My cat has fleas!

[Fathom Zero]

Originally Posted by Mike

I got rid of my cat's fleas with diatomaceous earth. Just make sure that your cat doesn't breathe the stuff. Breathing it is very bad because it dries out everything it touches and you don't want to get it in the lungs. It's a naturally occuring sedimentary rock powder. When it comes in contact with the fleas it sucks the liquid out of their bodies and they die of dehydration.

I learned in Zoology class that diatomaceous earth is formed from the empty bodies of fossilized diatoms and that it is mainly used as an abrasive, which is why toothpaste has that gritty feeling. I didn't know it dehydrates things, though. All of my cats never had fleas.