Natural Anti Flea : Is diatomaceous earth safe and effective for my cat ?
Whether he lives exclusively in an apartment or also has access to the outdoors, your cat is never safe from fleas, ticks and lice. Fortunately, there are many solutions on the market to effectively combat these critters. If you are looking for a 100% natural anti-flea remedy for your cat, know that there is a solution for you: diatomaceous earth.
But is it safe to use diatomaceous earth on a cat? Shouldn't we favor a classic anti-flea treatment?
In the following, you will find everything you need to know about diatomaceous earth, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as all our advice on how to use it properly and effectively on your little feline.
Are there any dangers for my cat from using diatomaceous earth?
The use of diatomaceous earth is safe for cats, provided the product is of good quality and food grade. Of course, do not forget to protect the nose and eyes of your little feline when applying.
However, note that this type of homemade natural anti-flea is not as effective as a conventional anti-flea. In addition, poorly dosed or poorly controlled, the cat's self-medication can be dangerous.
Example of Diatomaceous Earth Compliant for Cats
Diaguard® Natural Protective Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth 2kg
- High purity, 100% freshwater, "food grade / codex" diatomaceous earth.
- 100% natural and inert (non-toxic). Diatomaceous earth is used in organic farming.
- Optimal security profile. Codex grade, each lot analyzed for heavy metals and bacteria. Highest quality assurance available.
- Purest White Diatomaceous Earth. The Original and the Best
- Easy to Apply
How to Use Diatomaceous Earth Against Cat Fleas?
To permanently get rid of fleas from your cat, you are going to need to not only take the trouble to treat the animal well, but also treat your home. As material, you will obviously need diatomaceous earth, a flea comb and a vacuum cleaner.
Cat Treatment
Apply diatomaceous powder all over your cat's body so that the product touches their skin. To achieve this, you have to do it against the grain. After waiting at least 4 hours, comb your cat with the flea comb to remove fleas, ticks, eggs and larvae (still alive or dead) from their body. Throw all the critters collected from your cat's body into a container with boiling water.
Treatment of the house
First of all, identify all the places in the house that your infested cat is used to frequenting: corridors, passageways, sleeping places, carpets, furniture, etc. Then, in order to considerably reduce the number. chip to eliminate and recover a good part of the eggs, vacuum for the first time in all these places.
Then, spread the diatomaceous earth in all the places to be treated in your house (floors, rugs, windows, behind furniture, cushions, cat tree,…) and let everything sit for at least 8 hours. After this long wait, vacuum wherever the need arises. Do this at least 3 times a week, for about a month.
Precautions for use
Since diatomaceous earth is a powder, a large cloud of dust may form when applied to cats or in the home and cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract. This is the reason why it is important to protect your eyes and nose beforehand, as well as those of your cat (the whole face preferably) during use.
Why use diatomaceous earth to fight fleas and ticks?
Due to its composition rich in silicas, trace elements and other minerals, diatomaceous earth is a natural and non-toxic product for cats, unlike conventional flea products made up of many chemicals that can cause allergies or irritation.
However, it is not as effective as conventional products, in addition to being more tedious, restrictive and time-consuming to use.
We recommend its use only if you are looking for a 100% natural external pest control product and if your cat is not completely full of fleas.
Does it work on other pets?
Diatomaceous earth works just as well on cats as it does on dogs, and even on other animals like ferrets, horses, and even chickens. Obviously, the application dosages vary from one animal to another and depend above all on the size of the animal.
What exactly is diatomaceous earth?
Diatomaceous earth is a natural powder extracted from quarries, refined using entirely mechanical processes and above all without chemical transformation. It is therefore a 100% natural product. From its scientific name silicon dioxide, diatom powder is essentially made up of microscopic algae fossils which have the particularity of being very sharp.
In fact, under the microscope, diatomaceous earth appears in the form of small very sharp glass slides. Thus, in contact with insects, fleas, ticks, lice and other external parasites, diatomaceous earth injures them, which ends up dehydrating and killing them. Hence its insecticidal property.
