can i put a drop of tea tree oil on the back of my cats neck, and will that get rid of fleas?

Question

i have 16 cats guys, and my advantage (wich i buy from australia) will not get here until next month(i am on ssi) and for some reason my normally flealess, indoor babies are getting covered with fleas, it has been hot here lately and i have had the windows (they have screens)open so and i live close to the ocean, and there are the outdoor kitties ifeed so i assume my furry children got the fleas that way. i have been seeing the stuff about this tea trea oil so could i do that and would it help? thanks and god bless

Answer 1

Hello again Julia...tea tree oil is toxic for cats. Some natural repellants are citronella, cedar, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and lavender. Essential Oils are specially formulated to repel fleas and ticks without using insecticides. They are great for misting your cat's legs (and your own) any time that you go out where fleas would be likely to be found. Although this isn't a fix all alternative as good as Advantage or Frontline. Plus you really need to think about worming as well because when the cats are grooming themselves they will ingest fleas and get tapeworm as a result. So you will require a large supply of flea repellents for all the cats and dewormers that all from a vet who can prescribe these. Also your home will be infested so killing the fleas on the cats will not be sufficient as the fleas from the carpeting will only reinfest them again requiring more flea repellent on the cats again. A cyclical problem.

If you live in the US there are some low income animal shelters that will help or provide references to vets who perform low income veterinary services. Consider contacting your local humane society and ask them if they can help or refer you to someone who could.

So you'll need to attack not only the fleas, the worms, but also the home environment as well. Consider purchasing Borax to suffocate the fleas on your carpets. It's safe to use an is quite effective at killing fleas. Be sure to place the kitties in a room away from the Borax powder until you vacuum it up so they don't accidentally get it on their paws. Here's a couple websites that talks about boric acid:
http://www.pesticide.org/fleas.html
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/fleas.html

Answer 2

NO!!! I have no idea why you would order Advantage from Australia. That is where the majority for the counter fit Advantage was coming from. You can but it here for a better price. I cannot imagine you are buying enough to treat 16 cats for three months in a row, which is what you need to do to get rid of the problem!!!
You already have an infestation in the house, so you need three months for treatment. Or you will need to bomb and spray. One month of Advantage is going to do next to nothing. And now you are going to have a BAD tapeworm problem too!!!!!!!!!
I am not trying to be mean when I say this...but if you are on SSI, you really do not need to have 16 cats. I do not get the impression that three months of Advantage and Cestex/Droncit for 16 cats is going to be that possible.

Answer 3

Tea tree oil is toxic to cats. Don't use it.

Dr. Martin Goldstein, a holistic veterinarian, suggests a product called 100% Natural Flea and Tick Repellent (Quantum Herbal Products (800-348-0398)

Another suggestion: "Try Flee Free, a liquid flower essence from Green Hope Farms (603-469-3662). You can use it as a spray or give directly to the animal."

Answer 4

I don't know if tea tree oil kills fleas but I know you can put it on your cat. I have used it to kill fungus infections on my cats. My indoor cat does not have fleas and I have used the tea tree oil on him, maybe that's why he doesn't have fleas?

Answer 5

well, if you can't get normal flea treatment things, then yes, you probably can because I'm also heard about that being helpful.

Answer 6

Absolutely not! It is poisonous to cats. If they lick it off their fur it can kill them.

Answer 7

There may be something of use here.