How To Treat Fleas On My Cat

The 12 Ways To Get Rid Of Fleas On Cats

There are many different flea treatments available. Check out the following suggestions to find out which ones might be best for your furry friend, and remember, you can always ask your veterinarian for their suggestions too.

A regular, consistent flea control program is the only way to fully protect your cat from fleas. Make sure you keep track of the date you administered the first dose so you will know when to re-treat. There are many pet stores nationwide as well as many online pet stores where you can purchase the right product for your cats age, weight, and severity of the infestation.

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 is a result of an allergic reaction to a fleas saliva that causes an extremely itchy and painful rash.

Use Warm Water And Consider Small Tubs

Cats tend to be calmer if the water they’re in is warm and comfy. The water shouldn’t be too hot, but it also shouldn’t be so cool that it might leave your cat feeling chilled.

Some people bathe their cats in a bathtub with a low level of warm water, just enough to reach their cat’s chests. Others may set up smaller plastic tubs in a sink or tub to keep their cats a little more confined. Fill one with soapy water and one with clean water to wash out all the flea product.

Whichever method you choose, your cat might be a little calmer if he’s used to a harness and wears it during the bath. But this only works if the harness is the thinner kind that still lets you work the flea shampoo into his fur.

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Alternatives If Your Cat Just Won’t Tolerate A Bath

Some cats simply won’t tolerate a bath, no matter how much you try. In those situations, there are other flea products that get the job done. Adams Plus Flea & Tick Spot On for Cats is a treatment you put on the back of his neck every 30 days to kill adult fleas and eggs before they hatch. The Adams Plus Flea & Tick Collar for Cats kills fleas and ticks for seven months.

Make sure you treat your home so fleas don’t hide in your carpet. Try a carpet spray, carpet powder, or fogger. If you ever let your cats outside, even on a harness, consider treating your yard with Adams Yard & Garden Spray.

The best time to teach a cat to tolerate a bath is when he’s a kitten. He’ll get used to it and realize it’s just part of life. But if you missed the kitten window, you can still successfully bathe your kitty if you have some patience, plan ahead, and remain calm through the process.

1. Shojai, Amy. “How to Bathe Your Kitten or Adult Cat.” The Spruce Pets, 8 October 2019, .

2. Conklin, Lisa Marie. “How to Bathe a Cat Without Getting Scratched.” Reader’s Digest, .

Simple Home Remedies For Fleas On Cats

ByAshleigh Gibbspublished 30 June 21

Deter pesky bugs on your pet and around the home with these all-natural home flea remedies

If you’ve noticed the tell-tale signs of pests, there are a number of natural home remedies for fleas on cats you can try.

Of course, it’s always best to seek advice from your veterinarian on ways to prevent fleas from invading your furkid in the first instance. There are a few things you can to reduce the likelihood of these pests making a home in your pet, with the best being opting for year-round protection recommended by your vet.

There are a range of commercial flea treatments on the market. From topical preventives to flea collars oral treatments to flea shampoos, sprays and combs, the best flea treatment for cats often involves a combined effort. A fast-acting but short-term treatment paired with a longer-lasting one products such as flea collars for cats and topical flea treatments all ensure your cat is adequately protected.

While this approach often does an excellent job, these DIY, natural flea killer treatments for cat owners can also be used to repel and rid both home and pet of pesky invaders, with the added benefit of not involving any potentially harmful chemicals or side effects for your family.

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Some Home Remedies For Fleas On Cats

I will again mention some of the home remedies that were listed above:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar does not kill the fleas. However, it will make them jump off of your cat. Mix the apple cider vinegar and water in a proportion of 2:1.

Mix it well and pour it into a spray bottle. You can drench the coat of your cat with the solution and comb it gently. This remedy will work for about three to four days.

Flea Comb

Slowly drag the comb across the hair that is close to your cat’s skin. Comb more in the areas where the fleas are likely to hide.

This will include the base of the tail, the armpits, and the groin area. Have a bowl of soapy water on hand. As you remove the fleas, drown them in the water.

