Have you ever cuddled up with your cat only to find some dark and small stuff crawling in its hair? That can be a scary moment! The smart thing to do is to immediately do a simple test to prevent further infestation. Cat fleas multiply very rapidly if left unchecked and can spread to humans easily as well. A cat flea treatment often isn’t enough and you’ll have to deep clean your whole home.
Signs that the little insects have invaded your cat are fairly easy to notice. Your cat may be scratching very often and more intensely than normal. You or others staying in your home may have red itchy spots on your ankles or stomach as well.
Comb your cat's fur near its tail and you will find small bits of dead fur and blackish dirt. That could be the excrement of fleas. Do a quick test: tap the hair and dirt onto a white piece of paper and sprinkle over with water. If the little bits of crumbling, blackish material dissolve into bloody bits, it’s time to give your pet a cat flea treatment. The tiny black fleas may be crawling or jumping about. It is critical that you send your cat for a flea treatment immediately, as you need to stop the cat fleas from multiplying as quickly as you can.
Veterinarians these days are offering easy solutions for cat flea treatment. A treatment called "Advantage" will help get rid of the cat flea problem without having to give your cat a bath in insecticidal solutions (also available at your veterinarian). This cat flea treatment is a spot-on treatment. You only need to place a drop of the solution onto your cat's skin in between its shoulder blades. Reapply at scheduled intervals to make sure that all fleas are killed. That’s it! "Frontline" is another popular choice for spot-on treatments.
There are also non-chemical cat flea treatments. However, these are less straightforward than spot-on solutions. Washing your cat with 1 - 2 rounds of soapy water and then combing (once it is dry) with a fine-toothed flea comb can help remove cat flea eggs, larvae and mature insects from your cat's fur. You’ll probably have to comb your cat every night for several to make the cat flea treatment effective. Wiping a lemon-juice repellent on your cat's fur can help to remove any cat flea hitchhikers on your cat, although you will have to manually remove the eggs and larvae.
Whichever treatment you choose, for an effective cat flea treatment, you’ll need to vacuum your home thoroughly and steam-clean your carpets and furniture as well. Wash all bedding, throws, or blankets the cat is in contact with in hot, soapy water. Secure the vacuum bag in a plastic bag before throwing it into the outside garbage bin.
Prevention is definitely better than cure. You can try these natural remedies to get rid of cat flea worries before the pests invade your pet. Add a tiny bit of garlic into your cat's meal and add a spoonful of apple cider vinegar to its water. If it doesn't want to drink it, then just use the apple cider vinegar as a spray to deter fleas by misting your pet every now and then.
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