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From: ericksen@unc.UUCP (James P. Ericksen)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: LifeTime flea Collor
Message-ID: <53@unc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 20-Apr-85 12:57:57 EST
Article-I.D.: unc.53
Posted: Sat Apr 20 12:57:57 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Apr-85 00:11:49 EST
References: <4804@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lines: 25

I don't know what kind of oils are in the flea collar recharger, but
there is a product on the market that uses a citrus oil derivative 
that is VERY TOXIC TO CATS!  There was a warning posted at my
veterinarian's--I don't remember the name of the flea preparation,
but it's marketed through various health food chains and possibly
by mail order.  If you want to use a "natural" preparation on a
cat, find out the specific ingredients and check with at least one
knowledgeable vet before purchasing the product.  There have been
a number of instances of toxicity from supposedly "safe" natural
preparations which have resulted in several deaths.  Dogs, of course
are not nearly as sensitive to substances as cats are; I assume that
these products are probably safe for use on dogs.  (I would hope that
they're safe for some kind of animal, anyway!)  Best bet, check with
the vet to be sure.  I have a friend who uses eucalyptus on her dogs,
and she swears it works.  However, eucalyptus is extremely aromatic,
and if you don't like the smell it will drive you crazy.  I think
she uses pure eucalyptus extract or oil from the health food store.
Again, I wouldn't try eucalyptus on a cat without the vet's okay,
and I suspect they might not like the smell anyway.

Signed,

The Seekers of the Ultimate Flea Problem Solution
(We have the ultimate flea problem!)
Helen & Jim