What do I do if I have three cats and one dog all with fleas and I can’t afford flea medication?

Pray! The disturbing question is on the quora.com website. It is a question of hopelessness. A question which tells us that the person who asked it does not have enough money to be a good cat caregiver. Sorry but that is the only conclusion. It might not be their fault but you can't be a good cat owner on a shoestring. You have to have some money for the basics. Ensuring that your cats are flea-free is one on the basics. Flea combing can keep fleas under control if there is one cat and the home or flat is flea-free.

Cat fleas and treatments – comprehensive page

Budgeting :) - image: MikeB

But if there are three cats and one dog, all with fleas, there will be fleas throughout the home as well. Flea combing only won't fix the problem.

The only way to get rid of them is to use a flea spot-on treatment for the cats and the dog and clean the entire place top to bottom and maintain a high level of cleanliness. Get rid of the carpets too!

And use flea treatments for cats on cats and flea treatments for dogs on dogs. Don't mix them up or use dog flea treatments on cats to save money as it can kill cats. There are lots of examples.

The question might go back to the beginning - the moment when the person decided to acquire some cats and a dog. They did not ask themselves the question: "Can I afford three cats and one dog?" Or can I afford one cat and one dog? Clearly not. They don't have enough money.

Perhaps they fell on hard times and started off with money. I'll grant them that. It can happen. But the more likely reason is that they adopted too many cats because they fancied another cat and didn't really ask themselves some tough questions and provide honest answers. Three cats and one dog is not hoarding but all cat hoarders end up being out of their depth. They can't cope.

Idea: go to a pet food bank and save money on pet food and use the money saved on buying flea treatments.

Pet food listed banks in a map of the USA and UK

The adoption of cats and dogs starts before the animal is adopted. It is called budgeting. Knowing that you can afford to look after the animal for their entire life barring some unforeseen catastrophe. This is a lifetime commitment. If it can't be made the cat should not be adopted.

I am being tough and perhaps harsh but there are too many cat ownership failures which is why we have millions of feral and stray cats. Ferals and strays are a clear sign of failure in cat domestication. It is estimated that there might be over 200 million feral/stray cats in the world. Each one is a human failure.

Idea

There are food banks and pet food banks in the USA. There are food banks for people in many countries. Some - perhaps many - pet owners struggle to care for their pets well. Fleas are the biggest health risk for cats. Why aren't the pet food banks stocking over the counter cat spot-on flea treatments such as Frontline?

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Woman licks her cat like a feline mother but is she ingesting fleas!

The news media calls this a 'strange addiction' and it describes a woman uploading videos to Instagram of herself licking her cat like a feline mother. You know what I mean: when a queen (a cat mom who has just given birth) licks her kittens to keep them clean which includes the anal area!

RELATED: Can I get a tapeworm from my cat?

Woman licks her cat like a feline mother but is she ingesting fleas! Image: Instagram screenshot.

Only this woman sensibly agrees that she should not lick the anal area of her cat companion because that would be horrible, she said. Also, she does not lick the feet of her cat companion because there may be faeces on the feet after going to the toilet in the litter tray.

The woman is in her 50s and she has uploaded videos to My Strange Addiction series. She defiantly says that she will not stop her habit.

She said:

I know everybody knows I'm a crazy f***ing cat lady. I'm in my fifties. I don't have any children. I never wanted any children. These are my babies. If I was a momma cat I would clean them just like that.

As you can see, she says that IF she was a mother cat, she would lick them but she isn't a mother cat! She is the cat's caregiver but hey ho, it doesn't really matter. If it pleases her then that's okay provided her cat is also pleased.

You might argue that it is a refinement to stroking a cat. When we pet our cats by stroking them, we are, in the cat's mind, licking them. That is how the cat experiences the sensation.

The woman adds that this is not a sexual thing. I hope so! And I don't see anything sexual in it to be honest. And she says that she doesn't lick butts or their genitals blah blah blah.

She added the following slightly baffling statement:

And I know they're gross. We're all gross. Everything is bad for you. If I want to groom my cat, I'm going to groom my cat. I'm not going to stop licking the cats or eating the cat fur. I'm just not.

