S To Get Rid Of Fleas On Cats
Fleas are annoying for both you and your cat, but once you’ve identified the fleas, they are fairly easy to get rid of. Just follow these simple steps to ditch these pests.
1. Treat Your Cat
The first and most important step is to treat your cat to rid them of these nasty little bugs. The sooner you start treating the quicker you can ease your precious kitten’s discomfort.
Comb the Fur
Combing your cats fur with a shedding comb will help remove some of the adult fleas and flea eggs. Keep an eye on any fleas that decide to jump ship! And be sure to rinse the comb in hot water with dish detergent to kill the fleas and eggs left.
Bathe Your Cat
Next, its bath time! Using a flea shampoo thats safe for cats, bathe your cat thoroughly! Let the shampoo sit on her fur for at least 5 minutes. This will reveal and kill all of those stubborn fleas and eggs that the comb couldnt reach!
Your cat might not be a fan of baths, but shell thank you afterwards as a good flea shampoo will offer immediate relief of the itchiness and get to the root of the issue.
Medicate
While bathing your cat may rid your cat of fleas temporarily, its important to give your cat preventative flea medicine to keep them from coming back especially while youre still clearing your home of the present infestation! Well touch more on the best flea medicines and how to prevent fleas on cats below.
2. Treat Your Home
Wash Bedding, Cushions, and Curtains
Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum
Bring in a Professional
Don’t Forget To Treat Your House
A flea attached to a cat produces an average of 50 eggs per day , which spread throughout the house, with the aim of infesting as many people as possible . This is the reason why you must imperatively treat your home against fleas, during or immediately after treating your infested cat, at the risk of seeing your cat again invaded by fleas just shortly after its treatment.
To get rid of fleas in your home, you must prioritize treating the places that the cat frequents the most, such as passageways or sleeping areas. You will only need to vacuum these areas to already eliminate the majority of flea cocoons, and then you will have to use a pest control spray, to eliminate all the remaining eggs and larvae.
How Long Does It Take For Flea Eggs To Hatch
Adult fleas can only lay their eggs after theyve bitten an animal. This little snack is charmingly known in the pest world as a blood meal. After that, the eggs can take anywhere from two days to two weeks to hatch.
The warmer and more humid it is, the faster the life cycle will go, says Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a staff doctor at NYCs Animal Medical Center, who specializes in small animal internal medicine and oncology. If its cooler and dryer, the process slows down until the temperature goes up.
According to the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service, temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees and over 50 percent humidity accelerate the life cycle from egg to larvae.
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How To Remove Cat Fleas From Your House
If your cat has or has recently had fleas, theres a chance that some flea eggs have fallen from your pet into your home environment. Its difficult to know whether this has happened, so youll need to take steps to deal with the problem no matter what.
NOTE: Dont forget to treat your pet before turning your attention to your home when youre ready, follow these steps to get rid of any fleas in your house.
How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Cats 12 Methods
Fleas on cats can be a nuisance. Not only do they make your kitty itch, but they can also jump onto you and your other pets. Fleas are a common problem for cats and can be difficult to get rid of. Luckily, there are many different methods that can be used to get rid of fleas on cats, some of which are more effective than others. You can go to the store and buy a flea treatment, or you can make your own.
While there are numerous commercial flea treatments available, there are also several non-chemical methods of getting rid of fleas on cats. These include using a flea comb, bathing your cat in lemon juice, and using natural ingredients. The most effective way to get rid of fleas on a cat is to use a combination of methods. In this article, we will discuss 12 different methods for getting rid of fleas on cats.
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Keep The Fleas From Coming Back
Dryden says that even though oral and spot-on medications may kill the fleas on your cat in a matter of hours, its important to continue using them for the duration of recommended time for complete eradication of the flea problem. And you should regularly re-apply the treatment if needed based on the products instructions.
How Can You Tell If Your Cat Has Fleas
If you are unsure whether your cat is suffering from a flea infestation or not, some telltale signs will allow you to confirm the presence of the culprits. Although it is not extremely difficult to verify, it will take a bit of investigation.
Fleas are tiny and can be hard to spot. They measure a mere 1/12 1/16 in length, and their reddish-brown tint might even blend in with the color of your cats fur. Instead of trying to spot fleas visually, you can rely on these more common signs of a flea infestation:
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How To Get Rid Of Flea Eggs On Cats
Previously, I discussed the top flea foggers, but well cover how you can get rid of cat flea eggs in this post.
