When I first got a cat, I thought it was pretty normal that she used to constantly scratch the back of her ears. This was until my butt started to itch every time I used to sit on the chair. Soon I started seeing bites on my hand and realized that they were coming from the fleas on my cat.
Below is the exact method I used to permanently get rid of fleas on both my cat and in my home in less than 2 hours. Hopefully these flea treatment for cats will help you too!
| Steps | Items | How to |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Flea Shampoo | The first step is to give your cat a bath. Since my cat is slightly aggressive when it comes to giving her a bath, I find that it's better to wear a pair of gloves for protection. When you're giving her a bath, be sure to use some type of flea shampoo. You'll see at this stage, a couple of fleas already falling off from your cat. |
| Step 2 | Flea Comb | After you've finished bathing your cat, dry her with a towel and then start combing her. It's essential that you use a good comb so that you can remove as much excess hair as possible. When you're combing her, be sure to use a hairdryer too so that the water evaporates faster. When you're combing her, you'll once again notice that fleas are dropping dead... some alive, one by one. After you're done, put the towel in the wash and hoover the place where you gave her a shower in order to get rid of any fleas that may still be alive. |
| Step 3 (optional) | Ear Drops | This step isn't necessary, but I like to do it anyway by adding ear drops straight after she's been bathed. |
| Step 4 | Flea Drops | An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - Benjamin FranklinThis is probably the most important step. Buying flea drops will not only kill any types of fleas that is still on your cat, but it'll also prevent your kitty from getting them in the first place. |
| Step 5 | Flea Spray | Great, so now your kitty is flea free, all you have left to do is kill the fleas left in your house. You can buy flea sprays from pet shops or from Amazon and spray them around the house. Be sure to also spray it on the corners around the house as well as the places where your cat chills out. |
Cat scratching is something a cat owner witnesses countless times. This is the most obvious sign of fleas on cats. Although your cat may be scratching itself because it feels like it, be sure to check for fleas anyway if you see it doing this frequently.
So how do cats get fleas?
It’s quite simple.
They get them from other cats or just pick them up as they go. Fleas aren’t difficult to find and every cat is at risk of picking them up as soon as it goes outside. This is the main reason why so many cats have them.
Cat Fleas. Does she have them?
Unless you speak cat, observe. You’ve most likely noticed cats scratching the back of their ear rapidly, be it casually or suddenly in the middle of their sleep.
I myself have been surprised quite a few times when they jump to scratch themselves or lick a random part of their body. Fleas can be quite a common cause of this sudden behavior that most of us seem to ignore.
It’s easy to spot fleas moving all over your cat’s body, if the cat’s behavior is nothing unusual for you. Be sure to thoroughly check your cat for fleas because sometimes while licking their fur, they remove the fleas from sight.
Fleas can jump very fast and are of course very small. They have a flat body with a dark color. Brown/black usually. The more blood they take, the lighter in color they appear.
Help your cat as fast as you can, even though fleas chilling around don’t pose too great of a risk right away. As cats scratch their body parts, they can turn them red and slightly bumpy. Check your cat’s armpits, the belly and the lower side of the body. Fleas like to hide there.
Flea medicine for cats
Your cat has fleas. Now what?
You shouldn’t let fleas in your home in the first place, and prevention is key, but we’ll discuss that later. Right now we need to get those fleas off your cat.
Flea combs: For a basic removal you could literally start tracking fleas down one by one, so to speak. Get a flea comb with very dense teeth that are designed to comb fleas out. If you try this, you need to be extremely thorough, and comb the entire body of your cat.
A chemical approach (not recommended): In the past people usually resorted to covering cats with various powders, which meant the cat is not to be touched by anyone for a few days.
The powders were somewhat effective but today we’ve advanced a bit. The powder treatment is outdated because it causes the cats fur to dry out and could be inhaled by the cat, which can lead to problems. Not to mention the cat licking its own fur while it’s covered in this chemical.
Collars: Although you don’t want to take your cat to the vet, go visit the vet anyway. Get a collar that is designed to kick the fleas off your cat’s body. Most flea collars will get rid of the adult fleas as well as the eggs. They’re quite effective in taking out fleas in the area around the neck and the head, but some fleas may survive on the other body parts.
Cat drops/ampoules: This is a personal recommendation because it’s the easiest to apply. This is a tiny container of liquid. The chemical spreads through the cat’s body, causing it to attack fleas everywhere on the body. You can see if it’s effective, if your cat starts behaving more irritated that usual.
The chemicals attack the fleas until they die, causing them to bite in defense. Slight cat hyperactivity is nothing unusual.
This rule applies to any other kind of treatment. You just part the hair on the back of your cat’s neck as much as you can, so that the skin is visible, and spread the contents on the skin.
Your cat can’t reach it to lick it, but be careful not to let any other related cats do it for them until the liquid is absorbed. This lasts a bit shorter than the collars but is quite effective, especially if your cat loses its collar, and by loses I mean you find that same collar on your neighbor’s cat.
No matter what you must follow the instructions on the packaging, be it a shampoo, collar or any other kind of chemical. If your own skin isn’t sensitive you can ignore the suggestion about gloves for an easier approach, just be sure to wash your hands after coming in contact with it.
Cat fleas on humans. Should you be afraid?
Unlike many people, fleas aren’t judgmental and will bite everything that has blood in it. They do however prefer attacking animals but fleas biting people isn’t unheard of. Although fleas on humans isn’t that serious today, in medieval times they spread plague and other diseases which took countless lives.
If you have tiny itchy red dots somewhere on your body, usually around the ankles, it could be that a flea took a nibble on you.
Fleas carry various diseases like Anemia, Tapeworms, Haemobartonellosis (A stronger form of Anemia) and many others. Keep in mind that fleas jump over a foot (33cm) so they can reach your body without a problem.
Adult humans aren’t the problem but if your cat has fleas keep it away from babies. Their immune systems aren’t fully formed and will be more affected by fleas and the diseases they may carry.
Keep fleas out of your house
Unless they pay you rent, fleas in houses are not acceptable. Wash the sheets where fleas are most encountered, usually where your cat sleeps. You should definitely pay attention especially if you have young kittens.
Sometimes the mother can carry fleas and other menaces to her young unintentionally and although more agile than human babies, kittens are still building their immune systems.
Aside from cleaning the parts of your house from fleas you should consider getting a spray to resolve the issue.
Cleaning your cat from fleas can be quite easy but fleas in houses can be quite frustrating and they require quite a bit of time to get rid of.
If you get a spray, mostly aim at the corners of the house, carpets and other spots you suspect have fleas or flea eggs. Most people spray their entire house, as it is most effective. The spray chemicals last quite a bit so don’t worry about them timing out soon. Once you get rid of fleas inside your house, be sure your cat doesn’t bring them back in, so you won’t have to repeat the process.Home remedies for fleas on cats
If you’re looking for an alternative cat flea medicine, then check out my recent article here on how to create a natural flea control for cats.
The best flea treatment for cats
The purrfect solution is that there is none. Many owners have reported that using only one solution doesn’t work. If you rid your home of fleas, your cat brings the fleas back in, and vice versa. One attempt to get rid of fleas may not be enough. This is why I created the grid in the beginning of this article in order to show you lots of ways on how to get rid of fleas on cats. Be sure to test these flea control for cats and see what works best for you.