People who have seen the video tended to be slightly disgusted! One said that they are not babies but cats and another said that the woman's behaviour was disgusting.

I do not see it that way. I see it as a bit bizarre and a bit offbeat but, as mentioned, if it pleases her and if it pleases her cat then there can be no harm in it. I don't think it is unhealthy for her but see fleas below. She will no doubt ingest some fur but that might be good roughage for her digestive tract!

Fleas!

She might ingest the odd cat flea which would not be a good idea because the life cycle of the tapeworm includes the cat flea. That's how cats develop tapeworms inside them. The flea passes tapeworm eggs into a cat when they feed on the cat's blood.

Image: MikeB

So, provided this woman ensures that her cat is entirely flea-free, there is no prospect of the woman getting a tapeworm inside her gut! I'm not sure that this is a risk that the woman has taken into account. It is not mentioned in any news media article. It would seem to be a genuine possibility depending upon the number of fleas on the cat.

I feel like telling her of the possibility. I would surely stop her strange addiction.

Can cat fleas live on humans?

Flea bite on person. Photo: FCG/Shutterstock

No, cat fleas can't live on humans because there is not enough hair to protect them. They don't live on the scalp either. The human is simply unsuitable for a cat or dog flea. Although occasionally a person might be bitten on their feet or ankle by a cat flea. This might occur if fleas are in the carpet waiting to jump onto a cat, and instead they jump onto the feet of the cat's owner. And judging by some photos people occasionally get a rash of flea bites. They must live in or have visited places where there are hordes of fleas. So, fleas do enjoy a drink of human blood.

Humans are not a preferred host of C. felis (cat flea).

Owners of full-time indoor cats sometimes ask how their cat can get fleas if they live inside the home all the time. One way is for the homeowner to walk a cat flea into the home on their clothes. Or perhaps the family dog, if there is one, can walk fleas into the home. Flea comb your cat every day if you want to make sure she is flea-free. 

Here is the above photo in realistic colour. It is shocking. I can hardly believe it.

Said to be flea bites. Getty Images.

RELATED: Flea treatments can kill or cause harm: please read the instructions and use caution.

Constant vigilance is the byword. But as you know you have to take a holistic approach: the whole house needs to be checked out and cleaned and not just the fur on your cat's back.

Using diatomaceous earth to try and minimise fleas on my cat

The video explains it all but I will add a few words. Before I do, I'd like to admit to a deliberate error in the video. If you can discover it and leave a comment to tell me what it is then you will get a reward from Amazon Prime! I'm genuine. You've just got to pick out the error in the commentary and we can take it from there.

In the video I am spreading diatomaceous earth underneath the squirrel feeder because I believe pigeons and squirrels carry fleas and those fleas drop onto the grass underneath the feeder where my cat goes and the fleas then jump from the lawn to my cat. He is acquiring about three fleas per day which I comb out. He has never had fleas before. Well, not quite; he's had two fleas in his entire six-year life until very recently.

Using diatomaceous earth to try and minimise fleas on my cat.

And it is only until recently or relatively recently that I have been regularly feeding squirrels and I have a feeling that this is at least partly the reason why he gets fleas. I also feed foxes and they too, I am sure, have fleas so I have generated a little flea factory near my back garden! I have to do something about it. I happened to have a box of diatomaceous earth in my shed. It has been there for a very long time indeed. I am pleased to use it at last.

Diatomaceous earth is a material that comes from fossils as I understand it. It's is very fine and this version is edible. It's a very dusty fine powder which cuts the exoskeleton of fleas. Fleas don't have a backbone or spine or an internal skeleton but they are held rigid by their external skeleton. This material cats it, breaks it up and the plea dies. It's a natural way of killing fleas as opposed to using chemicals. I believe that internal parasites can be controlled in livestock by this material when it is added to their feed. 

That's the story and you can wish me luck if you read this. I do not expect many people to bother to read this which is fine because I had quite a lot of fun doing it.

