Two brothers, one has sharp bug bites

My cats are brothers. I took one to animal control {cost sake} then went back

& got him to bring him home. They didn't take good care of cats there - fleas

all over the cats...

Now when I hold him I feel like something is biting me sharply. Its' onmy

arms & neck & I'm sure he's very uncomfortable. He has more

problems with fleas & itching than the kitty I kept home.

I can't afford the best cat food but do give trace minerals, use real small

amounts of diatomaceous earth {food grade of course recommended by

an animal farm who uses it to keep down flies, fleas, odors, &

kills intestine worms}.

I'm trying to find out what can possibly help my cat. I don't  have money

for the vet.

Any natural shampoo or what -

Thank you, Mary

P.S. We live in central Fl - flea country!

Whatever you do, do not buy flea and tick powder without researching which ones are safe.  Harts and Sargent have toxic ingredients.

I do not have experience with fleas, so cannot advise.  I hope someone who does will respond to you quickly.

Thank you for going back and getting him from animal control!
 

To get rid of fleas naturally requires bathing and flea combing the cat like 2-3 times a week and vacuuming the house every other day. Put a cut up flea collar in the vacuum. Use a pet specific shampoo.

Flea comb daily.

Wash everything especially whatever the cats like to lie on the most.

Rub the food grade diatomaceous earth(DE) into the cats fur.

Sprinkle the DE around the corners/floorboards.

Treat outside your house (beneficial nematodes & DE) for fleas.

Steam clean carpets (little soap, hot water, some vinegar).

How long you have to keep this up depends on the size of your house and the severity of the infestation.

Other possible things to try: spritzing cats' fur with diluted vinegar, feeding brewer's yeast, planting flea repellant plants in yard (herbs esp in the mint family, catnip, sage, rosemary, lavender).

You have to treat all pets by the way... not just the one cat.

i live in Tennessee so i know what you mean by "Flea country"  LOL. our kitties get bathed in warm water with dawn original dish soap . soap them up good . wait a couple minutes then rinse really well . once you think all the soap is off use a vinegar rinse made with a gallon of warm water and about a quarter cup of vinegar. shake it to mix it well because straight vinegar is very drying.  the final rinse done simply towel off and comb the cat don't rinse again. fleas HATE the taste and smell of vinegar and this helps repel them.  also comb the cats with a flea comb every day. if you see the cat is having dry skin due to the vinegar rinse it is OK to use a good quality conditioner. i use a olive oil conditioner on mine. smells good and also moisturizes the coat and skin. [ cleaning tip]  you can also use the vinegar rinse in a spray bottle to spray all the furniture/ bedding after steam cleaning to repel the little ankle biters. makes a good glass cleaner too if you add a drop or two of dish soap!!  hope this helps you.

Hey there -- I don't know what part of central FL you live in, but I can direct you to an excellent vet in central Orlando.

Have you checked out CareCredit? http://www.carecredit.com/

Oh thanks so much, the posts really have helped me go in another direction.I don't qualify for the Care cc.Thank you, Mary