How to properly kill cat fleas?

Mar 13,2024
12Min

Cat fleas are fleas found on pet cats. After sucking the blood of cats, they jump down to suck the blood of other animals and humans. Because there are many types of blood-sucking animals, cat fleas often carry a variety of bacteria, which can infect various zoonotic diseases and are extremely harmful to human health. Diagnosis and Treatment Editor The fleas that grow on cats and dogs are usually cat fleas. Sometimes cats also have rabbit fleas. Fleas on cats can basically be completely eliminated with the use of modern medications.

Turkish Van Cat

Why should we get rid of fleas?

1. Fleas carry the larvae of a parasite (tapeworm Dipylidium caninum). Cats will eat fleas when grooming and become infected with this parasite. Fleas may also carry other infectious germs.

2. Adult fleas drink the cat’s blood. If it is a kitten, it may cause anemia and weakness in the cat.

3. Some dogs and cats are allergic to flea bites, so they always scratch and cause skin diseases.

4. Flea bites can cause itchy bumps in sensitive people, often around the ankles. (The doctor said that only people who are allergic to flea bites will have itchy, red and swollen skin. People who are not allergic may not even know they have been bitten. So at that time, my parents felt that I was the only one bitten by fleas, and my ankles were terrible. I Both my daughter and I are fine. But this allergy can be cultivated, and you may become allergic if you bite it too many times.)

Does my cat have fleas?

Cats eat fleas when they are grooming, so it is difficult to find fleas. You don’t realize you have fleas until you notice your cat scratching or someone being bitten on their ankle. The best way to find fleas is to put the cat on a piece of white paper and comb it carefully with a fine-toothed comb. If there are fleas, sometimes you can comb out one or two, but you can always find flea excrement - undigested cat blood - in the shape of a black comma, which will melt and turn bloody when placed on a damp cloth.

The life cycle of a flea

Adult fleas remain on the host. After finding a host and sucking blood, within two days, the adults begin to reproduce at a rate of 50 eggs per day. The eggs and flea excrement fall on the animal, and those excretions will be the larvae that return to the animal to parasitize. Insect eggs and larvae can be found anywhere a cat goes, but the places where the cat sleeps are most likely to have eggs and larvae. The larvae like dark places, so they may move deeper into carpets or sofas. The larvae eventually form a cocoon, in which the adult worm grows and awaits signals from the host, such as heat or vibration. Without a host, adults can wait up to two years in the cocoon. Under the right conditions, the life cycle of a flea can last up to 15 daysCompleted within. Homes with heating and carpeting are suitable for fleas to grow year-round. A single adult flea can produce thousands of eggs, larvae, and adults waiting to hatch in your home.

Kill fleas

In order to effectively eliminate fleas, it is necessary to kill adult fleas and control the environment in which fleas grow.

Kill adult insects

There are many flea-killing products on the market, with different formulas, killing speeds, effects, validity periods, and ease of use. If your cat is allergic to flea bites, use a quick flea killer to prevent further fleas from biting her.

Environmental control

Vacuuming frequently and tying the vacuum cleaner bag tightly and throwing it away immediately can greatly reduce the chance of fleas growing into adults in the house during the non-adult stage. All contaminated items that make the cat's bed should be thoroughly cleaned before returning to the animal's body. Others should also:

1. Use long-acting flea killer medicine on cats or other pets with fleas to kill adult worms and prevent them from laying eggs.

2. House treatment to kill fleas at different stages. This step is difficult because the larvae may be deep in carpets and sofas. It can be time-consuming and expensive because the entire house has to be treated, including all the cracks and corners. It is best to vacuum the dust before applying the medicine to stimulate the adults to emerge from the cocoons. Follow the directions for use of the medicine to avoid poisoning.

Pay special attention to places where cats often hang out, especially where they sleep. If it can be washed, wash it thoroughly and dry it in the sun. If it cannot be washed, consider throwing it away.

