Is Lavender Oil really a flea repellent? Is it safe?

[thekittensmittens]

we had fleas last year, it was awfull and i tried allsorts, citrus sprays to everyone in the shops i could find. i read about indorex and i swear its the only thing that works. ive got a 5 bed house so it took two cans but omg the relief

[Hippykitty]

I wouldn't recommend lavender oil as a flea repellent: the  seem to be attracted to it!

So the rest of the oil will be going in the bath.

The house has been sprayed; here's hoping that's destroyed 95% of the 

Next, the 5% on the cats.

[Tiggy's Mum]

Glad you're getting the spray quickly through Amazon, for future reference medicanimal and animeddirect are both very quick at despatching and I've had stuff the next day from them. VetUK are also quick too but they charge delivery uunder £19 whereas the other two are free on all orders.

Once you have the flea situation under control you could try switching to advantage (no prescription required) as an alternative to regular frontline.

[SamMewl]

HK, you need to spray the house even if you can't vacuum. I had flea outbreaks and although the cats were treated with Frontline the fleas just kept coming.

The Indorex kills fleas and larvae on contact. The pupae only hatch when there's bodies around to feast on and they rely on vibrations to tell them when that moment arrives, so hoovering only actually provides the vibration to get them out of their protected shell. If you want the same effect, just go round with a broom and brush the carpets and skirtings once a day to get the same effect, thjen the indorex will kill the emerging larvae too.

Remember, one spray lasts an entire year, so is very easy and great value (plus its on offer at VetUK this week). You might want to change your frontline for another type of topical treatment, as I've found Frontline less effective this year for some reason, so have switched to Advantage which is working very well indeed (also from VetUK or Animed suppliers).

To add to this my vet has said that because frontline has been going for so long without them changing the formula there are now some frontline resistant strains of flea around. He reccomended advocate combo as they use a newer formula so there is no known resistance yet.
..oh and reading this has made me itch !!!

[Hippykitty]

Sheila, I rang the vet this morning re picking up some Acclaim and Frontline Combo, but they were hiking up the price so much that I've resorted to ordering Indorex and Frontline from Amazon with "expedited delivery". The vet wanted £23 for a 500ml can of Acclaim, which is about £8.00 on line.

Unfortunately, the Frontline isn't the Combo version, Amazon don't have it. VetUK does, but you have to declare that you have a vet prescription in order to get it. Could I get away with telling a porky? Again the vets are over-charging: £31.76 for 6 pipettes. I've read lots of bad reviews about fleas becoming immune to the ordinary Frontline.

Lucy and boys are booked in to be Programed on wed morning, again at inflated prices. The vets realise that they're the only decent vets for miles and are making the most of the fact financially. Greedy pigs.

Just checked; I can't tell a porky because VetUK need me to send the actual prescription. 

[sheilarose]

I completely understand but this huge effort will hopefully allow you to get on top and stay on top of the situation. Thank goodness for your cat friend. 

There some things you can do to minimise the fleas from strays infesting your home.
If you feed one bowl of food to the stray with a single Capstar tablet crushed into it, it will kill all the fleas on that cat within 24 hours. At least then the strays won't be constantly re-introducing the fleas.

Also, taking up the cat food off the floor at night so the strays don't get tempted in is a good idea.

Try to work out where your cats sleep outside, if they have dens or beds in the garden, don't forget to Indorex them too.

I have introduced a microchip catflap so only my cats get in/out. This of course is only good if your cats are chipped, and it's expensive to start off but the saving in cat food and cleaning products eventually make up for the initial outlay (plus my cats are happier).

Sending you some serious non-itchy scratchy vibes that this week should see the end of your bitey problems. 

[Hippykitty]

Thanks Rosella for the information about old Acclaim. It's off to the vet tomorrow to buy some new stuff and some FL combo for Fred and Vic.

Gillian, I'd heard about the brewer's yeast and may start putting it in their food to prevent another outbreak. Thanks for the reassurance about the lavender, I'm going to put it on me to stop the    s biting me, but I was a little concerned incase the cats rubbed against me and got it on their fur.

