I had dusted the kennel with DE early this spring. But, gave it up since there wasn't any signs of fleas until last week. I ended up treating my cats with pesticide (Advantage II) and dusted my entire house with DE. It didn't seem like the Advantage was working or they were getting re-infested when they went outside. I have been dusting the kennel with DE again however, it keeps raining!

I banished them from going outside to keep the bugs off them and to prevent a house infestation. That resulted in a behavioral problem and my one cat has started peeing in my house. The kennel is such an enrichment to their lives, I'd rather them use the kennel than address the behavioral issue. They spend hours out there and I hated to take that away from them. So, it's fleas or pee right now :(.

I'm looking for something I can put down in their kennel that is safe for them or a chemical if I have to. I was thinking of something like cedar chips but believe cedar is toxic for cats. It's a 40 foot kennel, most is sand and part is lawn. Does anyone have any suggestions they can toss out for me? I can keep using the DE but it's not helping if I have to constantly re-apply. (Plus part of there kennel is under my deck so there's only a 3 foot crawl space for me - not easy).

Thanks in advance.

My one cat loves getting combed so I can get her thoroughly and the other I'm only able to get a few pass-throughs. I've got DE nestled into my carpets right now in case of emerging eggs. I haven't noticed any in the house and have been doing the vacuum-a-million-times ordeal.

Yes, I have wild animals around here. I had a woodchuck living under my front deck (cats are in the back). I haven't seen him in the last couple of weeks. I bought a trap to catch him but got distracted catching the stray cat and then the woodchuck disappeared. We also had an infestation of moles in the early part of the season (which was what lead me to get the DE to begin with). They've all been exterminated early season by the cats as far as I can tell. Wouldn't these still be dropping fleas in the kennel, though?

What is Virbac Yard Spray?
Virbac Yard Spray is a convenient method for killing fleas and ticks in your yard. Simply attach the included sprayer to the end of a garden hose and you can cover up to 6,000 square feet. Virbac Yard Spray helps prevent re-infestations on your dog or cat when used with preventatives, such as Frontline Plus, and a home remedy, such as the Virbac Knockout Fogger (both sold separately.)
For: Yard pest infestations
Benefits:
*Kills fleas and ticks that infest your yard, and then your pet
* Eliminates deer ticks and other ticks that carry and transmit Lyme disease
* Safer than similar products
* Will not harm grass or foliage

How it works:
Esfenvalerate is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide that kills a wide range of pests, including fleas and ticks. Its safer than many other formulations. That said, be sure not to apply directly to your pets or in ponds, as it is highly toxic with fish.

No, I haven't tried the Frontline Spray yet. It seems like the Advantage II has started taking effect. I was looking for something I could put down in my outside area that won't harm my pets. I checked on a cat breeder forum since they often have kennels but not getting any suggestions (other than skin-so-soft).

I've been trying to catch the woodchuck but she's not going after the bait.

Right after I vacuumed I applied it to my carpeting. Warning, it's pretty dusty. I sprinkled it on and then rubbed it down into the carpet with a stick I had and just let it sit. This way, if any eggs dropped then when they emerge they'll get cut. If you rub it in your house doesn't look a wreck. I also put some right onto my cats and they didn't even notice. Someone on another thread said it dried her dogs skin out so that's something to keep in mind. I've checked my pets and they looked okay.