Other Pet Products

Herbal Pet-Bedding Sachets

Whether your furry friend sleeps in a blanket-filled crate or box; in a carpet-covered cat condo; or on a fleece-covered beanbag or soft pillow, tucking small bags or sachets of herbal blends in and around bedding materials is an effective way to safely deter irritating pests while keeping your pet and its sleeping area smelling fresh. Pets often have several sleeping or napping areas, so place two or more sachets in every location.

Note: Immediately after making the sachets, the essential oil fragrance (if you’ve added it) will be at its most potent, but it will mellow dramatically within 24 hours as it is absorbed by the herbs, so don’t worry about overwhelming your dog with a lingering aroma. Cats are often quite sensitive to both the pungency and naturally occuring chemicals in essential oils, so when making sachets for feline friends, omit the essential oil.

General instructions: To make the sachets, you’ll need six 4- by 6-inch drawstring muslin bags or large “seal and brew” tea bags, a large bowl, and a mixing spoon.

Combine the herbs in the bowl, then add the essential oil (for dogs only), and stir again. Spoon approximately 1 cup of the mix into each bag. Label and date the bags using a permanent marker. Store leftover mixture at room temperature in an airtight container away from heat and light, and use within 1 year.

To use the sachets, place two or more bags in your pet’s bedding area (the larger the pet, the more bags). Squeeze the bags every couple of days or so to release more scent. Recharge the bags by adding one drop of essential oil once per week, if desired. Replace the herbs every 2 months or so, or make new bags.

Fresh Eucalyptus

  • 2 cups dried eucalyptus leaves
  • 1 cup dried basil leaves
  • 1 cup dried tansy leaves and flowers
  • 1 cup dried pennyroyal leaves
  • 1 cup dried peppermint leaves
  • 15 drops eucalyptus essential oil (omit for cats)

Citrus-Lavender Spice

  • 2 cups dried lavender buds
  • 1 cup dried cedar shavings
  • 1 cup dried orange peel
  • 1 cup dried lemon peel
  • 1 cup dried cinnamon chips
  • 15 drops cedarwood essential oil (omit for cats)

Catnip Fair

  • 2 cups dried catnip leaves and flowers
  • 2 cups dried sage leaves
  • 1 cup dried rosemary leaves
  • 1 cup dried thyme leaves
  • 15 drops rosemary essential oil (omit for cats)

Penny’s Royal Blend

  • 2 cups dried pennyroyal leaves
  • 2 cups dried wormwood leaves
  • 1 cup dried thyme leaves
  • 1 cup dried tansy leaves and flowers
  • 15 drops thyme essential oil, linalool or thymol chemotype (omit for cats)

Catnip Royale

  • 2 cups dried catnip leaves and flowers
  • 2 cups dried pennyroyal leaves
  • 2 cups dried lavender buds
  • 10 drops peppermint essential oil (omit if making sachets)
  • 10 drops lavender essential oil (omit if making sachets)

These blends can also be used to repel pests in kitchen and bathroom cabinets, clothing drawers, armoires, and closets. Feel free to double the essential oil amount so that the sachets have extra potency!

A Healthier Host Means Fewer Parasites

I can’t say enough about the importance of feeding your pet a nutrient-rich diet. That means low or no-grain kibble; real, antibiotic- and hormone-free meat, poultry, or fish; plus essential fats, some veggies, and other healthy foods, such as supplements of garlic, ground pumpkin seeds, and a bit of brewer’s yeast. A pet with a super-strong immune system typically has a bloodstream that is less attractive to fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites, whereas a pet that consumes an unhealthy diet might have a compromised immune system. Check with your veterinarian before radically changing your pet's diet.

Geranium Tick-Repellent Spray for Dogs

Several years ago while doing some research on bug-repelling essential oils, I discovered that one of my favorite oils, geranium, was recommended for using on dogs in order to keep ticks at bay. I formulated a simple water-based spray that I used to spritz on my 85-pound Irish setter before we went for our walks. It worked wonderfully well and it made his coat smell fresh, green, and slightly rosy, too! Use this spray on adult dogs over 25 pounds.

