I have been dealing with a sick cat lately. She had to be on antibiotics for over 2 months and I did not want to put the flea and tick treatment on her while she was sick because it always makes her feel bad and not want to eat for 2 or 3 days. A friend of mine recommended using lavender essential oil.
I can't use lavender. My step daughter is allergic to it. It causes her to break out in hives so I went on a search for an alternative. The first one I found was Eucalyptus oil. I bought a bottle at a health food store for a cheap 6 bucks. My friend says she uses a drop of oil every two weeks, but she also lives in a subdivision in the North. I live deep in the country surrounded by forests and mountains in the South where mosquitoes get large enough to carry off small children. I decided to apply it every other day.
It worked, and very well. So well that I also
use it on my 150 pound English Mastiff. I put a line of it down his spine instead of a drop between his shoulder blades. He doesn't seem to mind it too bad.
I soon learned that Eucalyptus irritates a cats skin. It seemed tolerable. They would scratch at the spot for a few minutes after application and then go on as if nothing had happened. I recently picked up a bottle of Balsam Fir oil. It cost me 9 dollars for a small bottle so I'n using it strictly on the cats. A single drop on the neck of three cats every few days is a very small amount and the single bottle will probably last me a year (making it a lot cheaper than anything else I've used). I continue to use the Eucalyptus oil on my Mastiff with great success as well. I haven't seen a flea or a tick one on any of my animals and unlike previous years its not costing me a small fortune. It also makes them smell nice.
