I know it's not very macho, but I'm proud to admit it: I'm a cat guy. What's not to like about them? They're warm and soft, and if they feel like it, they'll sit on your lap and allow you to pet them. If I want to leave for the weekend, all I gotta do is fill their food and water dishes, bid them adieu, and out the door I go. I'm the proud owner of two of the little beasts. Both of them are pushing nine-years-old, and in those nine years, I have only once or twice second guessed my decision to be a cat owner. They're just simple pets to keep. Well, usually. Every now and then something crops up that requires a little bit more effort than what I had bargained for. And every now and then that something multiplies into thousands and thousands of somethings. Every now and then, those somethings are cat fleas.
Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are by far the most common species of fleas out there. Despite their name, they don't limit themselves to just cats. They can also be found on dogs, rabbits, ferrets, and other fur-bearing critters. As we all know, the cat flea is a parasite that lives and breeds in the fur of our pets. They inflict itty-bitty little bites, cause the animal to bleed, and drink the blood. Cat flea saliva contains an anticoagulant called apyrase that keeps the blood free flowing so the fleas can ingest it. Apyrase is also quite irritating to the skin, hence that nasty itch. Some animals can even have severe allergic reactions to it. Perhaps the worst thing about fleas is how fast they can multiply. One single cat flea can lay up 600 eggs. Once those eggs hatch and the larvae become breeding adults, a serious cat flea infestation is under way. If this is sounding all to familiar, read on for some ideas on how to get rid of cat fleas.
Cat Flea Control
Be certain of the problem. Treating a cat for cat fleas can be stressful for the animal. The last thing you want to do is cause the cat undue stress or, even worse, misdiagnose the problem and leave the real issue untreated. The easiest way to check is to grab the cat and pet it slowly against the grain of the hair while at the same time looking down into the hair toward the scalp for little black hopping things. It also works well to take a white piece of paper, put it under the cat ,and rub your hand quickly back and fourth against the cat. After this, look at the paper. If there are little black specks on it, mist them with water. If after a few moments you are starting to see some red smears coming from the black specks, the animal has fleas. Those black specks are the bloody poop from cat fleas.
Immediately wash the cat. I know there's a pretty good chance of losing a hand or a face when you do this,but kitty needs some relief from cat flea bites. Get yourself some flea shampoo for cats. Make sure it is designed specifically for cats. Different animals require different doses of cat flea medication, and you don't want to make your cat sick. Be very careful to avoid getting the stuff in the cat's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Some people choose to use baby shampoo instead. It's safer for the cat but does not work quite as well.
Apply a topical cat flea treatment. Once the cat is clean and dry, apply some flea killer directly to the cat. Most of these are a once-a-month treatment and are pretty easy to apply. You will usually split the cat's hair down the middle between the shoulder blades and spurt a thin line of the cat flea treatment. Most of these topical cat flea medications work by attacking the nervous system of fleas and start to take effect in as little as twelve hours. Check the bottom section for a few brand name suggestions.
Clean everything thoroughly. If you want to get cat fleas under control, you will need to clean like you've never cleaned before. This is because only about 5–10% of the cat fleas in your house are actually on the cat. The rest of them are everywhere else. Cat flea eggs are not sticky. After the eggs are laid on your cat, they drop off anywhere and everywhere, which is where they'll hatch. So grab the vacuum and get to work. Vacuum several times a day paying very close attention to dark, out-of-the-way places. Concentrate on getting underneath wall trim. Vacuum all furniture, drapes, and upholstery. Wash all hard surfaces and mop floors. Just think—cat fleas will be found anywhere your cat has been. Wash all bedding at least a couple times a week in hot water.
Treat the animal's entire environment. Start by bombing the house. You can't be in there while it's being done, so you may want to consider taking your cat to the vet for the evening. They know how to deal with and stop the spread of fleas. Because flea bombs do miss places like under and behind furniture, you will want to hit those places with a spray before dropping the bomb. If you have cats that sometimes enjoy the outdoors, you'll want to take some measures out there, too. Start by keeping the lawn short. This will keep things drier out there. Cat flea eggs require humidity to hatch. It's also a good idea to spray the lawn with insecticides like Cynoff WP or Talstar EZ. Check the bottom section of this page for some ideas on which cat flea bombs and cat flea sprays to use indoors.Commercial Products that Kill Fleas
Because the life cycle of cat fleas can be so long (10 days to several months), you will need to be diligent with the steps above. People oftentimes think they have the problem under control, relax their guard, and get smacked in the face a few weeks later with a fresh batch of fleas. If conditions are right, cat flea eggs usually hatch within a few days. However, if conditions are not ideal, it can take weeks before they decide to emerge. So be diligent.
OK. On to the good stuff. There are about 55,426 different cat flea treatments available in almost as many different forms. Below you will find a few different suggestions for some of the main application types. I can't stress enough the importance of using products especially for cats on your cats. There's different dosages for different animals. Also, some of these products are not safe for young kittens, so read the directions carefully.
Flea Collars: Sentry Dual Action Flea & Tick Collars, Zodiac Flea Collar for Cats, Adams Plus Breakaway Flea & Tick Collar for Cats, Bio Spot Flea & Tick Collar for Cats & Kittens
Flea Shampoos: Four Paws MagicCoat Cat Flea & Tick Shampoo, Veterinarian's Best All-in-1 Flea Relief Shampoo with Oatmeal, Natural Chemistry De Flea Cat Shampoo
Flea Powders: Nature’s Guardian Natural Flea & Tick Powder for Cats & Kittens, Hartz Advanced Care 2in1 Flea & Tick Powder for Cats, Sentry Natural Defense Natural Flea & Tick Powder for Cats & Kittens
Flea Spot Ons: Bio Spot Spot On Flea & Tick Control for Cats, Zodiac Spot On Plus for Cats, Sentry Natural Defense Natural Flea & Tick Squeeze-On for Cats & Kittens, Advantage Once-A-Month Topical Flea Treatment for Cats & Kittens, Frontline Spot On for Cats
Flea Bombs: CB PCO Total Release Fogger with Pyrethrins, Precor Plus Fogger, Zodiac Flea Fogger, Adams Room Fogger, Bio Spot In-Home Room Fogger
Flea Sprays: Frontline Spray Flea and Tick Treatment, Bio Spot Flea & Tick Spray for Cats & Kittens, De Flea Pet & Area Flea Spray
Yard Flea Sprays: Adams Flea & Tick Yard Spray, Bio Spot Yard & Garden Spray, Virbac Yard Spray