  • 1 scant cup of purified water
  • 1 tablespoon of plain vodka
  • 6 drops of geranium essential oil
  • 8-ounce plastic or glass spritzer bottle

  1. 1. Combine the water, vodka, and essential oil in the spritzer bottle.
  2. 2. Cap the bottle, then shake vigorously. Shake prior to each use to recombine.

Application: Apply one spritz to your dog’s hindquarters (base of tail or back of legs), one spritz along the back, and one spritz to the belly. Spritz twice onto the palm of your hand, then massage a bit onto each paw. That’s it! Do not spray into your pet’s face or over its entire body. Use once or twice daily and only as instructed. Store the bottle in a dark, cool place for up to 1 year.

Herbal Aura Flea Collars

Chemical-infused plastic flea and tick collars aren’t a great option: they don’t work very well, their poisons often irritate the skin beneath the collar, and vapors irritate the animal’s delicate mucous membranes and respiratory tract. You also don’t want children in contact with chemical pet collars. These essential oil–infused cloth collars, on the other hand, provide a gentle pest-repelling “halo” around your pet, pose no threat with irritating toxins, and leave their fur smelling fresh and herby. They are easy to make, completely safe as long as your pet can’t lick them, and can be recharged weekly.

While an herbal collar won’t give total protection against fleas and ticks, it can be a part of your arsenal against these parasites. These collars are for small adult dogs and cats under 25 pounds but are not recommended for medium-to-large animals, as the herbal aroma from the collar will not encompass or surround their bodies and reach the extremities, which is true also of chemical collars. Fleas may avoid the neck and head area only to gather elsewhere on the body.

General Instructions: Soft, nylon web or cotton tape collars can be found in pet supply stores and many large grocery stores. If you’re feeling crafty, fashion a collar from a length of 1⁄2- or 3⁄8-inch wide webbing or tape and a buckle — both can be found at craft or fabric stores.

To make one collar, follow these instructions, using the ingredients listed for the particular blend. Because cats are quite sensitive to the naturally occuring chemical components in essential oils and intense aromas, I use fewer drops in their formulas, and I choose oils that are less pungent, though still effective. The garlic odor in the Savory blend may linger for a while but will fade.

  1. 1. Add the vodka and essential oils to a very small bowl, and stir to blend. Lay the collar flat on a baking sheet, and pour the mixture directly over the length of collar until fully absorbed. Air-dry until at least semidry.
  2. 2. Collars are meant to be used as soon as they have dried enough to be comfortable; do not store them. Recharge the collar weekly by soaking it in fresh formula.

Cautions: Do not use on cats or dogs under the age of 1 year, and never apply the essential oil blend directly to any pet’s fur.

Cat Collar #1: Rosy Floral

  • 1 teaspoon unflavored vodka
  • 1 drop geranium essential oil

Cat Collar #2: Mild Cedar

  • 1 teaspoon unflavored vodka
  • 1 drop cedarwood essential oil

Dog Collar #1: Savory Herb

  • 1 teaspoon unflavored vodka
  • 1 drop rosemary essential oil
  • 1 drop thyme essential oil
  • garlic oil from 1 small capsule

Dog Collar #2: Cedarwood-Lemongrass

  • 1 teaspoon unflavored vodka
  • 1 drop eucalyptus essential oil
  • 1 drop cedarwood essential oil
  • 1 drop lemongrass essential oil

Sage, Rosemary, and Basil

Powdered rosemary is particularly effective against ticks, while sage makes fleas hop elsewhere. Infused basil tea used as a spray creates an effective tick-repelling herbal haze around your pet.

Herbal Powders Grind

1⁄2 to 1 cup of dried, whole sage and/or rosemary leaves in a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor. To use, massage the powder into the fur, all the way down to the skin. Most pets will shake off a good bit, so apply it outdoors, but enough should remain to be effective. Store powder in an airtight container by the door where you can apply it before every outing.