Do this for five minutes daily and make your cat happy

This is one thing that all cat owners should do daily to make their cat happy. It's uncomplicated, it doesn't cost any money and it makes the person happy as well. It's a form of mutual grooming. It is called allogrooming. 

But the point is that you are flea combing as well. It's a combination event. From the cat's perspective it is like being licked by another cat. The teeth of the flea comb are like the spines of a cat's tongue. It is delightful. But the added benefit is that you are checking for fleas and if you find one you kill them immediately. And every cat should be checked for fleas because they can be picked up very easily.

Even full-time indoor cats living in a clean home can pick up a flea because they can be brought into the home by their owner. Flea combing should be a way of life. Every morning at the same time the owner should flea comb their cat around the head, on the cheeks, down the back of the neck and on the shoulders. These are the basic areas where fleas congregate. 

The product of flea combing but no fleas. Photo: MikeB.

You can check for flea dirt at the base of the tail. But I comb my cat all over with a flea comb. This also helps to make the cat glossier because it stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

Like I said, it is so simple and perhaps can owners do this a lot but I suspect not. Many cats develop an allergy to flea bites which is devastating. It causes self-mutilation due to intense itching. Fleas are probably in the top 10 all-time cat health problems. 

And this something that anybody can do something about. And it brings pleasure to your cat. It is guaranteed. I would state with some confidence that every single cat on the planet will enjoy it provided it is done gently, precisely and with respect. It takes little investment but there is a big reward.

Can you drown cat fleas?

It takes 24 hours underwater to drown a flea! This is an interesting question and a pertinent one because cat owners sometimes like to kill fleas by drowning them. There are two aspects to the question. If you place a flea onto water they don't sink into the water. Therefore they do not drown this way. Fleas are too light to break the surface of water. And they are covered in a water repellent wax. A flea left on the surface of water in a bowl will eventually starve to death because they can't jump out, but not drown.

If you force a flea underwater and hold it there for about 24 hours they would drown. Apparently it takes much longer to drown a flea than you might have imagined. Forcing a flea underwater for 20 minutes will not kill them. In fact a flea submerged for 12 hours may appear dead but will reanimate itself once removed. After 60 minutes or so they are revived. If a flea is underwater for up to 20 hours they can still revive themselves but it takes about 4 to 5 hours.

If you are flea combing your cat and you catch one, my preferred method of killing is to use my thumbnail to squash the flea against the comb. If the comb is a metal one with a ridge where the combs enter the plastic handle you can squash them against that ridge. It is satisfying because you can hear the exoskeleton pop. This method may be too grizly for some people. It gives me pleasure because I hate the bastards. But if there are a lot of fleas this method is unworkable. You'll need an insecticide but use it with extreme care please.

P.S. Fleas have flat bodies which makes it easier to move around their host in that forest of fur!

Sources: various and on the internet.

Santa Ana Has Typhus Outbreak

by Elisa Black-Taylor (USA)

Santa Ana, located in Orange County, California, is experiencing a typhus outbreak and the feral cats in the area are getting caught in the middle of a bad situation that's not their fault.

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Officials set six traps at Frances E. Willard Intermediate School on the 1300 block of North Ross Street. They've also set traps at El Sol Science and Arts Academy. This is being done in an effort to catch feral cats after a child in the area contracted typhus last month and had to be hospitalized. The victim has since recovered. Due to privacy laws, all that's known about the victim is the disease was contracted in the Broadway-Washington Avenue area of Santa Ana.

Now Vector Control officials have set traps for feral cats, possums and other small animals that may carry the disease via fleas. They have said any animals trapped will be tested and euthanized. Officials have already handed out information to the public on the illness and how to administer flea products to prevent a flea infestation.

Endemic and murine typhus are both caused by a bacteria found in infected fleas and their feces.

The problem is this isn't going to solve the problem. For one thing, it's doubtful these feral cats are coming close enough to the population to allow the fleas to jump from the cat onto a human or for the flea feces containing Rickettsia typhi, and Rickettsia felis to be in contact with the human. I can already tell this is going to be a really bad year for flea infestations. And what are they going to do about all the dogs who wander loose, as well as the wildlife?