My cat friend is terrified that if she helps me out in rounding up Lucy and sons to take to the vet, she'll transfer fleas to her own home. Her cats are all treated with Program injections. I assured her that the Program would prevent an infestation (non-viable eggs) but she's not convinced. She's very reluctantly helping me on wednesday but plans to de-flea her car with Indorex/whatever her vet advises and immediately wash all her clothes. While I can understand her concern, I think she's over-reacting a bit, but she isn't someone who will listen to alternative points of view. It makes me feel like a leper; but as long as she helps with the cats she can take whatever precautions she wants. 

Even non cat owning friends don't want to come to my house. I really do understand, but it makes me feel like it's all my fault and that I'm somehow "unclean". This outbreak was caused by a stray cat who kept coming in to pinch my cats' food. Soon after his visits I noticed the fleas. He's been got by a toy water pistol several times and has stopped coming in (I hope!).

Hopefully, this will all be history soon. Thanks so much for the advice and support.

[Gillian Harvey]

Lavender oil is one of the few safe essentials oils for cats. It can be combed through their coat (if they'll let you!) but only acts as a repellant. A little brewers yeast sprinkled on their food daily also acts as a repellant.

[Rosella moggy]

I googled recently as I was given a full can of Acclaim 4 years old.  Effectiveness not guaranteed after 3 years.  I wouldn't expect much from a can that is 14 years old.  It may kill a few live ones but how will you know whether the treatment will last to kill the eggs?  Poor you and poor cats.

Think closest PAH to you HP will be next to Amber Tavern on junction of Wolverhampton and Hagley Road Quinton (open till 4pm today) but tbh I would get either Acclaim or Indorex from vet tomorrow and do a thorough job if it's that bad.  It will be pointless treating the cats if the house is not done thoroughly but you obviously know that.

[Hippykitty]

I've seen some youtube videos about flea bombing. It looks lethal. I'll try the sprays. I'm not sure if there's a Pets at Home near me, will have to google it. I'll have to pick up some FL combo anyway, so may as well pick up some Indorex at the same time.

I've found a really old can of Acclaim 2000. The date of manufacture is printed on the bottom as: 16. 07. 98. I can't find an expiry date.  It contains 0.09w/w S methoprene and 0.58 w/w permethrin. This was sold to me by my vet when Samantha developed a flea allergy (she's over the bridge now).
There seems to be over half a can left; I'll try some on the fluffy bolster and see if it has an effect. The cats aren't around so they should be safe. I'll follow the instructions.
Not sure if it'll work after all this time, but it's worth a try.

Thank you so much for your advice and support, my plan of action is clearer in my head now. If Rebekah, my cat friend, is too busy to help with Lucy and her boys, I'll have to get out the feral trap and take them one by one in a taxi.

I'm having a delivery of lavender oil on monday with my normal supermarket cat food delivery (I order on line). If I don't need it as a deterrent, I can put a few drops in the bath.

[CatGirl]

I remember getting a flea bomb for a friend as she was getting really badly bitten,it did the trick! and i'm sure she won't allow her cat's flea treatment to lapse again.

[sheilarose]

Just checked, Pets at Home have Staykil Plus which contains the same kind of protection as Indorex. They're open today if there's one near you?

[sheilarose]

Oh you poor thing. I remember my bad outbreak in '89. The carpet was alive and my cats were frightened to come into the house.

VetUK and Animed are really fast delivery, usually 24 hours. You'll get your frontline from them too, although I've had much better results from Advantage this year and the application from the little tubes is actually easier than frontline's little funnels, I think.

Bob Martin flea spray available from Tescos/Asda too if you're desperate today, but I can't recommend it as I've never used it.

[Hippykitty]

Thanks. I'll get some Indorex. I hope they deliver quickly! It may be faster, though more expensive, to pop to the vet for some (without cats). I can them pick up the Frontline Combo for Fred and Vic. I can't wait until I can round up the other four for their program injections and doses of normal Frontline to kill existing fleas.

