How To Get Rid Of & Prevent Fleas On Cats
Learn to recognize the signs of fleas on cats and kittens, and how to get rid of fleas on cats and in your house through effective treatment and prevention.
Your cat seems restless. Shes licking and scratching herself, and her skin might even look red or irritated. These could be tell-tale signs your feline friend has fleas, especially during spring and summer since these parasites thrive in warm conditions.
Knowing how to get rid of fleas on cats and in your home can be tricky. Prevention is easier than getting rid of them once an infestation is underway. But that doesnt mean its impossible! Heres how to tell if your cat has fleas so you can get rid of them quickly and effectively, plus some proactive steps to take in order to keep them from coming back.
Tackling Fleas In The Home An Overview
Frequent vacuum cleaning will help to reduce, but not eliminate, fleas in a house. Vacuum bags should be immediately and carefully disposed of. Anything heavily infested, such as bedding, should be disposed of. Treatments can then be used to prevent re-infestation in a number of ways:
- Treat all the household pets with an insecticide to kill the adult fleas on them. Only ever use products specifically licensed for the treatment of cats, as some of the dog products can be highly toxic to cats .
- Treat the house to eradicate fleas at all other stages of their development. Treatment of the whole house is essential, including soft furnishings, carpet pile, gaps between floorboards and other difficult to reach areas. Vacuum clean first and then use an appropriate flea insecticide to kill the immature stages.
- Cocoons are very resistant to treatment, and therefore repeated treatments of both animals and the household may be needed to completely eliminate all fleas from a home.
- Products with insect development inhibitors may be used on pets to help prevent immature fleas from maturing or reproducing. For these to be effective all animals in the household must be treated. Some environmental products also target developing fleas in this way.
Which Type Of Vinegar Helps Get Rid Of Fleas
It is now a well established fact that all kinds of vinegar kill fleas. However, I have had many home/pet owners ask me which specific vinegar to use for this purpose. Is it mainly apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar? The answer is that both types are equally effective in killing and repelling fleas. Both types contain acetic acid that makes the product highly acidic. Most pet owners prefer using apple cider vinegar for killing fleas on pets while they tend to use white distilled vinegar around the home to keep it clean and flea free, but you can easily reverse the roles and use both vinegars for either purpose.
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Apple Cider Vinegar And Salt Flea Spray
The beauty of apple cider vinegar is that it is a way to treat fleas on dogs naturally by balancing a dogs pH levels, creating an environment that is optimal for your dogs health yet unsustainable for fleas. Dilute six cups of apple cider vinegar with four cups of water, add a dash of sea salt, then spray directly onto your dogs coat. Make sure to avoid your dogs eyes.
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
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Essential Oils Flea Spray
Some essential oils make for excellent flea remedies for dogs. Citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary will all naturally repel fleas. If your dog doesnt mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen essential oil into a 300ml-400ml of water and spray directly onto your dogs coat. Its important to know that a number of essential oils, like tea tree oil, can be very toxic to pets unless it is diluted appropriately learn more here. Do not apply a homemade essential oil solution to your pet until you have confirmed its safety at an authoritative source like petmd.com and spoken with your vet.
Our recommended essential oil flea repellent: Walk Your Dog With Loves An Ounce Of Prevention.
We really like this essential oil mix by Walk Your Dog With Love. The solution is all-natural, affordable, and highly effective against fleas, ticks, and all sorts of pesky little critters. In addition, the blend of oils is non-toxic and safe for both dogs and family. Its available on their website here.
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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Fleas In The Backyard
Just because you cant see them doesnt mean theyre not there. If your dog has a case of the fleas, there is a very good chance theyre lurking in the darkest, moistest areas of your backyard too. When it comes to outdoor flea remedies natural methods are always the best, and here are our top tips for treating fleas in the backyard.
The Best Otc Topical Flea Preventive
Available without a prescription, Frontline Plus kills adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, and chewing lice.
Pros: Kills adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, and chewing lice safe for use in kittens at least 8 weeks of age and in breeding, pregnant, and nursing cats fleas don’t have to bite for it to work
Cons: Not recommended for kittens younger than 8 weeks of age does not prevent any parasites other than fleas, ticks, and chewing lice
Parasites prevented: Adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, chewing lice
Duration of effectiveness: 30 days
Safe for: Cats and kittens 8 weeks and older, weighing at least 1.5 pounds breeding, pregnant, and nursing cats
Prescription: No
We recommend Frontline Plus because it not only kills fleas and controls flea infestations, but it also kills ticks and chewing lice. Used and trusted by pet owners for more than 20 years, Frontline Plus protects for 30 days with one application. Fleas do not have to bite your cat for Frontline Plus to work they die on contact.
“In flea-infested environments, when they do studies looking at the efficacy of these products, sometimes it takes a few months of consistent, high-quality flea prevention to even see that population completely eradicate because there’s four different stages to the flea life cycle,” said Bourgeois.
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Using Clove Oil To Remove Fleas On Carpet
After disinfecting your pets which are one of the major flea attractions, you will also have to disinfect you carpet which is a common resting place for them. Fleas hide under the carpet fur at the base where they patiently wait for their host. Here is what to do:
Hartz Groomers Best Flea Comb For Cats
When dealing with fleas on cats, a good comb can help tremendously.
It has very fine and gentle teeth, this comb, and when you carefully brush it over your cats fur it will remove any eggs, fleas and dirt with ease.
There is no need to tug or pull, but just brush your cat gently like you normally would. Doing this will get the bugs out of the fur quickly.
It is a good alternative option for a cat flea treatment and it does not have any solutions or chemicals that other treatments have. It is always good to be able to choose.