This isn't a realistic way to handle the problem. For one thing, if these feral cats are removed, more will come to take their place. The fleas would just jump on the new "host." There are probably stray dogs running loose in Santa Ana. There seem to be as many stray dogs these days as there are stray cats. My guess is more fleas can live on a large dog than a small cat. Yet nothing is being said about trapping and euthanizing the dogs.

The best preventative would be to treat the property in Santa Ana with products recommended to kill fleas that won't be harmful to pets. Treat the property and treat the pets.

Symptoms of typhus include high fever, headache, chills, body aches and a rash. These begin between a week and two weeks after exposure to an infected flea.

Alley Cat Allies, the only national organization dedicated solely to the protection of feral cats, has called out the Vector control officials in an effort to stop the trapping (the "vector" is the flea or lice) .

Several of the traps have been sabotaged by people throwing objects into them to make them spring shut. One trap did catch a possum.

Information on contacting Orange County Vector Control, as well as information on typhus can be found at www.ocvcd.org/typhus.php

Note: Flea-borne typhus is referred to as endemic typhus or murine typhus. It is transmitted by fleas. It is caused by the bacteria, Rickettsia typhi, and Rickettsia felis, which is in infected fleas and their feces.

Petting Your Cat

Our cat guides us as to where we should pet him. It's a kind of reverse training. Cats do that quite a lot actually, if you think about it. A survey indicated that we enter into a sort of unwritten contract regarding social interaction. I think we can see that if we analyse our behavior with.....

Update July 13th 2015. The article has been moved to the main site. Sorry. Please see it here.

Should I shave my cat to get rid of fleas?

ANSWER: No. I can see the frustration and why there is a desire to shave a cat to get rid of fleas as they lurk in that dense fur and cause mayhem particularly if the cat is allergic to the flea bite. But fleas will go on cats without fur and fur grows back. Are you going to keep your cat naked for the rest of his life?

Also dealing with the flea problem on the cat in isolation will obviously not work. There has to be a global household attack on the bloody things. This needs to be done is a consistent manner and permanently.

Cats that are allowed to go out will always acquire fleas because they are on wild animals and on the ground. You can't rid the back yard or garden of fleas!

There is also the fact that a cat will feel uncomfortable without fur. How I do know? I don't know for sure but it is highly likely that a cat will feel uncomfortable and it may make him anxious. It is removing a part of a cat's anatomy.

The standard answer is to treat the house and perhaps surrounding area (Diatomaceous earth can be used outside or even inside). Apply Frontline to your cat - but follow instructions, please - cats are killed by insecticides and never use flea treatments for dogs on cats. The packaging can look similar. Sprays (on the cat) are hopeless and dangerous) in my opinion. Flea comb your cat, twice daily! This will work.

Associated Pages:

• Cat Flea Treatments
• Flea Products for Cats
• Flea Ecology

What causes cat scratch fever?

The rickettsial organism Bartonella henselae causes cat scratch fever. The organism is between a virus and a bacteria in type. It is in infected fleas. If the cat has fleas the disease is transmitted to a person by a bite or scratch as the organism is in the cat's mouth and/or on the cat's claws from grooming.

Homes should be treated for fleas and the cat should be flea combed regularly. Avoid heavy duty chemical treatments as these are toxic.

The symptoms occur about 3-10 days after being scratched. At the site of the scratch in about half the cases, the skin becomes red and raised. The lymph nodes in the armpit, groin and neck become tender. This can last for several months.

Rarely the person suffers more severe illness and in 5% of cases the person suffers from flu like symptoms.

Cats are usually asymptomatic (no signs).

People who have cat scratch fever should consult their GP. If the cat does show signs take him or her to the vet. Treatment includes the drugs azithromycin and doxycycline.

This is absolutely not a reason to declaw a cat.

