How To Treat Your Home For Fleas
Hoovering helps you should regularly vacuum your floors, your furniture, and your skirting boards to eliminate fleas at every stage of their life-cycle. Dispose of your vacuum cleaners dust bag when youre done. Your vet will be able to recommend flea treatments for your home as well as your cats. This will usually be in the form of a sort of spray to apply to the various parts of your home where fleas might lurk. This kind of flea treatment can be mildly toxic for cats. To prevent illness, treat your house one room at a time. After treatment, open the windows, close the door, and make sure your cat cant enter for at least an hour.
Make a point of regularly washing your bedding, as well as any surfaces your cat sleeps on. Keep on top of things and your flea problem should never spiral out of hand. Talk to your vet about how often you should treat your cat, and make treating your home part of your regular cleaning routine. If you’ve got any questions about flea treatment for cats, or about any other aspect of cat ownership, feel free to get in touch. Call our 24hr hotline on .
Signs Of Fleas On Cats
Early detection of fleas is critical to avoid a total cat-flea-tastrophe. But dont worry! Spotting the signs of fleas is relatively easy as long as youre an attentive cat parent.
Of course, the most obvious sign of fleas is live fleas and flea eggs on cats, but they are often hard to spot. Instead, look for some of these signs and symptoms of fleas and flea bites on cats.:
Removal Of Fleas Outdoors
To deal with a flea problem, you must not only know how to get rid of fleas on cats.
You must also know how to keep them away from your yard. Fleas hide in the lawn, and the following tips will help you to control them:
1. Mow your lawn properly. – Mowing your lawn to a proper height can contribute to reducing the places where the fleas hang out.
Fleas hide in the longer grass. However, you shouldn’t mow your grass too short. This would discourage spiders and ants from staying in the lawn. They are two major flea predators.
2. Avoid overwatering. – Fleas prefer a moist environment. If you overwater your lawn or have a poorly draining garden, it can attract fleas.
If you have a drainage problem, aerating may help. For moist, shady areas on your property, the following tips can help with the problem.
3. Keep your property clean. – Neatness can assist in eliminate habitats for fleas to hide and lay eggs. You need to remove any yard debris, such as piles of wood, bricks, and stones.
Remove any discarded pots and other garden items. At the end of the growing season, make an effort to clean up the garden, yard, and any storage areas under a deck or in a crawl space.
4. Check places that your pets hang out. – Flea larvae will remain within 50 feet of your pet’s preferred resting locations.
Clean around any cool, shady spots that your pet likes, such as spaces under decks and porches.
Some animals look for trash. Skunks may come onto the property to look for grubs.
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Treatment Options For Fleas On Cats
There are countless options available to treat fleas on cats. Your veterinarian will be able to help you choose strategies and products that work. In general, you want to treat both the adult fleas, which would be on the cat, and the eggs and larvae that are no longer on the cat, but in the environment.
Possible options for treating fleas in cats can include:
In addition to medication treatment, flea baths are effective at removing adult fleas for a short time and aiding flea removal that is currently present. Flea combing daily will also help to remove adult fleas by cutting down the current population already living on your cat. Both options assist with removing fleas, while the medications work to kick in and rid the cat of fleas completely.
The big wildcard is the environment. As your cat move around, the flea eggs are falling off the cat and into the environment. Since fleas can lay up to 40 eggs per day, eggs are raining down all over your house.
To prevent re-infestation, a good cleaning of the home is critical. This includes:
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Vacuuming every spot your cat goes throughout the house a few times a week.
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Focusing on the cracks between the hardwood floor and the crevices around the cupboards.
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Machine launder the cats bedding as the water cycle will help drown the adult fleas and the dryer will dehydrate the eggs and larvae.
How Do Cats Get Fleas
Cats can pick up fleas at kennels, groomers, or outside. “Typically if your cat’s an indoor cat, they’re not going to get fleas,” Dr. de Jong says. “It’s the cat that goes in and out of the house.”
There are many different species of fleas, but cat fleas are you guessed it the most common culprits, according to Purdue Extension Entomology. These pests can jump up about 12 inches high onto an unlucky host, feed, and then lay eggs in the fur. These eggs will also fall off the pet onto the carpet, furniture, or wherever your cat likes to hang out. The eggs then transform into larvae, then pupae, then adults, starting the cycle all over again.
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Cat fleas will bite humans too. “Fleas are parasites they’re looking for blood to suck,” says Dr. de Jong. “If they don’t find enough cat hosts, they’ll suck on the owner’s ankles and feet.”