Diatomaceous Earth

DE is a natural rock substance that is made from shelled algae. It is one of the best substances for use in getting rid of fleas. DE is harmless to pets as well as people. It causes fleas to dehydrate, making them die.

To use it, first put on gloves and dust your hands with the substance. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s coat and rub it thoroughly. You can also use it on your cat’s bedding. Use it once a day and once a week on your cat’s bedding.

Natural Flea Collar

You can make an excellent herbal natural flea collar for your cat. While it will not provide total protection from fleas, it certainly will help.

Cat And Kitten Flea Treatment Sprays

Thorough vacuuming followed by the use of an insecticide spray containing an insect growth regulator is a good way of eliminating fleas in the home and other areas. A single application can last for six months to a year. Great care should be taken not to allow products containing permethrin to come into contact with your cat and never use any spray in close proximity to a fish tank, as they are highly toxic to fish.

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What Is The Best Flea Treatment For Cats

Besides ruling out other diseases, your vet can administer products that will kill fleas on the animal within a day, Dr. de Jong says.

Afterwards, your vet will likely recommend using a good tick and flea preventative to keep the pests at bay. These include topical, spot-on treatments like Frontline and Advantage or chewable tablets. When other fleas in your home jump on your pet, the product will make them die as well, helping reduce the infestation.

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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How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Kittens

There are endless ways of getting rid of fleas on kittens, ranging from flea collars for cats to flea spray for cats and flea pills for cats. While these pet supplies brought from a pet store can most certainly help us get rid of fleas on kittens, but there are also many safe and effective home remedies for getting rid of fleas on kittens.

In the lines below, we will discuss some simple but effective home remedies for cat fleas.

Tea Tree Oil Toxicity

Despite its effectiveness against fleas, tea tree oil contains a number of toxins that are potentially toxic to cats. Even a small dose of this essential oil may cause toxic liver damage. The components of tea tree oil, including camphene, linalool, and alpha-terpinene, can build up in the liver over time. Large doses can cause death in cats.

Tea tree oil is safe to use in low concentrations, but the dilutions in many pet products contain high concentrations. The concentrations of tea tree oil used in pet products are much higher than those in human medications. Moreover, cats have a habit of grooming themselves, and the product can be mistakenly diluted in the wrong amounts. Keeping the product out of the reach of curious cats is essential for its safety.

Although most cats recover well after being sprayed with flea and tick medicine, it is important to seek veterinary treatment for any toxic reactions to the product. If the symptoms of the toxicity do not improve after a couple of days, the cat may need to be hospitalized for observation. Usually, a cat will be released after two to three days. While some medications are harmful to dogs, cats are particularly vulnerable to them.

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How To Get Rid Of Fleas According To Veterinarians

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As the weather starts to warm up, we can look forward to socially distanced walks, picnics and ultimately more time outdoors. However, warming temperatures often means increased flea activity, which is not as pleasant: Fleas very much enjoy kind of a hot, humid environment, said Douglas Kratt, DVM, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Flea infestations can be stressful, but by following a multi-step treatment plan and listening to your local veterinarians advice, you can efficiently stop an outbreak from happening in the first place.

First of all, take a deep breath there’s a lot of really great products out there that are safe, said Kratt, who works as a small animal practitioner at Central Animal Hospital. Second of all, use your resources. Lean on the experience of the people that you’re trusting the care with to give you a couple of good options.

Flea Medicines For Kittens

There are a plethora of flea medicines for kittens available in the market that you can choose from. Heres what you need to consider while getting flea medicine for cats:

Permethrin for Cats is Dangerous

No doubt, permethrin is highly effective against fleas, and therefore, can be found in the ingredient section of many of the flea medicines for dogs and humans. But where permethrin is safe for dogs, it is highly toxic to cats. Therefore, you are advised to take a careful look at the ingredients of flea medicines, especially over-the-counter flea products for cats.