Beware of Cat Flea Treatments

Beware of cat flea treatments. Some time ago a cat caretaker asked for advice about her sick cats. It transpired, as far as I could tell, that she was using a spot flea treatment designed for dogs on her cats. The product was Advantix. You don't even have to put it on your cat to kill him or her. If you use it on your dog and keep cats too, your cats can get ill by licking it off the dog or simply by the cat being in contact with the dog and then licking her fur when grooming herself. If you keep cats and dogs don't use Advantix.

Flea treatments for dogs can make cats very ill or kill them. Advantix for dogs contains Permethrin, which is extremely poisonous to cats. It damages the cat's nervous system causing fits and seizures etc. There is no antidote apparently.

I would like to make two points. First, it is easy to get confused between Frontline Spot on Cat, the spot flea treatment for cats and Advantix for dogs.  Even now I am not sure if you can get Advantix for cats. And I have searched the internet.

I haven't found Advantix for cats. But these products are similar in appearance and in their application. Also people may automatically think that what is good for their dog is fine for their cat. Unfortunately that is not true.

We just have to read those damned instructions in small print and be super cautious when using insecticides of any kind on a cat companion. The appearance and labeling of these products is not helpful in avoiding a mix up. This problem is compounded by Bayer making "Advantix" for dogs and "Advantage" for cats - similar names. While Frontline make similar products with the same name for dogs and cats - confusing.

Insecticides are poisons and dangerous chemicals. They are poisonous to us too! If you read the instructions for Frontline spot treatment for cats, you will see warnings about how we should handle the stuff. For example, ""Avoid contents coming into contact with the fingers".. "..contact of the product with your mouth and eyes should be avoided..." And yet we are putting it on our cat's skin! The product is meant to be used monthly. I use it very, very sparingly indeed and only as a last resort. Frontline's active ingredient isFipronil 10% w/v.

Incidentally, it is clear (in my opinion) from the Frontline packaging that this product has been tested to destruction on kittens under 8 weeks of age. The manufacturers say, "No adverse effects have been seen in cats and kittens aged 8 weeks and older...treated with five times the recommended dose for six consecutive months..." I think we should digest that statement. Personally I hate animal testing.

Here are a couple of posts on flea treatments:

1. Flea Treatments Can Kill
2. Cat Flea Treatment

Drawing by Kate*

How to get rid of fleas on cats

Siamese cat who was given spot treatment
behind the head (see spiky fur)
Photo by terriem (Flickr)

I explain how to get rid of fleas on cats. The cat flea is probably the most common cat health problem that we have to deal with. It is certainly the most common parasite on the cat's skin. An understanding of the life cycle of the cat flea helps us get rid of them. If you open the link a new page will open too so you can read it while you read this page. As you can see from the life cycle a holistic approach has to be taken to defeat the horrible cat flea. By holistic I mean that the flea needs to be killed both on the cat and on the ground in the areas inhabited by the cat. There is no point just killing fleas that are currently on the cat and ignoring the larvae and fleas that are off the cat and which will jump on him or her. At any one time, one percent of fleas are adults while the remaining 99 percent are at the larval and pupal stages. The fleas on the cat are the tip of the iceberg. This page: The Cat Flea: biology, ecology and control, provides detailed information about the cat flea.

A byproduct of getting rid of fleas on cats is that you will also cut the life cycle of the tapeworm as fleas are an intermediate host of the tapeworm.

Some cats are allergic to flea saliva, which can cause inflammation and intense itching. See feline allergies for a full list and description. Read about a visitor's cat, a Ragdoll, who is allergic to fleas.

You can tell when you cat has fleas. He or she will probably be scratching around the neck area. This area of the cat's body and the rear at the base of the tail are in my experience the two prime areas to focus on.

To confirm that there are fleas on your cat you have to have a 32 prongs to the inch flea comb. Please don't use a human nit comb as these have less prongs to the inch an are ineffective for fleas. This is an essential piece of kit and it should be used regularly. I would say daily but it depends on the circumstances. If you are getting rid of fleas on a cat the flea comb should be used at least once daily and more often if needs be.