However, the advent of effective flea and tick preventative products has made these infestations much rarer than they used to be. If you’re already using one and think your cat may have fleas, talk to your vet about what and how you’re applying.
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What You Should Never Do To Get Rid Of Your Cats Fleas
Here are some things you should be aware of:
- Never use an insecticide spray on your cat if he or she has eaten or drunk anything toxic.
- Never use an insecticide spray on your cat if he or she has an allergy to the active ingredient.
- Always read the instructions on the product very carefully and never use more than the recommended amount. And make sure you follow all safety precautions .
- Never use a different type of pesticide in conjunction with another pesticide or any other product on your cat. It could be toxic to your cat. Remember, most products that kill fleas have one or more active ingredients called pyrethroids, which are very dangerous to cats.
They may also have other active ingredients like permethrin or rotenone, which are also very dangerous to cats. You should only use an insecticide with permethrin or rotenone on a cat if the health practitioner who prescribed it for your cat has told you it is safe for them to be around other animals.
Many people think that if their cat has a flea problem, they should use an insecticide spray on it. This is not true. If you do that, you could make your cat very sick or even kill him or her. Your cat is much more sensitive to toxic substances in his or her environment than you are. A flea infestation is very difficult for your cat to tolerate. He or she will try to get rid of the fleas by vomiting and/or diarrhea, but that only makes things worse.
Does Your Cat Have Fleas
Some of the best cat flea preventions sometimes fail and so, its important to know the signs of a flea infestation before it spreads around the house. Here are some things to look for in your cat:
- Frantic and aggressive scratching or self-biting.
- Hair loss and excessive grooming.
- Behavior changes such as restlessness and agitation.
- Scabby bumps and red skin lesions.
- Pepper like specs on the cats fur.
- Black or reddish-brown bugs crawling in the fur or on the skin.
- Pale gums and muscle loss. This is a sign of a serious flea infestation that is causing dangerous health problems.
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Keep Your Eye Out For Signs
Continue to check your cats for fleas. Catching them early can save your pet from a ton of discomfort. If you think your cat could have fleas, then contact your vet for help.
Information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure your pet and is not a substitute for veterinary care provided by a licensed veterinarian. For any medical or health-related advice concerning the care and treatment of your pet, contact your veterinarian.
Flea Treatment For Cats
There are plenty of flea treatments available, but not all of them will be suitable for your cat. Your vet will be familiar with your cats medical history, so ask them to recommend a treatment thats right for them. Never use a treatment thats not been recommended by your vet. At best it will be ineffective, at worst it might make your cat feel even worse. But its one thing to treat your cat for fleas. The bigger and arguably more important task is to rid your home of fleas. Remember fleas can live for months without a host, and its estimated that 95% of flea eggs, larvae, and pupae live in the environment. So if you treat your cat without addressing the rest of your home, dont be surprised when the problem returns in a month or two.
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Preventing Fleas On Your Cat Or Dog
Prevention is really the best option if you live in an area that is prone to fleas. Fleas are most active during the warmest times of the year, but in some areas of the US, we can see flea problems year round.
Its a common thought that you can discontinue flea preventative in the winter months, but as you can tell by the map below, a majority of our country will experience trouble with fleas for 10-12 months of the year.
There are many natural options for preventing fleas on your cat or dog, but if youre in one of the hot zones for fleas, you may find that natural methods are just not enough to truly take care of the problem.
And if you or your pet are allergic to the flea bites, theres no reason to torture yourselves by trying to avoid using pesticides for flea treatment. Judicious use of pesticides is nothing to be ashamed of if it improves your health and quality of life.
Fortunately, there are a lot of flea prevention options for your pet.
Five Ways To Get Rid Of Cat Fleas
Cat got fleas? Fleas on cats are unfortunately common, especially when it comes to rescuing stray or feral cats. Cat fleas are the most common type of flea and can cause serious annoyance for both you and your feline. They can even carry diseases.
Getting rid of fleas on cats can be a difficult task, especially if you prefer natural remedies that minimize the use of chemicals in your house.
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Six Of The Best Ways To Get Rid Of Fleas On Your Cat
The adult fleas you spot on your cat represent only around five per cent of the total number already living in your house.1 Flea eggs, larvae and pupae are likely living in the environment, scattered over carpets, upholstery, bedding, and just about everywhere else in and around the home.
Fleas breed quickly, so a flea infestation can rapidly take over your life. Fleas can easily get out of hand if you dont move fast to rid your cat and home of these stubborn parasites.
