Kill fleas naturally

Hi. I am trying to find a way to kill the fleas in my house and on my cats without the use of harmful chemicals. I have heard that salt can be used around your house to kill fleas in the carpet, etc. but I was wondering if it would be harmful to my cats to rub salt into their fur in order to dehydrate the fleas that are on them? Can someone please help??!?!?

There are a lot of "naturalists" online nowadays that provide really bad advice and get people into thinking that "chemicals" are bad, when in fact some so-called natural remedies I've heard are at times far more toxic. Natural oils for example may sound good on paper, but are extremely toxic, far more than a chemical treatment specifically targeted to affect insects. Salts rubbed onto a cat I can only imagine would not only dry out the coat and skin, but can't be good to ingest when the cat naturally grooms itself. Some use diatomaceous earth, and completely ignore the warnings about inhaling the harmful dust.

Wash, vacuum, and/or even steam clean around the house and bathing or using a flea comb are non-chemical treatment methods, but there is no good reason IMO to avoid properly formulated flea treatments for cats like Advantage unless the kitten is just too tiny.

There is a reason why we have "chemicals" that we use to kill fleas. It's because nothing else is effective. If it was we'd all be using it. Not even the shampoos that kill off adult fleas are very effective because they just come right back once the eggs and larva turns into adults. Because of how harmful fleas can be the safest and best thing for your cat is to use an effective product and get it over with. If you use Frontline or Advantage it doesn't actually make into your cat's body anyway. It stays in the oil glands right under the skin and kills fleas on contact. Revolution is absorbed into the blood stream though.

When it comes to treating your home I personally don't think it's necessary unless you have a bad infestation, if you are using Frontline or Advantage. Since these products work long term you break the life cycle and the fleas die out on their own. I would just recommend a thorough cleaning, vacuuming, including furniture, and washing, in hot water, of whatever can be washed like bedding. That has been sufficient for me. Unless it's mild I'd use the product for at least two-three months to make sure no little suckers are still alive somewhere in the form of larva or pupa.

Remember that most other treatments, including the natural ones, only kill the adult fleas which is useless for dealing with a flea infestation. And if you use something that is not effective the problem will continue to get worse in your home and your cat will be at risk for diseases, tapeworm and anemia.
Natural stuff is great but only if they work.

I agree with what has been said. Treat the cats with a flea product from the vet's office, not Wal Mart. Then vacuum your house every day.