Diatonaceous Earth

My cat Syd has a couple fleas this week as he has been going outside for an hour or so since it has gotten cooler.  I have the high bid on some Frontline on eBay right now.  Still it will be at least two more days till the auction ends and economy shipping just might hold it up for a few more days.  I was talking to my friend Deb last night on the phone and she recommended Diatonaceous Earth as an alternative to Frontline which is poison.  Syd hides after I administer Frontline, so I know it is not completely harmless in spite of what is on the label.  How could something be safe for cats, but not to be handled by humans?  So this morning I looked up Diatonaceous Earth and found that it kills bugs by getting in between their exoskeletons and cutting them up rather than poisoning them.  It is a mineral that is fossilized algae.  It works on cockroaches, fleas, bed bugs, and slugs.  So it definitely seems like a great alternative to poison.  I am gonna try it and it it works as well as Wikipedia says it does, then all the cats in Stubby's Cat Colony will get a dose.  Here is a link to this book on the subject.