This is a worse outbreak than the one in 95, before the advent of sophisticated treatments. Then I was using sprays which had to be repeated every 3 days. It was that or powder!

As I'm typing this, fleas are hoping around on the keyboard and nibbling my arms. My scalp has begun to itch, so I think the things are in my hair! Hair dye often gets rid of dandruff, maybe it'll kill fleas too; I've got some grey which needs covering.

Meantime, I'll put the lavender on myself. The cats aren't around much, so I don't think there's much likelihood they'll be affected by it.

I've also got "flea traps" in my bedroom: shallow dishes filled with water and a little washing up liquid. I emptied one not long ago and there were masses of dead fleas in there. Got the idea from youtube.

The fleas seem to be hanging round a fluffy pink bolster which I never use, I'll throw this out and hope the neighbours don't think I'm disposing of a body!

My arms are really beginning to hurt. Sometimes I feel like bringing one of my cats into the house to give me a break from being the host to all these fleas. I did some googling and found out that female fleas feeding on humans can lay viable eggs provided they bite the human 12 consecutive hours. I think that means a nibble an hour. Ouch!
 

[sheilarose]

HK, you need to spray the house even if you can't vacuum. I had flea outbreaks and although the cats were treated with Frontline the fleas just kept coming.

The Indorex kills fleas and larvae on contact. The pupae only hatch when there's bodies around to feast on and they rely on vibrations to tell them when that moment arrives, so hoovering only actually provides the vibration to get them out of their protected shell. If you want the same effect, just go round with a broom and brush the carpets and skirtings once a day to get the same effect, thjen the indorex will kill the emerging larvae too.

Remember, one spray lasts an entire year, so is very easy and great value (plus its on offer at VetUK this week). You might want to change your frontline for another type of topical treatment, as I've found Frontline less effective this year for some reason, so have switched to Advantage which is working very well indeed (also from VetUK or Animed suppliers).

As for Lavender Oil, I've read that most plant oils are potentially poisonous to cats if applied directly to their skin or ingested, including some that you wouldn't think. I was looking for some natural oils to de-scab Chubby's skin when he first arrived and the numbers of bad oils far outnumber the good ones.
It should be OK applied to your skin, though so long as you wash it off your hands before handling the cats and they don't try to lick it off you. Several articles suggest it's a good repellent without being an insecticide, also you would still be attractive to bees! 

Here's one site I find quite sensible. http://www.ehow.com/info_10037222_lavender-poisonous-cats.html

[jezebel]

I don't think lavender oil is toxic to cats but they hate it. I put some on my hand once (I had a minor burn - it's very good for that!) and poor Drum took one sniff and screwed her face up and shook her head.

[CatGirl]

I also don't know the answer,couldn't you Google it?

[Tiggy's Mum]

I've no idea about lavender oil I'm afraid but if it's as bad as you say I would get a cheapy hoover (or maybe one off freecycle) and spray with something like Indorex. Hope you can get it under control

[Hippykitty]

My cats are spending most of their time outside during the warmer weather. This means that the fleas have reverted to a human host: me! I sometimes have five fleas on my arms at the same time, and I'm starting to ignore the little vampires! 

I have 6 cats, four of whom are unhandleable so will be given Program injections and ordinary Frontline next week when a cat-friend is back from holiday and can help me round them up. The other 2 will have Frontline Combo. I probably won't spray the house because my vacuum has broken and I can't afford a new Dyson (recently had to pay for a new flat roof). Eventually, the cats' treatments will eliminate the household fleas by breaking the life cycle, till then I'm being bitten something rotten. 

I looked into chemical repellents for humans, but most contain Pyrethrins which I don't fancy spraying onto my skin. I then googled essential oils which repelled fleas and the safest one seemed to be lavender oil.

I intend to put this (in a carrier oil) on my body to deter the vampires from nibbling at me.   Does it work? As far as I'm aware it's not toxic to cats if they get some on them by brushing passed me at meal times, and it's not one of the no no oils for epileptics (which I am).

Have you used it? Does it work? And will it really be okay for the cats?