For a normal level or mild infestation of fleas the flea comb combined with an environmental clean up will probably control the flea problem. I always start by combing around the head, neck and shoulders and then the area at the base of the tail where it joins the spine. You will find that live, mobile fleas are up front and black specks, which are flea feces and salt-like material (flea eggs) are at the rear.

The fleas in the cat's fur will try and evade the comb by moving through the fur quickly. I always go over the same area several times and expand the area of combing to catch the retreating flea!

Fleas are very athletic and extremely robust. When you have combed out a flea or two they will be on the comb. They will be moving and they will not stay on the comb for more than a few seconds. You have to move fast to kill them before they jump off the comb back onto the cat. Sometimes they will jump onto the surrounding area. Cat fleas can bite humans incidentally.

There are various ways to kill the live, jumping, dastardly robust flea. I crush them on the comb with my thumb nail against the ridge where the prongs are attached to the base. They go pop when the exoskeleton is crushed (see photo). You know then that it is killed. But watch them afterward to check. They are great survivors. Some people dip the comb in water or alcohol. I prefer my way because it is very satisfying and very positive. Whatever you do, do it fast!

Flea combing is a mechanical method of getting rid of fleas on cats. There are countless numbers of chemical methods (see Cat Flea Treatments for a full discussion). For a medium to bad or persistent flea infestation I use Frontline spot treatment (there are others) in conjunction with flea combing. Flea combing not only allows you to find and kill cat fleas it also allows you to check whether there are fleas and cats will nearly always like it especially if done regularly. Which leads nicely to the fact that if we flea comb regularly, the fur will be thoroughly untangled and in fine condition allowing the comb to pass through the fur easily. Flea combing gives the fur a nice glossy appearance.

If flea combing pulls on the fur our cat won't like it. We need our cat to like being combed as it makes the whole process of getting rid of fleas on cats much easier and even a pleasant experience for our cat. I can comb the entire body of my cat who has a dense double coat if I flea comb regularly.

Chemical treatments can be effective but as far as I am concerned they are a last resort as they are insecticides and they can have cat health consequences. Treating cats with dog flea control products and over-treating kittens can seriously hurt or kill the cat. Please read the instructions and follow them to the letter. Click on the following link for a post by a visitor; an example of how cat caretakers can hurt their cats while trying to help them: Are my cats suffering? How may I stop it?

Chemical treatments include: shampoos, powders and dusts, sprays and foams and insecticide dips. I used a foam once and my cat licked it off and started foaming at the mouth. I had to take her to the vet. I have never used these sorts of chemicals again. These products can cause toxic reactions in cats. Dips are the most effective and have the longest residual action but please take care, don't use them on kittens under four months of age and dilute the product per the instructions. These are toxic products.

Two other products can be used to kill fleas on cats (a) cat flea pill (use with caution) and (b) a cat flea collar. These have chemical treatments inside them providing protection for a good time. Collars are potentially dangerous to the cat - chocking is one hazard. Cat collars can kill. And please don't use collars that use amitraz, permethrin or organophosphates for cats. Extreme care needs to be taken when using insecticides on cats.

Flea Bathed Kitten - bedraggled but flea free - Photo by psiconauta

I will assume that the cat has been properly and consistently treated. The environment needs to treated as well, as mentioned. There are three types of environment (a) the ordinary home where there might be a mild infestation (b) the home that is a complete mess where there will be a severe infestation and (c) the multi-cat breeder type environment. The breeder will know how to control fleas so I am just going to refer to the typical home. In multi-cat and multi-animal households or facilities all the animals (ferrets, rabbits and dogs) must be treated.

One obvious aspect of environmental flea control is whether your cat goes outside. Mine do go outside and there are foxes in this part of London. You can see how fleas can be picked up outside: flea larvae drops of fox, cat lies in grass, adult flea jumps on cat. You can't rid the garden of fleas so that is a source of re-infestation.

Keeping the home thoroughly clean and regularly hoovered will, I believe, control fleas on cats sufficiently even if they do go outside. Carpets should be cleaned professionally on a regular basis but not to the point where the cost becomes prohibitive. Cat bedding should be cleaned routinely.