Notes: Powdered sage is readily available at most grocery stores, and both herbs can be found in powdered form online. Use this technique to make almost any herbal powder, including lavender, neem leaf, and lemongrass.

Basil Infusion Spray

Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of dried basil or 4 heaping tablespoons of fresh, finely chopped basil leaves. Cover, and steep for 2 hours. Strain the liquid, then pour into a 16-ounce plastic spray bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

To use, spray your pet’s entire body before every outing; the effect lasts several hours. If your pet spends most of its time outdoors, reapply several times per day in the height of tick season.

Flea- & Tick-Control Powders

These mildly aromatic recipes combine insecticidal herbs and essential oils with food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) and bentonite clay (BC), two mineral-rich substances that deliver a double-pronged deathblow to fleas and unattached ticks. They are powerful desiccants, due to the abrasive action of the silica on the parasite’s exoskeleton, and they also clog the insect’s breathing channels, leading to death within 24 to 72 hours.

These powders work remarkably well when applied regularly, once or twice per week, especially during the warmer months. No worries about your pets licking themselves, either — ingesting DE and BC will even add valuable minerals to their dietary intake, and the high silica content assists as a natural dewormer. Additionally, the powder acts as a deodorizer and dry shampoo, leaving your pet’s coat smelling fresh and clean.

General Instructions: Each of the recipes yields 2 cups of powder. You’ll need a bowl and whisk, and plastic, cardboard, metal, or glass application and storage containers. A good application container is a recycled herb or spice jar with a perforated lid.

Combine the DE and/or BC with other dry ingredients specified in a medium bowl and gently whisk to blend. Add the essential oils, scattering the drops around the powder, and whisk again to combine. Loosely spoon the mixture into the container(s), then shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Label and date the powder. Allow the powder to synergize for 24 hours prior to use. Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year.

Application: To ensure maximum effectiveness, sprinkle the powder evenly and uniformly from nose to tail, and as close to the skin as possible, massaging it in really well. Fleas and ticks will rush to any part of your pet that is dust-free, so address the entire face, ears, genitals, anus, and between the toes. When applying to the face, be extra careful not to get powder in the eyes, nose, or mouth, as it is irritating to mucous membranes. Repeat once or twice per week, as needed, to control fleas and ticks.

Caution: When treating mature pets under 5 pounds or young kittens and puppies, carefully apply very small amounts of powder to one section of the body at a time, massaging it into the skin very gently to minimize dust.

Powdering Your Pet

To prevent making a dust cloud in your home, I suggest powdering both your indoor and outdoor pets outside, keeping them controlled with a comfortable harness and leash (this includes cats). Most pets will shake off much of the powder immediately after being treated, but if you’ve massaged it close to the skin, a sufficient amount should remain to do the job.

“Shoo, Flea, Don’t Bother Me” Powder

Rosemary and cedarwood give this powder a pleasant, light, woody-green scent. Be aware that the black walnut hull powder can temporarily darken blond or white fur.

  • 1 cup food-grade diatomaceous earth
  • 1⁄2 cup bentonite clay powder
  • 1⁄4 cup rosemary leaf powder
  • 1⁄4 cup black walnut hull powder
  • 5 drops cedarwood essential oil
  • 5 drops rosemary essential oil

Bite Ban Flea & Tick Powder

Lemongrass and neem, two of nature’s best pest-repelling herbs, come together in this pleasant, earthy-lemony scented powder.

  • 11⁄2 cups food-grade diatomaceous earth
  • 1⁄4 cup lemongrass powder
  • 1⁄4 cup neem leaf powder
  • 10 drops lemongrass essential oil

Bugs-Be-Gone Powder

I tend to favor light, floral aromas in the spring and summer, which is when I apply pest-repelling powders to my indoor cats, so this delicate lavender-rose scented formula is a favorite — it makes their fur smell oh-so-nice!

  • 1 cup food-grade diatomaceous earth
  • 1⁄2 cup neem leaf powder
  • 1⁄2 cup lavender flower powder
  • 10 drops geranium essential oil

Caution: Omit essential oils in powders made for cats and for dogs under one year old.