Natural ways to keep cats and dogs flea & tick free

If you're searching for a natural flea treatment or chemical-free flea repellent for your cat or dog, you're not alone. Fleas and ticks aren’t just a nuisance – they can cause serious irritation, allergic reactions, and in some cases, even transmit infections. And with the cost of traditional flea treatments rising – especially for households with more than one pet – many owners are turning to safer, more affordable alternatives.

In this blog, we explore natural ways to prevent fleas and ticks on pets, including grooming tips, diet support, household prevention techniques, and our own 100% natural BioPet Fleas & Ticks remedy that repels biting bugs without harsh chemicals.

Key Highlights

• Flea and tick bites can cause more than itching – they can lead to infections, allergic reactions, or even affect humans in the household.
• Most commercial flea treatments are chemical-based and can be costly for multi-pet households.
• Regular grooming and keeping bedding and living areas clean is essential for breaking the flea lifecycle.
• Essential fatty acids in your pet’s diet can help maintain healthy skin and make bites less likely, or less irritating.
• BioPet Fleas & Ticks offers a chemical-free, oral flea repellent that works by subtly changing your pet’s scent – undetectable to humans, but enough to put off ticks and fleas.
• Adding our remedy to the water bowl can dose every pet that drinks from that bowl, making this remedy cost-effective for households with multiple pets.

Whether you're looking to switch from chemical treatments or add extra layers of protection during peak flea and tick season, these natural strategies are easy to implement and gentle on your pets. Here are some practical tips to help keep your cat or dog flea- and tick-free this season:

Check for fleas & ticks regularly

Regular grooming keeps our cats and dogs looking beautiful, but it’s also a frontline defence for keeping them free from biting bugs. Run a flea comb through their fur regularly to check for any uninvited guests.

Keep living areas clean

Flea larvae like dark, narrow and dusty spaces. Once they hatch into pupae, it’s the cracks in floorboards and in between carpet fibres that they like to call home. Frequent vacuuming can help to get rid of larvae and pupae before they become fully fledged biting fleas. Regular washing of your pet’s bedding can help too.

Focus on skin health

Ensuring your pet has plenty of essential fatty acids in their diet can help with maintaining good skin condition, which in turn helps to prevent fleas from biting. Ensuring your cat or dog stays well hydrated – particularly in the summer months – can also help to keep skin supple and healthy.

Do it with diet

A daily dose of brewer’s yeast in your dog’s kibble can help to repel fleas. It may also work for cats, although they do tend to be fussier about their food.

Cover them up

Ticks tend to live in long grass where they can attach on to animals that are passing by, so keeping your pet covered gives them less to grab on to.  For larger dogs, use old socks as “leg warmers” to keep legs covered, although be aware that ticks can attach to any part of the body. Once you return from your adventures, check your pet for ticks.

Use natural repellents

Fleas are repelled by the smell of citrus. Rubbing your pet's coat with a freshly cut lemon or orange, or keeping a lemon-water solution in a squeezy bottle, can help to keep fleas at bay. Your dog might even enjoy a nice cool spritz with lemon water on a hot summer's day!

Try our 100% natural BioPet Fleas & Ticks remedy

This innovative chemical-free tick repellent is a true game-changer. Three pumps of BioPet Fleas & Ticks into the water bowl each day is all it takes to keep fleas and ticks at bay or to desensitise your pet to the effects of bites – perfect for pets with flea or tick allergies. Each 90ml bottle of remedy contains 230 doses, making it very affordable too.

So, how does an oral flea & tick repellent work?

BioPet Fleas & Ticks uses a homeopathic formulation to subtly change your cat or dog’s body odour so the fleas and ticks are no longer attracted to them. This change in odour isn’t detectable to people or other animals, but it is enough to confuse the tick into looking elsewhere for its dinner. It takes up to a week for this remedy to start taking effect.

How does dosing in the water bowl work?

The active ingredients in this remedy use hydrogen particles in the water to spread. It doesn’t matter how much or how little your pet drinks – the remedy only needs to make contact with the tongue, gums or lips to activate. Your cat or dog will get a fresh dose of remedy every time they take a drink.

What if I have more than one pet to dose?

Adding one dose of BioPet Fleas & Ticks to a water bowl can provide cover for all the cats and dogs that drink from that bowl. If your pets drink from separate bowls, then you’ll need to dose each bowl individually. You can also dose by adding this remedy to their food or onto a treat twice a day, or by pumping remedy directly into the mouth (although this method is easier for dogs than it is cats!)

Is it safe for long-term use?

Absolutely. It’s also safe to use alongside any prescription medications from your vet, and for pets that are pregnant or lactating.

Is it expensive?

Each 90ml pump bottle of BioPet Fleas & Ticks contains 230 doses – so enough to last all summer. Prices will vary depending on the currency you use, so the best idea is to select your preferred currency and size to get an accurate cost.

Can it be used on other animals?

BioPet Fleas & Ticks is formulated especially for small animals such as cats and dogs, and is also suitable for rabbits, guinea pigs, and pet rats and mice. Larger animals require a stronger formulation, which is why we make Ticks Plus - Equine for horses, Ticks Plus – Livestock for farm animals and our very popular Mozzies Plus for humans (here’s our FAQs on how this product works for people).

Read more

• More tips and remedies for summer pet health
• Learn about our summer remedies for people, including our Sol Plus - People for natural sun management support.
• Find out more about Mozzies Plus for People.