Cat Flea Shampoo

Cat fleas are also known as Ctenocephalides felis. They commonly attack humans as well. Moreover, fleas can also be found on dogs, rabbits, and ferrets apart from cats. They bite the animals, which leads to bleeding, and they drink this blood.

Their saliva contains an anticoagulant called apyrase that keeps the blood free-flowing, which helps them ingest it easily. The apyrase also leads to skin irritation and itching. This can also be a cause of severe allergic reactions.

The fleas multiply very fast, leading to a serious flea infestation. It is very essential that you keep checking your cat for any signs of a flea infestation.

Fleas look like tiny black specks on the cat's skin. They turn red when the skin is wet. Fleas commonly gather in areas like the neck, tail, ears, and other skin creases where the fur is much thicker. While it can be possible to look out for adult fleas, remember that there are hundreds of eggs which you can't see.

They fall off while you groom your cat, and gather on its bedding, food vessels, floor, etc., and become adult fleas in a few weeks. So it is best to treat the fleas on time and eradicate them completely. A cat flea shampoo is of prime importance while doing this. Given below are some shampoo recipes that you can prepare at home.

You will require oatmeal, cornmeal, or bran, a bath towel, cat brush, and a baking sheet. Place the cornmeal, oatmeal, or bran over the baking sheet in an oven at a low temperature. Bake it to make it warm. Now apply this warm oatmeal, cornmeal, or bran over your cat's coat thoroughly, followed by rubbing it gently over the skin. Now take the bath towel and rub the cat's fur to remove the loose shampoo or dirt. Brush the cat's fur using the brush.

You need an organic shampoo and two of the following essential oils. Lemon, rosemary, lavender, lemon grass, geranium, citronella, or peppermint. Mix two of these in equal quantity. For every two ounces of organic shampoo, you need to add three drops of each essential oil. So for an eight-ounce bottle of shampoo, you need 12 drops of each essential oil.

Mix it thoroughly. First wash your cat with warm water and then rinse it with this shampoo. Let it stay on the cat's body for 10-15 minutes and then wash it off. You can also make the basic organic shampoo at home. Take 2 cups of distilled water and boil it. Add 1½ tsp of soapwort root to it.

Lower the heat and cover the vessel, and let it boil for 15-20 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it cool down. Add the essential oils to it as mentioned above. Store in a bottle and refrigerate. Shake well before using this shampoo for flea control.

This homemade flea shampoo for cats is easy to make by using vinegar and water. Take a clean spray bottle and mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in this. Now shake it well and spray it over your cat's coat. Also, spread it well down to the skin with your hands.

You can use this spray everyday to keep the fleas away. You can also opt for an organic apple cider vinegar wash for getting rid of the fleas.

The aforementioned shampoos can work best in killing the fleas and getting rid of the eggs from your cat's body. Remember to wash off the wet shampoo from its fur and skin with water to avoid irritation of the skin. Combing once with a flea comb after application of the shampoo will help clear the fleas thoroughly.

Make sure you use this cat flea shampoo for a few weeks to completely clear out the fleas. After that, you can use it once or twice a week as a precaution. To avoid fleas in the house, keep the pet in a closed area and clean your house after the flea treatment is over.