Follow these six steps to get rid of cat fleas and prevent them from moving back in.
Treating your cat is always the first step in beating a flea infestation. And if you use an effective preventative product regularly, youre unlikely to have a problem in the first place.
There are lots of different flea treatments available. Read on to find out which ones may be best suited to your furry friend and remember, you can always ask your vet for their recommendations.
Spot-on flea treatments are easy to use and they can provide an effective way to remove fleas on your cat and protect them from fleas in the first place.
Fleas can cause serious skin disease in cats, so if your cat has patchy fur, sore skin, or seems generally unwell then ask your vet to check them over.
Flea collars have moved on technologically, as newer models offer an effective and easy way of treating flea infestations.
Flea powders are not a long-term solution to an infestation. Once your pet has shaken it off, its no longer active.
Fleas: A Torment For Cats
Fleas are the most typical bugs that will bite your cat. The results of infestation will be painful for cats and can be the cause of deadly disease for some cats. Flea bites create bad itching.
If a cat incessantly scratches, then it may create wounds in the skin that are vulnerable to severe infection. Sometimes, fleas carry infectious agents themselves. Examples are cat tapeworm and the bacteria that causes cat scratch disease in people.
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Skin Problems And Hair Loss
A flea infestation can escalate quickly, forcing your cat into a scratching frenzy! This can often lead to loss of hair and other skin issues. If you notice these symptoms, you dont want to hesitate in taking your cat to the vet for proper treatment.
Theyll also be able to rule out any other serious problems, such as Flea Allergy Dermatitis . This condition affects both pets and humans. It results from an allergic reaction to a fleas saliva that causes an extremely itchy and painful rash.
How To Eradicate Fleas On Cats
If you suspect or find a flea infestation, contact your veterinarian immediately to help start the treatment process. Besides making your cat miserable, fleas can cause anemia because they feed on blood. They can also cause skin conditions due to constant scratching and even transmit tapeworms. Its critical to get your cat feeling better, and to ensure no one else in the household is targeted by the fleas.
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Treating Your Home For Fleas
In addition to treating your cat, youll also need to take steps to get rid of any fleas or eggs that might be hiding in your home. Fleas hang out in the furniture, carpet, or bedespecially in areas where your cat sits frequently. Flea eggs that hide in the upholstery will hatch later and start looking for a furry friend to feast on, so its critical that you get rid of these uninvited houseguests ASAP with help from the vacuum.
Experts point out that a regimen of vacuuming and washing makes a huge difference in the overall effectiveness of flea treatment. Focus on vacuuming any cracks and crevices , underneath your furniture, and anywhere your pets like to hang out. Dont forget to dispose of the vacuum bag in a sealed plastic bag, or wash out the canister right away so that no fleas escape. Steam cleaning carpets and furniture once youve treated your cat can also help ensure fleas are destroyed at all their life stages.
Along with proper treatment of your pet, vacuuming and thorough washing of textiles are usually enough to eliminate most fleas from your home. Wash sheets, pet bedding, and pillows once a week. Use the high-heat setting on your washer and dryer and bid farewell to any fleas that might be hiding in the fabrics.
What You Can Do If Your Cat Has Already Been Infested With Fleas
While you cant prevent your cat from being infested with fleas, you can control them. If your cat has already been infested with fleas, you might be wondering what you can do to prevent further infestations.
There are a few things that you can do to prevent fleas from infesting your cat. First, if youre dealing with a flea problem, you should try to remove the source of the problem. For instance, if you find a stray cat on your property, you can take it to a shelter or a vet to get it treated. Its important to keep your cats environment clean and free of any potential flea hiding spots.
Fleas are spread through the air, so theyll also thrive in areas where cats spend most of their time. So make sure to clean up your cats food, bedding, and litter boxes thoroughly and often. You can also use flea control sprays and products to treat your home. This is the best way to ensure that your cat remains flea-free.
Its important to remember that cats arent the only animals that can have flea problems. Dogs, hamsters, and birds all have fleas as well. Theyre also great hosts for fleas because of their constant shedding.
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Use A Powerful Vacuum
Youll want to vacuum all of your floors, clean your upholstery, and treat your mattresses daily. Be sure to pay attention to every inch of your furniture, even up to the baseboard, as well as under couches and tables. Fleas like to hide out in cracks and other tight spaces, so make sure to vacuum there, too. Using a vacuum that has a bag attached to it is ideal so that you can dispose of the waste without making contact with the contents, meaning the fleas.