3. All cats and dogs can be given medicine to inhibit fleas from becoming adult fleas. But these medicines do not kill adult insects.

Follow all instructions, as some methods may take several months to completely eliminate fleas.

Long-term flea killing

If all fleas, adults and non-adults, have been eliminated, the method of flea control needs to be changed. If the pets are not going out, nothing more needs to be done. If this is not the case, there is a long-term flea control product available. But don’t use it intermittently, you must keep using it.

Flea Killer Products

Cat collars, sprays, shampoos (pet shampoos), powders, tablets, etc.

Sprays, shampoos (pet shampoos), and powders have a short validity period. If fleas grow in the environment around the cat, the cat will soon have fleas again. Cat collars also have a certain validity period and need to be replaced in time. Some people say that the scope of cat collars to kill fleas is limited, and fleas may grow in places other than the cat’s neck. countryThe quality of cat collars purchased in-house may vary, so be careful when choosing (an article on Tumao mentioned that the main ingredients of the medicine should be: synergistic pyrethroids, pyrethroids, carbamates, organic phosphates or One of the aldo compounds).

I saw that Yingzi recommended the use of Fulian and Chunchong Ning. These two may be new flea-killing products introduced below.

Destroyed and returned to animals as parasites. Therefore, when there are cats, dogs and other pets at home, it is best not to use carpets. Carpets can harbor dirt and are also a breeding ground for fleas. Additionally, parasitism returns to animals outdoors. Therefore, when there are cats, dogs and other pets at home, it is best not to use carpets. Carpets can harbor dirt and are also a breeding ground for fleas. In addition, outdoor grass is also a breeding ground for fleas to lay eggs, because dog grass is also a breeding ground for fleas to lay eggs, because dog flea new products

There are several new safe and effective products that are not harmful to mammals and therefore can be used on kittens.

Frontline (Merial) drops or sprays, sprays can safely flea-free kittens as young as two days old. This medicine kills adult insects.

Advantage (Bayer) drops kill adult insects.

Program (Novartis) prevents flea eggs from hatching. Feed your cat monthly or give your cat an injection every six months. Fleas drink the medicine into their bodies when they drink blood. However, this medicine does not kill adult worms.

Staykil (Novartis) spray is used for environmental control and returns to animals. Therefore, when there are cats, dogs and other pets at home, it is best not to use carpets. Carpets can harbor dirt and are also a breeding ground for fleas. In addition, outdoor grass is also a breeding ground for fleas to lay eggs, because dogs prevent flea larvae from turning into adults.

There are also some that inhibit flea larvae from turning into adults and returning to the animal to parasitize. Therefore, when there are cats, dogs and other pets at home, it is best not to use carpets. Carpets can harbor dirt and are also a breeding ground for fleas. In addition, outdoor grass is also a breeding ground for fleas to lay eggs, because hormone-like drugs for dog bugs (Acclaim 2000, made by Sanofi, or Indorex, made by Virbac) can be used for environmental control and sprayed where cats live. The validity period can be from six months to one year. These medicines can also kill insect eggs. These are also used in sprays and cat collars to kill fleas on cats.

Suggestions

Traditional flea-killing drugs can easily cause poisoning in cats. Some flea killers for dogs are also toxic to cats. If several flea killers are used at the same time, the chemicals in them may react and be toxic to your cat. So be careful when killing fleas. If the doctor prescribes flea killers, other drugs, or anesthesia for your cat, tell the doctor what flea killers you are currently using. back to animalsparasitic. Therefore, when there are cats, dogs and other pets at home, it is best not to use carpets. Carpets can harbor dirt and are also a breeding ground for fleas. In addition, outdoor grass is also a breeding ground for fleas to lay eggs, because dogs

When there are no fleas, you should be careful not to let your cat get infected with fleas; if there are fleas, you should kill them in time; but you should be careful when killing fleas!

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