rosemary on cats as a flea control method. Yes, rosemary does in fact repel fleas from kitty's body. However, rosemary itself contains chemical properties shown to have detrimental internal health effects over the long term. Weighing the facts of flea control and kitty's metabolism is a good way for cat owners to decide this issue.

  1. An Itchy Problem

    • Anyone with pets knows the aggravation of fleas. Their bites cause itching, leading pets to endless scratching. A female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day on an animal. Unlike the eggs of other insects, flea eggs are not sticky, and therefore they fall off the pet, landing in carpet and furniture. An entire home is quickly infested, leaving pet owners with a keen interest in controlling the parasite.

    Is Rosemary A Safe Natural Answer?

    • Fleas don't like the smell of the herb rosemary. However, people do. That is the leading reason manufacturers of flea control powder include it. The scent of rosemary in powder will repel fleas, but the residue of that powder is also being absorbed into kitty's body. That residue contains natural-occuring compounds that weren't intended to be applied to cats. Just because it occurs naturally doesn't mean it is good for all species.

    Terpenoids

    • Rosemary contains terpenoids, a highly volatile unsaturated hydrocarbon produced by plants. This hydrocarbon is easily absorbed through the skin and also orally when kitty licks herself. Large amounts of terpenoids may build up in a cat's liver because, unlike most other mammals, cats have limited enzymes that break down toxins, according to Dr. Zoran D. Jankovic, a veterinary surgeon and author of the Natural Pest Control website. Cats specifically are missing glycoronyl tranferases, which is key for breaking down terpenoids to be flushed out in urine and feces, Jankovic says. This means kitty simply can't get this stuff out of his body.

    Symptoms of Terpenoid Poisoning

    • As all animals are unique, some cats will have strong reactions to rosemary and others won't. Some symptoms of poisoning to watch for include vomiting, dizziness, clumsy movements and a lack of appetite and energy.

    Risk Versus Benefit

    • It is up to kitty's human companion to decide if the risk outweighs the benefit. Due to the number of effective control measures available for reputable veterinarians, the use of rosemary to control fleas seems too unpredictable. Once the effects of rosemary poisoning begin to manifest themselves, the damage may already be irreversible.