In short, to get rid of flea eggs on cats, Bathe the cat with a flea shampoo, flea comb the cats fur , give oral cat flea medicine such as lufenuron, and kill adult fleas using cat medication such as nitenpyram twice per week.
First off: Whats the negative effect of having fleas on your cat or kittens? Notably, fleas will not just cause itching on your feline friends but will also trigger anemia, hair loss and could introduce tapeworms.
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How Did My Cat Get Fleas
All cats and all homes are prone to a flea infestation. Though inconvenient, its a natural part of life when living with pets. Even if you keep close tabs on where your tabby has been or take her in for regular grooming, there is always the possibility of fleas making their way into your household. Its best to be prepared!
If your cat has been diagnosed with fleas and youre wondering where they could have come from, there are a number of ways your cat may have encountered fleas. Remember, fleas will feast on different types of animals. If you have other furry friends in the house, its possible the fleas were transferred from their backs to your cats!
Fleas might also use our clothing as a Uber ride to their preferred host. You can usually tell if this happened if you have a few tiny bug bites on your arms or legs. Flea bites show up as small red dots and are often clustered in groups of two or three. If you notice flea bites on yourself, you definitely want to check your pets immediately!
Though you may end up with a few bug bites of your own, human bodies are no place for a flea to live out its best life! They would much prefer to settle down in a warm coat of fur. Identifying the symptoms of flea bites on your cat is a skill every pet parent should learn!
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How To Prevent Fleas
Your cat’s warm, furry coat and nourishing blood supply are a flea’s dream home. Protect your pet with a flea barrier to prevent these tiny pests from settling in. There are a few different types:
Products you put on your cat. Spot-on treatments are safer, more convenient, and more effective than traditional dusts, shampoos, and sprays. You can buy them from your vet or online. Ask your vet where on your cat to put the product, how much to apply, and how often to use it. If youre not getting the treatment from your vet, read the product label first to make sure it’s safe for cats. Some common active ingredients and brands include:
- Fipronil
- Fluralaner
A flea collar with flumethrin and imidacloprid can also work well.
Medicines your cat eats. The pill nitenpyram kills adult fleas on your cat within 30 minutes. It doesnt have any lasting effects, though. Spinosad is a fast-acting chewable that starts killing fleas before they lay eggs. It provides a full month of flea protection to help prevent future hatchings.
What Kills Flea Eggs
Killing flea eggs is a two-phase process. First, you need to eliminate any flea eggs and adult fleas on your pet. Then, you need to get rid of the flea eggs in your home.
The very first step in this process should be to bring your pet to see the veterinarian. The veterinarian will examine your dog to understand the extent of the flea problem and determine the right treatment for your pet.
Not all products that kill fleas work to kill flea eggs, so your veterinarian can help you choose the best product and course of action for your pet.
If you get rid of flea eggs and adult fleas on your pet, you need to focus your attention on getting rid of flea eggs in your home. Here are some steps to take:
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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.
Not So Fun Facts About Cat Fleas
You can read more in-depth about fleas in our Ultimate Guide to Fleas On Dogs.
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Controlling Flea Larvae In Your Home
Killing flea larvae goes a long way toward reducing an active flea infestation in your home. Of course, you still must also eradicate the adult fleas that comprise a typical swarm, often numbering in the thousands.
To focus on eliminating flea larvae, you should vacuum every day or at least every other day, using your crevice tool to suck up fleas, eggs, pupae, and larvae from the dark nooks and crannies of carpets, loose rugs, sofas, cracks between hardwood flooring, and where walls meet floors, and then discard the vacuum bag. You can also spread a thin layer of human grade-E diatomaceous earth over the surface of carpets and let it sit for 48 hours keeping your pets off the carpet and then vacuum thoroughly. The DE dries out the eggs, thus killing them, says Dogs Naturally. Alternatively, you can use coarse salt or baking soda for the same effect.
When you discover a flea infestation, toss dog beds, towels, pillows, blankets, and stuffed dog toys into the washing machine on hot and then into a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes to dry. Machine washing everything you can as often as possible kills flea larvae, thus controlling the flea population. A steam cleaner is also an extremely effective tool in your flea control arsenal. Steam clean your carpets once a month and use it on your upholstered furnishings too to drown fleas at every life stage.
