Are These Ingredients Found In Most Natural Flea Options Toxic to Cats?

I could use some help! Looking for suggestions for flea treatment and prevention for CATS. 😺 I'm feeling overwhelmed by the choices. I'm seeing a lot of confusing info as to whether certain ingredients are safe to use for cats or not (garlic, cinnamon, peppermint, neem, essential oils (cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, citronella, rosemary, clove, geranium, etc.), SLS, etc.) and am finding them in a LOT of the natural flea products. Please share below your stories of what med or natural products you love using with your cat that are safe and effective as well as any advice/resources for researching ingredients. I want to make sure my kitties are safe! Thanks SO MUCH!!! 😍

Hello!   This is a veterinary site and as such we only recommend using products that have been proven to prevent fleas in scientific trials.  My understanding is that none of these trials have shown garlic, cinnamon, peppermint or essential oils, to be particularly effective in treating flea outbreaks in a domestic setting.  Some of these products are allergens and can thereby cause itching themselves and others, including garlic and various essential oils, can be toxic to cats if ingested and therefore should not be given to them unless your vet has agreed to take responsibility for this. I have genuinely never seen a home treatment for fleas, or been told of one by an owner, that has reliably worked on checking the pet.  I also have reservations about the assumption that 'natural' is better, the problem being that 'natural' has no fixed or legal meaning.  There are many naturally-occurring poisons to cats, for example.  Further, a lot of the 'natural' products I have seen have been treated, purified, labelled or bottled, contain ingredients that would not naturally ever make it near a cat, thus it's hard to see what is so 'natural' about them.  As an individual vet, I have a lot of respect for many traditional treatments and remedies that I have seen to be effective, including acupuncture and some herbal treatments.  However, the way that we live and the way our pets live (that is to say, in centrally heated houses and with close contact to other animals), is unnatural enough to encourage fleas to breed exceptionally well and the most effective flea treatments that I have seen so far come in bottles, having undergone large trials to ensure that they are safe. If on the other hand, you do find something you consider to be natural and do manage to keep your cats free of fleas for over a year, we would be very keen to hear about it.  Best of luck.