You can also use this flea comb alongside other treatments and I have found that it is always good to have one of these while using normal flea treatments, to brush the dead fleas out of the cats fur with ease.
Otherwise, they may just lie there stuck and dead in the cats fur which is not very pleasant to look at.
It is good to be able to brush the bugs out of the fur and it is a very fine toothed comb that is gentle on your cat.
Main Pros:
- It is an alternative solution for a flea treatment.
- No harsh chemicals or solutions needed, just the brush itself.
- Extra-fine toothed comb that grabs any fleas or bugs with easy.
- It is delicate enough to use on sensitive areas on your cat such as close to the face or paws. Still be careful though.
- There is a good ergonomic handle which helps prevent wrist fatigue and you becoming tired in your hand from brushing your cat.
- Grooms and brushes the cats fur as you get rid of the fleas and ticks.
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Get Rid Of Fleas With Vinegar The Natural Flea Killer
Our pets are our furry four legged family members. But unlike most of our other family members, they like to roll in dust and usually bring in parasites like fleas and ticks. For this reason, pets can quickly become pests no matter how much we love them. Using chemical based flea control is naturally what many pet owners resort to as a quick fix. However, there are some pet owners that tend to shun from using such products since they are known to harm the environment and could also be toxic for the pets. If you feel the same way, then you will enjoy this guide which focuses on the use of vinegar to kill fleas.
But first, let us consider what a flea infestation really means to your pets.
Lavender Or Cedar Oil Flea Collar
A home-made flea collar is an ingenious way of keeping your dogs flea protection constant without having to spray or rub them with the mixture. Either purchase or make a simple collar or bandanna, then dilute a few drops of lavender oil or cedar oil in water and apply it directly to the collar or bandanna.
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Commercial Products From Your Veterinarian
You should always seek the recommendations of a veterinarian before starting any flea control program. They are trained to help you keep your pet safe and healthy and will help you develop a flea treatment program. Treatment plans usually include an initial treatment to kill existing fleas, followed by a regimen to keep fleas from bothering your dog.
The most common product used to kill fleas on dogs instantly is Nitenpyram, more commonly known as Capstar. This single-use tablet is administered orally and kills fleas within 30 minutes. It is recommended that you contain your pet in a small area when using Capstar. A sheet or blanket your pet can lay on will catch the fleas as they drop off making cleanup easier. Capstar is very effective and available from your vet or without a prescription at many online pet supply outlets.
Your vet may recommend bathing with special flea shampoos, which will also kill fleas instantly. A good bath is followed by combing with specially designed flea combs to remove any remaining eggs. Also available from your vet is lufenuron, which is an insect development inhibitor. Given monthly in pill form it does not kill adult fleas, but does prevent reproduction.
Get Rid Of Fleas Quickly
You might still wonder, what kills fleas on dogs instantly? While over-the-counter and home remedies can sometimes effectively kill fleas on dogs, prescription medication is usually the best option for fast relief.
For longterm prevention and control of flea infestations, the best protocol is regular medication combined with diligent vacuuming of carpets and regular cleaning of your dogs bedding and other household living areas.
Your veterinarian should be your ideal information source because their recommendations rely on products with high levels of efficacy and safety.
Superb Dog Editor
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S To Take In How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Cats
Everyone wants to know how to get rid of fleas on cats. Once you have an infestation, you will get bitten up by the pests.
The first step in dealing with the problem is to identify if your cat has fleas.
When the springtime comes, so do fleas. Fleas are most active when the temperatures are favorable, and the humidity rises. Fleas feed on blood.
They jump onto passing animals and penetrate into their fur to get to their skin. This keeps them hidden while they feed off of the animal. Their bites can lead to itching and inflammation.
When your cat has a severe infestation, you will see the fleas jumping off of your cat’s body. When the infestation is less severe, you might notice that your cat is getting restless.
She may be scratching more and chewing on certain parts of her body. If she shakes her head often and scratches at her ears, that is an indication that she might have fleas.
If your cat is always licking at her coat, then that is also an indication that she has fleas. Sometimes, your cat may groom the fleas out of her coat before you inspect her.
To see the fleas on your cat, you may have to look fast. The fleas are flat-bodied insects that are dark brown or black in color. Fleas that have ingested a lot of blood are lighter in color.
You should turn your cat on her back to check areas where the fleas may be hiding. The armpits and the groin are places where fleas like to hide.
Here is a video that teaches us on how to get rid fleas on cats:
Despite Treating My Cat For Fleas She Still Has Them Is There A \super Flea\
There is no evidence of fleas developing resistance to insecticides, especially once-a-month topical flea preventives that contain a sterilizing agent or IGR in addition to the adulticide. Apparent failure of treatment almost always results from improper application of the preventive, inadequate treatment of the home, or exposure to other infested pets or environments. Consider treating storage sheds, cars, and any outdoor sleeping spots. Bear in mind that your cat may be going into other people’s houses. Most of these problems can be overcome by using an effective product with residual activity on the cat in addition to treating your home.
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Best Flea Treatment For Cats: How To Kill Fleas On Cats
It is never fun to discover your cat has fleas, and you will without a doubt want to find a solution to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
Not only do fleas on cats make the cat itchy and uncomfortable, but they can also have negative effects on the kittys fur and make it look lifeless and dull.
It can hurt your cats well being and overall health if they have fleas so a good treatment is very important.
You will want to find one that works fast, is safe and effective, and cheap ideally.
The good news is that you can easily find a flea treatment that is all of those things, and I will mention the best ones here down below.
Dont worry, you can get rid of the fleas before you know it and your cat will be back to its regular self soon enough.
So what is the best flea treatment for cats? Lets find out now.
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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