Before giving any flea medicine to your kitten, you should carefully take a look at labels. Even if a product is safe to use on adult cats, it is not necessary that it would be safe for young kittens as well. If you are not sure about a products safety for kittens, you must ring your vet to get a quick expert opinion.

Flea Treatment is Approved for Kittens

Most flea medicines for cats available in the market are safe for kittens over 8 to 10 weeks of age or weighing more than 1.5 to 2 pounds. These products are not tested on kittens younger than this age, so they may be inappropriate and at times fatal for young kittens as they have sensitive skin as well as internals. Never use over-the-counter flea medicines for cats on kittens younger than that age.

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Fleas On Cats: How To Identify And Treat Them

Fleas are those little blood-sucking bugs everyone tries hard to avoid. Theyve been around for 60 million years and have been found on prehistoric mammalsso it doesnt seem like theyre going away any time soon.

It turns out our feline friends are just as susceptible to a flea infestation as all those animals that came before. But how do you identify fleas on cats? And what should you do if you find them?

A Complete Guide To Treat And Prevent Fleas On Cats

If your cat is itching more than usual, it could mean she has fleas! Read on to learn everything youneed to know about fleas on cats and how to spot, treat, and prevent them.

Look what the cat dragged in fleas. These tiny little nuisances can drive your cat and your family absolutely crazy!

Fleas are teeny tiny brown bugs that burrow into your cats fur to feast on his blood, causing mild to severe itching and discomfort. Without proper treatment, fleas can lead to other health issues in your cat including anemia or tapeworms.

However, fleas can be difficult to detect on your super hygiene-conscious feline. Being the mysterious creatures that they are, cats often do a great job at keeping their case of fleas a secret. Thats why its extra important to know what to look out for and to take preventative measures to keep a flea infestation from occurring in the first place.

If youre concerned your cat has fleas, the best thing to do is to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Your vet will do a full examination and prescribe the proper treatment to solve the issue quickly.

In this guide, well walk you through everything you need to know about fleas on cats from recognizing the signs to best practices for early prevention.

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Assuring All Dogs And Cats In The House Are On Flea Prevention

If you have multiple dogs or cats in your home, it is important that they are all on prevention. If you have noted fleas on one cat or dog in your home, it is likely that all of the cats and dogs in your home have fleas. In order to truly get rid of fleas, each cat and dog needs to be on a reliable vet recommended flea prevention consistently and for consecutive months. Assuming that just one of your pets has it, and the other do not because you do not see them will lead to the non-treated cats and dogs continuously getting bit by fleas. Due to lifecycle and longevity of fleas, you will never be able to get rid of your flea problem in your home if you leave one of your cats and dogs unprotected or decide to just treat them for one or two months.

Treat Fleas With A Dish Soap Bath

A gentle bath with dish soap will help to kill the live fleas and wash away the larva and flea dirt. Exercise caution when bathing the kitten, as baths can be traumatic to a kitten if done incorrectly. Here are some tips for providing a kitten with a dish soap bath:

• Use comfortably warm water and a fragrance free dish liquid or a natural baby shampoo.

• Try to complete the entire bath in less than 2 minutes, as kittens can become panicked or chilled during this process.

• Wash from the neck down, avoiding the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Never dunk a kitten’s head under water.

• Create a ring of soapy water around the kitten’s neck. This will act as a barrier so that the fleas do not run up the body and onto the head. Wash the neck first, then work your way down the rest of the body, lathering with warm water and dish soap.

• Wash the entire body from the neck down, including between the toes, under the arms, and on the tail.

• Rinse completely with clean, comfortably warm water.

• Immediately towel dry the kitten. It is safe to use a blow dryer with a kitten as long as it is on a low setting, is held at least 2 feet away, and is oscillating to avoid overheating. Dry the kitten completely.

• Spot clean the head with a washcloth, sponge, or cotton round and warm, soapy water. Avoid the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

• Place the kitten back into a warm environment Kittens can easily become chilled from a bath, and it is of utmost importance that the kitten be kept warm.

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