Removing Flea Larvae From Home
It is important to remember that, because homes are maintained at favorable conditions for flea development, fleas may be present throughout the year. Infestation of your pet outside the house is rare in winter times.
Flea larvae try to escape the light. But they dont go very far from the egg they came, 40 cm at the most for stage 3 larvae.
In addition, they have to find the fecal pellets they absolutely need to feed on. These are found in the same places as the eggs.
This means that flea larvae live near the places where your dog or cat spends the most time. They will find favorable conditions in carpets, rugs, between floorboards, or in the deep fabrics of sofas and armchairs: these are places where they are hidden from light and where the humidity level is a little higher.
These are the areas you should target. Spy on your dogs or cats and try to find out the spots where they usually spend time, play, sleep, or rest.
Cleaning and vacuuming
Youll start by washing the pet bedding often.
It is also recommended to regularly vacuum carpets, rugs and wooden floors. Machines equipped with a beater are more effective. They are active on the ecosystem flea larvae rely on:
- Flea eggs, flea larvae, and flea pupae
- Organic debris used as a source of food
- Flea dirt mandatory for flea larvae to grow and develop
Although necessary, vacuuming is not enough to control the flea larvae population.
Treating
These molecules are very safe for humans and pets.
But there are some limitations .
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Can This Larvae Live On Cats Dogs Or Humans
No, as previously mentioned, they dont have the ability to suck blood or even the ability to pierce the skin of their intended target. Instead, they have mandibles for chewing solid bits of organic matter, which is usually dried fecal matter left behind by adult fleas.
They wouldnt even be able to hang on, as they have no way to do so without the correct appendages. All they have is their body and tiny hairs, which are not exactly good for staying on you or your pet.
Keeping this in mind, rest assured that you definitely dont have little flea larvae running around on yourself or on your furry friend Personally, I think that is quite a relief lol.
Flea Eggs: 10 Common Questionsanswered
As the weather turns warmer, pet parents are ready to venture into backyards and backwoods with their four-legged besties. The warmer weather also coaxes fleas to hatch from their eggs. As anyone who has ever dealt with a flea problem knows, they are tricky pests to beat.
Fleas reproduce at lightning speed. A single flea can lead to a full-blown infestation in just a few weeks. Because fleas and their eggs are so small, many people dont notice them before they become a major problem.
Here is everything you need to know to eliminate flea eggs and prevent an itchy invasion.
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Administer A Flea Medication Specially Created For Cats
After youve removed as many fleas as possible through bathing and combing, youll need to treat your cat for fleas at every life-stage: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Dryden recommends a long-lasting prescription product that will ensure you get rid of every single one of them. Because flea eggs can lay dormant for weeks, treatment needs to cover several months so that the eggs dont hatch, thus restarting the issue all over again. There are several types of flea medication for cats. Talk to your vet about their recommendations for your pet, since dosing is based on weight, age, and other variables. Its extremely important that you check to make sure your product is labeled for cats and NOT for dogs, since flea treatments for dogs can be toxic when used on cats. Always ask your vet for advice before beginning any type of treatment, especially if your cat is pregnant or nursing.
Heres a breakdown of the basic types of flea treatments for cats:
Spot-On Flea Treatments
- Advantage: active ingredient imidacloprid
- Revolution Plus: active ingredients selamectin and sarolaner
- Bravecto Plus: active ingredients fluralaner and moxidectin
Oral Medications
Sprays, Shampoos, and Powders
Natural Flea Remedies
What Are The Symptoms Of Fleas On Cats
The most common signs of a flea infestation include:
- Scratching at the head and ears
- Licking at the underside, especially between hind legs
- Chewing or biting at themselves
- Fur loss, especially on top-back, from scratching and itching
- Redness
- Black particulate matter on the skin
That black particulate matter is called “flea dirt.” “That’s a polite way of saying flea feces,” Dr. de Jong says. “If you take one of those droppings and you get it wet with a drop of water, itll turn red. That’s because its dried blood.”
To check for an infestation, you can also use a flea comb and brush your cat to see if any fleas jump out. In his hospital, Dr. de Jong will roll the animal over and blow on the fur to see if there are any fleas or flea droppings.
Regardless, different skin parasites like Cheyletiella can make cats scratch and itch. For that reason, you should still see a veterinarian to confirm a flea infestation and rule out other potential causes.
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