One non-chemical environment flea killer is food grade diatomaceous earth. It is actually used to kill parasites inside cattle. It can be added to livestock food. But it can also be sprinkled on the ground where your cat sleeps or the area where he or she frequents. It works by cutting the flea's exoskeleton, which is the hard body of the flea. Fleas don't have internal skeletons like us.

This post is based on my personal experience. A very good resource to learn about how to get rid of fleas on cats is the Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook which at about £20+ is no more than the cost of some flea treatments.

Associated Pages:

• Cat Parasites
• Cat and Dog Parasite Pictures

From How to get rid of fleas on cats to Home Page

Food grade diatomaceous earth

Food grade diatomaceous earth is useful for people who keep cats, especially cat breeders who have a larger number of cats. The picture (credit at base of post) above is of the processed version (see below for the rock). You can buy it on the internet. Here is an example: Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Powder 8 Oz.

Diatomaceous earth is a chalky rock. It can be processed (broken down) into a fine white powder. The powder is very porous (water absorbent) and is abrasive (each particle has sharp edges).

This type of rock was formed millions of years ago from the fossilized remains of a water borne algae with a hard shell called diatoms (one celled phytoplankton). The rock is mined from areas that were once under water or I presume still under water. This algae is the equivalent of grass for creatures living in water.

Once mined it has a wide range of uses once processed (milled). As long ago a 1866 it was used in the making of dynamite. When it is mixed with nitroglycerin it makes it more stable and the inventor called the resulting product dynamite.

The most common usage (over 2/3rds of production apparently) is for filtration, especially in swimming pools. This form of diatomaceous earth is pool filter grade, which has been chemically treated for that purpose and which is poisonous to animals and therefore unsuitable for use by people who keep animals.

Food grade diatomaceous earth is processed in such as way to make it safe for animals both externally and if eaten. In fact it is used to control mealworm (the larvae of mealworm beetle) and other insects that can be present in animal feed (grains). It is also used as a wormer for livestock.

It is EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) approved for use in grains and for the control of insects inside and outside the home. It is also FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved for internal (inside the body) and external (outside the body) use. Its quality is also controlled by FCC (Food Chemical Codex), a method of ensuring standards in food ingredients.


Food grade diatomaceous earth - Used to kill ants and it seems to have killed some bees as well. Photo by This Year's Love (under a creative commons license).

One of its uses is as an insecticide but a special one. Although (it seems to me) it is not completely clear as to how it works to kill insects and parasites, what is clear is that it works in a purely "physical" manner (i.e. in contrast to chemical insecticides which can cause environmental damage). This also means that the parasites can't adapt to it as they can in respect of chemical insecticides.

The sharp edges of the very fine particles cut (the external skeleton) and desiccate (drys out) the parasite. Some scientists think that Food grade diatomaceous earth de-ionizes or de-energizes the parasite. One thing is for sure, it is well established that it effective controls parasites and insects and this is borne out by the experiences of some cat breeders who us it to control fleas.

[note: I am not sure how the product is made safe for ingestion by animals if it is made up of sharp edged particles. There is probably a simple explanation to this but I would have thought it would abraze the digestive tract of animals]

Cat fleas are extremely common so a natural method of control is highly desirable. For flea control it can be sprinkled on the ground (or even on the cat, but I definitely wouldn't do this as a cat will simply lick it off and ingest too much of it) in powder form or mixed with water to form a sludge. It can of course be sprinkled on the carpet but it will then be hovered up in due course.

[Note: When sprinkling the powder care must be taken to protect the eyes]

Food grade diatomaceous earth will control fleas that jump on an off a cat (cat fleas don't just stay on the cat but jump off for laying of eggs) and kill them when they are on the ground. It will also control other insect pests such as cockroaches.

It can be bought over the counter or on the internet. That said I have rarely seen it until recently and only as a result of my research for this website. It would seem to be underused as a method of flea control.

Food grade diatomaceous earth to cat anatomy

Sources:

• Wikipedia
• http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com

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