Natural Flea Collars

Natural flea collars are effective for cats.

Natural flea collars are an effective and usually low-cost way to protect your cat. Using natural collars is a good alternative to most commercial products, which contain chemicals that harm your cat, as well as the environment. Unfortunately, if your cat is heavily infested with fleas, you may need to use a chemical-based flea killer to get the problem under control. After the initial extermination, you should be able to use natural products to keep the fleas at bay.

Essential Oil Collars

Rosemary or rose geranium essential oil are good detterents.

Several natural flea collars rely on essential oils to deter fleas. The collar and oil come in a ready to use pack. The oil is placed on the cloth or nylon collar on your pet and reapplied once a week to keep the scent fresh. Some of the more effective oils are cedarwood, rosemary and rosemary geranium.

Plastic Collars

Natural oils release over time

Plastic collars can also be used for essential oil distribution. Instead of putting the oil directly on the collar, there are small oil beads embedded in the plastic that are released over time. These collars last about six months and usually have a milder smell than cloth ones.

Make Your Own Collar

Refrigerate oils after opening.

Making a natural flea collar can be a cost effective way of keeping fleas away from your pet. You can buy nylon or cloth collars and essential oils at most discount stores or over the Internet. The collar can last one or more years and the oil will stay fresh for nine to 12 months as long as you keep it refrigerated once it is opened.

Benefits

Economical and earth friendly.

The benefits to using natural products are numerous. Not only do they keep your pet smelling nice, they do no harm to the environment. Natural oils deter fleas, and also ticks. Economically and environmentally friendly, natural flea products are a sound choice.

Warnings

Use precautions when storing essential oils.

Do not use citrus, citronella, tea tree or pennyroyal oils because they can have adverse reactions on your pet. Keep essential oils away from children as they are poisonous if consumed. Do not store your oils in plastic containers. Plastic will change the chemistry of the oil and it will not be effective. Keep oils out of direct sunlight and heat. If you do not wish to refrigerate the oils, keep them in a cool, dark place, such as a drawer or cabinet.

References

• natural flea collar
• natural oil collars
• shelf life of oil