Natural Flea Remedies For Your Pet

Commercial chemical flea treatments usually work rather quickly and are easy to use, unfortunately, some pets and their owners are allergic to them and need a natural flea remedy. Fortunately for both the pet and pet owner, there are a number of ways to get rid of fleas naturally. These remedies work for both dog fleas as well as cat fleas.

The first thing you'll want to do is wash all of your household bedding, rugs and furniture covers that your pet may have come into contact with, which will probably be just about everywhere in your home. Then sprinkle a natural flea remedy of a powdered form of dried pennyroyal, of the mint family, or pyrethrum powder on your carpets, furniture and any place where your pet often sleeps. Repeat this for the next three to four days.

Now it's time to wash your pet using a natural shampoo made of one cup of a very mild dishwashing detergent and two teaspoons of eucalyptus oil. Before you wash your pet in this natural flea remedy, steep pennyroyal leaves in boiling water and then let it cool. Once you have shampooed your pet and lathered it up with the shampoo, use the pennyroyal tea to rinse it off.

Prevent Fleas Before They Bite

Pennyroyal planted outside your home will stop a flea infestation before it has a chance to get inside the house. If your pet spends part of the day outside and part inside, plant it where your pet usually hangs out while outside. As a natural flea remedy, pennyroyal will continue to grow as a ground cover and is attractive and has a pleasant flowery smell to it as well.

Another natural flea remedy is to make a small tube for your pet to wear around its neck and stuff it with pennyroyal and a few drops of eucalyptus oil. Your tube will have to be re-stuffed and oiled every few days to keep it fresh.

A homemade flea trap can be created that will serve as a natural way to get rid of those pesky cat and dog fleas. Fill a pan similar to a cookie sheet with water and place it under a light close to the ground. At night, the fleas will jump towards the light and fall into the water and drown.

Another good idea to prevent flea infestations is to keep your grass cut short. The heat from the sun will kill flea eggs before they can hatch. Also, keep your pets away from dark, wet areas where fleas often lay their eggs and the conditions are ideal for hatching.