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If you’ve noticed your cat excessively scratching or biting themselves, moving around with irritation, and spotted little black creatures running around their skin, you have a flea problem. Chances are that if you look at your skin, you’ll find little red bumps, too.
Unfortunately, simply washing your cat with shampoo to kill the fleas isn’t going to make much of a difference. You can kill the fleas on your cat, but once your cat is dry and back in their cat bed, they’ll be covered in fleas again. If you can see adult fleas on your cat, there will also be eggs, larvae, cocoons, and other fleas in your cat’s bed and on your carpets, sofas, blankets, etc.
Fleas produce eggs in large quantities, laying up to 50 a day and around 2,000 in their potentially 100-day lifespan. Due to this rapid rate, you must act quickly once you notice that little black flea for the first time. The longer you’ve had a flea problem, the longer it’ll take to eliminate it.
Before You Start
Before cleaning your home to rid it of fleas, start by treating your pets. To rule out any other itchy possibilities your cat may be experiencing, take a flea comb and brush it through your cat’s coat. The fine bristles will separate your cat’s hair and expose the fleas. When you start brushing, you’ll most likely notice dark flakes fall onto the surface your cat is sitting on. Next, moisten a white cloth and gently press against the flakes. If they turn red, they’re from fleas, and you can rule out any other possibilities.
Flea Treatments for Your Cat
There are different treatments available to kill the fleas on your cat.
1. Topical Treatment
You can purchase these topical treatments from your vet, online, or pet care stores. It’s vital to read the instructions because they’ll differ depending on your cat’s age, type, and weight. This medication will work within hours but may take a few days before it has killed all the fleas and eggs nestled in your cat’s coat.
The great thing about a topical treatment is that you apply it to the back of your cat’s neck, and it’s effective for an entire month. It will work throughout your cat’s skin and kill fleas on contact without them having to bite first. You can use it indefinitely to protect your cat from future flea bites.
2. Oral Treatment
Another effective flea treatment is in the form of tablets. However, this product is absorbed into the bloodstream, so fleas will only die when they bite your cat. It kills the fleas but also leaves your cat vulnerable to bites and discomfort.
3. Flea Collars
You can also use a flea collar, and you won’t have to worry about fleas on your cat for up to 8 months! The active ingredients protect your cat’s whole body and kill fleas on contact before they bite your cat.
4. Flea Powders
The least effective treatment is flea powder. When rubbed into the coat, it may kill the fleas, but once the powder has been rolled, shaken, or patted off, it no longer protects your cat.
5. Anti-flea Bath
Another option is an anti-flea bath. You’ll need to purchase cat-friendly flea and tick shampoo since standard cat shampoo may not be effective enough. The trouble with flea baths is that they’re not a long-term solution, and your cat may find the process distressing because they typically don’t like water and will fight you to get out of it. Instead of dealing with an upset cat and scratches along your arms, use a topical or oral treatment.
How to Rid Your House of Fleas
Now that you have your cat’s flea problem under control, it’s time to tackle your home. You may need to repeat these steps several times over the next month to get the best results.
1. Clean Your Cat’s Bedding
Fleas die under high temperatures, so putting your cat’s bedding in the washer at the highest temperature will kill any fleas and eggs. Do the same with the tumble-dry cycle. Once it’s dried, make sure to vacuum your cat’s bedding daily until your house is flea-free.
2. Wash Your Own Bedding
You may think fleas only lurk around your cat’s belongings, but that’s false. Fleas thrive in warm, shaded, and undisturbed areas, and your bed and cushions are the perfect spots. Just as you washed and tumble-dried your cat’s bedding under high temperatures, do the same for your blankets and cushion covers on your bed and sofas.
3. Vacuum Everything
An important step that cannot be skipped is vacuuming your home frequently. Fleas love to hide in small spaces on your sofa, carpet, mattress, and other nooks and crannies. Use a powerful vacuum over each of those spots, and don’t rush the process, as you want to suck up as many fleas or eggs as possible.
For the best and fastest results, vacuum at least once a day. Make sure to tie the top of the vacuum bag securely and throw it away.
4. Use a Steam Cleaner
As we’ve mentioned, fleas hate the heat, and this is why using a steamer is such a great idea. Make sure to use a steam cleaner that requires detergent so that the fleas will have no chance of survival.
5. Add Catnip Plants to Your House
Adding plants to your home has many wonderful effects, such as boosting your mood, cleaning the air, and producing oxygen. Some fragrant plants also repel fleas. If you have rosemary or sage plants in your yard, you can put them in pots and place them around your home. Even your cat’s favorite, catnip, is also a flea repellent! Please beware that many of the natural flea-repellent plants we did not include can be toxic to cats, so double-check before bringing potted plants inside your home.
Don’t Forget Your Yard
It’s important to put as much effort into your yard as you put into your home, especially if your cat goes outside to play.
- Mow your lawn. Fleas hide in the long grass your cat enjoys rolling in. To avoid ticks and fleas, keeping your grass short is necessary.
- Rake. Once you’ve mowed the grass, be sure to rake it up, along with any other leaves and debris that may be around. Put everything in a bag and tie it securely.
- Use cedar chips. The smell of cedar chips repels fleas, and they won’t want to hang around for long. However, you will have to restrict your cat’s access to these areas as the phenols and terpenes of the cedar chips can be toxic to your cat.
Conclusion
When ridding your house of fleas, start by treating your cat and other pets. There are various treatment methods, and some are more effective than others. Once your cat has been taken care of, start cleaning your house. Make sure to wash your cat’s bedding and your own at a high temperature in the washer and dryer. While the cycle is running, start vacuuming your house.
Don’t forget about your yard; simply mowing, raking, and scattering cedar chips (with temporarily restricted access to your cat) will reduce the flea population outside. If the flea problem is too great for you to manage, call in the experts.
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Featured Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock
