We're smack in the middle of summer, and the flea situation on our property has been rough this year. No real winter meant no real die-off, and the fleas have come out in full force.

This is our first year having cats along with our dogs, and the difference has been eye-opening. Fleas aren't much of an issue for the dogs — their coats are short and tight. The cats are a different story. They're outside during the day, in the woods, up close and personal with moles, voles, mice, shrews, birds, and chipmunks. Plenty of opportunity to pick up fleas along the way.

So what am I doing about it? I comb the cats every day, about ten minutes, before they come inside. Preferably, this is once a day at dinner time. Regardless, there's no coming in without a comb-out. I keep a station set up on the side porch — a towel, a comb, and a container of soapy water where all the hair goes. So far, this has kept fleas mostly out of the house and kept infestations off the pets.

What Got Me Thinking

A good friend was telling me about all the fleas on her cat — how she has to vacuum constantly and comb her cat multiple times a week. I asked if she was doing anything else to help with the flea population. Her answer: "Oh, I poison her."

So the cat is on a neuro-toxin and still has a flea problem. When I asked why she kept using it, she said, "Because it would be much worse if I didn't." Maybe. But the cat's on kibble only, and low-quality kibble at that. That's a piece of the puzzle that isn't being addressed.

Another friend recently had to take her cat to the vet for tapeworm, picked up from eating fleas. She's also on a neuro-toxin preventative and still brushing a couple times a week to manage the fleas. I asked the same question: if you're still dealing with fleas and still having to comb and brush, why keep giving the preventative?

The Point Isn't the Preventative

II'm not here to judge anyone for using a flea preventative. There's a time and place for it, and if you've read my other post on non-toxic flea and tick remedies, you know I've used them myself in the past.

What I want to get across is this: it's okay to make an informed choice about how you handle fleas on your property and your pets. Preventative, natural remedies, some combination — any of it can be the right call for your situation.

The part worth sitting with is the re-evaluation. It's easy to start a preventative, see it as "handled," and stop paying attention to whether it's actually doing the job. Both of my friends were still combing, still vacuuming, still dealing with fleas — and still giving a product with real toxicity risk on top of all that. If a preventative isn't preventing anything, it's worth asking what you're actually getting out of it.

Yes, combing a cat every time she wants to come in is a hassle.

Yes, a preventative can feel easier. But easier only matters if it's actually working.

So — check in with your current approach every so often. Is it doing what you think it's doing?

I'd love to hear what you're doing to keep fleas to a minimum this summer.

Simply send me a note at info@gracieandfriends.com