I am sure just about every cat owner has had to deal with cat fleas at one time or another.
They are horrible pests that make life uncomfortable for your cat and your family.
If you notice your cat scratching more than normal, check along the spine and at the base of it where it joins the tail.
If you notice what looks like dark chocolate brown grit, put some onto damp tissue.
If red leaches out onto the tissue then they are flea droppings which are mainly made up of dried blood.
Fleas will leave red marks on your cat's skin where they have been bitten.
If your cat continues to scratch them, these red marks can become a rash of hard dry spots which will turn into sores.
You then run the risk of those sores becoming infected.
Fleas can cause skin and coat damage, allergic dermatitis as well as anaemia in your cat.
Your cat can develop a long term allergy to the saliva from fleas.
This is even more common in hot climates.
Cat fleas can also carry tapeworm and serious viral or bacterial infections.
The cat flea itself will usually live for six months though they can live on a host for up to two years.
During their life, they will lay hundreds of eggs in your cat's fur.
The larvae feed on flea faeces and will become adults, laying their own eggs, in 3-5 weeks.
Fleas prefer humid conditions and are most active when temperatures are over 62 degrees Fahrenheit or 17 degrees Celsius.
Adult fleas are wingless but can jump huge distances and from animal to animal or animal to human.
Their outer shell is very hard and can stand tremendous pressure.
The only way that I have found to kill them is to squash them between two fingernails.
Fleas will drop out of the cat's fur and hatch into larvae in cracks in the floorboards, in carpets, on furniture or anywhere they can find.
I remember when I was around 12 or 13 and we had a cat and a dog.
We went away for our Christmas break taking the dog with us and leaving the cat with enough food and water.
She also had access to the outside for elimination.
My father came back one day to check on the house and the cat and found a flea infestation of hundreds of thousands of them.
He was unable to walk through the rooms as they were jumping all over him.
It was necessary to have a professional pest controller come in and spray the house to get rid of them.
When we came back from our holiday, the floors were covered with a two inch layer of dead fleas.
Not something I ever want to experience again! If your cat does have fleas, you must treat the house as well as the cat.
Speak to your vet about an effective cat flea shampoo and then bathe and re-bathe your cat.
Repeat for at least two weeks.
If you don't want to do this, have a professional pet service or your vet do this.
You may not want to break your cat's trust in you by bathing it yourself, or you may not want to risk the scratches and bites that will undoubtedly occur unless your cat is used to being washed.
You will need to disinfect everything you possibly can.
Furniture, curtains, carpets, floors, cat bedding, cushions.
Anywhere that you think a flea may lay eggs.
I suggest vacuuming daily for at least two weeks to break the cycle.
Anything that can be washed should be done in hot water.
Again, follow up and repeat for at least two weeks.
For your cat, there are some different treatments you can try.
Probably the best and easiest is a 'spot' treatment which goes on between your cat's shoulder blades.
This will protect the whole cat.
Flea collars can be used but not all cats can tolerate them.
I am not a fan of putting a chemical flea collar anywhere near the skin of my cats.
Young children run the risk of transferring the chemicals to their fingers and mouth when playing with the cat.
Be prepared for your cat to be extremely agitated when you do treat it as fleas will try to get away.
They will run all over your poor cat and make her very miserable for a while.
I don't suggest using a flea powder as your cat runs the risk of ingesting it while grooming.
If your cat has easy access to the outside, you will need to treat your garden as well.
Commercial flea foggers should be fine outdoors.
Never use dog flea treatments on your cat as you run the risk of poisoning it.
Cat fleas are not fun for anyone.
Early treatment will be much easier than letting them become a problem.
They are horrible pests that make life uncomfortable for your cat and your family.
If you notice your cat scratching more than normal, check along the spine and at the base of it where it joins the tail.
If you notice what looks like dark chocolate brown grit, put some onto damp tissue.
If red leaches out onto the tissue then they are flea droppings which are mainly made up of dried blood.
Fleas will leave red marks on your cat's skin where they have been bitten.
If your cat continues to scratch them, these red marks can become a rash of hard dry spots which will turn into sores.
You then run the risk of those sores becoming infected.
Fleas can cause skin and coat damage, allergic dermatitis as well as anaemia in your cat.
Your cat can develop a long term allergy to the saliva from fleas.
This is even more common in hot climates.
Cat fleas can also carry tapeworm and serious viral or bacterial infections.
The cat flea itself will usually live for six months though they can live on a host for up to two years.
During their life, they will lay hundreds of eggs in your cat's fur.
The larvae feed on flea faeces and will become adults, laying their own eggs, in 3-5 weeks.
Fleas prefer humid conditions and are most active when temperatures are over 62 degrees Fahrenheit or 17 degrees Celsius.
Adult fleas are wingless but can jump huge distances and from animal to animal or animal to human.
Their outer shell is very hard and can stand tremendous pressure.
The only way that I have found to kill them is to squash them between two fingernails.
Fleas will drop out of the cat's fur and hatch into larvae in cracks in the floorboards, in carpets, on furniture or anywhere they can find.
I remember when I was around 12 or 13 and we had a cat and a dog.
We went away for our Christmas break taking the dog with us and leaving the cat with enough food and water.
She also had access to the outside for elimination.
My father came back one day to check on the house and the cat and found a flea infestation of hundreds of thousands of them.
He was unable to walk through the rooms as they were jumping all over him.
It was necessary to have a professional pest controller come in and spray the house to get rid of them.
When we came back from our holiday, the floors were covered with a two inch layer of dead fleas.
Not something I ever want to experience again! If your cat does have fleas, you must treat the house as well as the cat.
Speak to your vet about an effective cat flea shampoo and then bathe and re-bathe your cat.
Repeat for at least two weeks.
If you don't want to do this, have a professional pet service or your vet do this.
You may not want to break your cat's trust in you by bathing it yourself, or you may not want to risk the scratches and bites that will undoubtedly occur unless your cat is used to being washed.
You will need to disinfect everything you possibly can.
Furniture, curtains, carpets, floors, cat bedding, cushions.
Anywhere that you think a flea may lay eggs.
I suggest vacuuming daily for at least two weeks to break the cycle.
Anything that can be washed should be done in hot water.
Again, follow up and repeat for at least two weeks.
For your cat, there are some different treatments you can try.
Probably the best and easiest is a 'spot' treatment which goes on between your cat's shoulder blades.
This will protect the whole cat.
Flea collars can be used but not all cats can tolerate them.
I am not a fan of putting a chemical flea collar anywhere near the skin of my cats.
Young children run the risk of transferring the chemicals to their fingers and mouth when playing with the cat.
Be prepared for your cat to be extremely agitated when you do treat it as fleas will try to get away.
They will run all over your poor cat and make her very miserable for a while.
I don't suggest using a flea powder as your cat runs the risk of ingesting it while grooming.
If your cat has easy access to the outside, you will need to treat your garden as well.
Commercial flea foggers should be fine outdoors.
Never use dog flea treatments on your cat as you run the risk of poisoning it.
Cat fleas are not fun for anyone.
Early treatment will be much easier than letting them become a problem.
Source...