Homemade DIY Flea Shampoo for today’s topic! It’s rainy season here in Florida and never did I think that my indoor cats would get fleas from lounging on our screened in lanai. DIY Flea Shampoo here we come! I had Doug go over to our local grocery store for a quick flea treatment but that barely did the job. It amazes me how many bugs come through a very well screened in area. Little bastards. Our plants have had their fair share of ghost ants and soil mites, so there’s that. Panic attack is an understatement for this mama. I freak the F*** out. Pardonnez Moi!
How To Make Homemade DIY Flea Shampoo
I quickly realized a day after using the topical flea and tick treatment that they weren’t dying quick enough and the flea poo (if that’s what you call it) was NOT about to remain in my cats skin for longer than necessary. Giving them 2 baths back to back with this homemade flea shampoo quickly killed them. However, Doug let them back on the lanai a day later and so here I am battling allowing my pets to have a life outdoors at all. Screened in or not.
Fast and Easy Home Remedy For Fleas
When I wash my animals they normally get a regular shampoo cleanse. But in the case of an infestation of fleas, they get a Dawn Dish Soap bath. Here’s how I make it:
- Fill The Bath With Lukewarm Water 1/4 of the way. My cats hate the noise the running water makes so this is easier. I have also just washed them using the kitchen spray hose. Whatever is easier for you. You may have to do both like I did.
- Add 1/2 Cup Blue Dawn
- 3-6 Drops Peppermint Oil (any essential oil like eucalyptus if you don’t have peppermint). My cats seem to be okay with essential oils but I DILUTE it heavily and wash them thoroughly. If you are hesitant, don’t use it. Some pets cannot tolerate and have a sensitivity to it. I’m just saying mine are fine. Add the drops to the bath before you put the cat in.
- 1 Cup Baking Soda
In my case (my cats are really furry), I had to also rub the soap and baking soda on their skin and fur to give them a FULL FLEA TREATMENT.
Carefully rub these onto the cat avoiding the eyes and face but try to get into the neck areas pretty good. Let sit on them for a few minutes then rinse. Rinsing with the bath water that has the peppermint oil in it is good for making the fleas hop off.
Continue rinsing for 10 minutes. Emptying the bath water and rinsing with plain water. Use a cup if necessary.
Repeat. If you see any fleas that are hard to remove I would repeat the process immediately. Then give the cats a break. My cats tend to stress easily. So try to do this treatment quick if yours are anything alike.
Natural Home Remedies For Fleas
Dry the cats off and then using a flea comb give them a good brush. This will remove the dead fleas that got stuck in them poor babies skin.
I give it a couple of days and then inspect the animals for fleas to see if they need further treatment. In my case, they did. I went to the vet and bought Bravecto because my cats were just so infested. The damn things were so bad they were impossible to deal with.
Also, my teen was texting me while I was dealing with all of this and said to immediately soak them in Olive Oil. I did. And it works. Cleo is famous on our FB page. She was enjoying every single bath I gave her. But I will not be giving them a bath for quite some time now. Nor will my indoor cats be able to enjoy the lanai. In a new location, yes. But, our screened in lanai attracts so many different bugs because we face a preserve that has so many trees; it’s crazy. Chloe is our other cat and she was petrified of the water. She was hugging me while I was bathing her. Not her first bath but she doesn’t do well with traveling either.
Today is one week after they were initially infested with fleas and they are FLEA FREE.
Here’s Some Cleaning Tips
- Vacuum and vacuum a lot. I had to vacuum our floors, beds and furniture over and over each day to make sure that when I let them out of the bathroom they wouldn’t get re-infected from the eggs and fleas that may have been lingering around the house
- Wash ALL linens. I normally give the cats their own throw blankets to lay on and had to wash them at least 3 times before the fleas were completely gone. I also laid out towels in the bathroom that needed to be cleaned. I am so glad we have beach towels (they were a life savor—big cat probs)
- Use Clorox wipes to wipe down all surfaces
- Sprinkle the tub with baking soda to give it a quick wash and wipe
- Sweep bathroom floors thoroughly and then vacuum using the hose for edges and corners
Overall not a daunting task if you know how to handle it! My best tips are:
- Get the pets in a closed room like the bathroom to quarantine immediately upon noticing they have fleas
- Give them a flea bath using the dish soap and baking soda
- Keep them in the bathroom until they almost dry. This gives you a chance to go vacuum everything and close off certain rooms until further notice
- Get a flea treatment on them immediately
- Relax….it’s nature and will happen. Stay calm because you don’t want to freak them out
What are some of your best home remedies for fleas?
I live in Iowa and I was trying to help a stray kitten who’s seemingly everyday came to check through our basement window where I live in a split-floor home with my handicapped mother who lives in the upstairs with a Maine Coon who is 27 lb and all for as you can imagine. When I noticed my 9 month old cat wanted very badly to meet this kitten and I wanted very badly to make sure he or she was clean and if possibly wanted a home I was going to provide that however I don’t have very great luck with female cats and so after getting her inside have a pet taxi by luring her in with some soft food and giving her a bath we then released her back outside however my male kitten who’s again about 9 months and her everyday would come back and having the windows open with just the screen her rubbing against the screen and him rubbing against the screen while they’re playing or meowing and praying at each other it was enough to get fleas in the home little did I know until reading some things on the internet and doing an entire bottles worth of baths to my cat in about 2 weeks time I gave him six baths and after three topical treatments to the neck again with bathing wash those off unfortunately and we even went so far as to go get the pill and flea bombed the basement because after the scary things I read on the internet and not noticing that he had the fleas for a few days and all of the things that he climbs on and lays on it was a little scary having had one jump on me was even more intimidating I will say that the advice on this blog I wish I would have found it before everything but now that we’ve found the house and cleaned everything I’m happy to say he’s free however the kitten still comes every single day to look in the window at him and they rub on the window that separates them from being able to touch it’s very cute it’s like their Kendrick spirits that were meant to be together and I really would like to have her inside she was very intimidated of people and my husband has been good at being able to get her to be trusting maybe if we can get her inside again I’ll be glad to try this home remedy bath and the peppermint oil is a great advice I’ve read and many other places on the internet that it works to repel the fleas and I’m excited to try that I think that would be very helpful for anyone else that’s battling a small or large sleep issue thanks again coffee mama good looking Florida.
Iowa mama a fur baby
OMG isn’t it so scary and to be honest nothing like this is simple. What a process. I’m glad you found some remedies. Our cats were laying outside on the screened in lanai when they got fleas one year and being a new cat mom I didn’t ever think that they would get them on a screened in patio. Crazy how nature works. Would love to see pics of your kitties! XO