Fleas are the most common external parasite of dogs and cats. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, affects both cats and dogs. Although humans can be bitten by fleas if the flea population is high enough, fleas do not infest humans. Fleas are not only a nuisance but can also transmit disease through their bites. To control fleas, both medical treatment and environmental management are necessary.
Understanding the Flea Life Cycle
There are four stages to the flea life cycle: egg, larvae, pupae, and adult.
A single adult female flea can lay up to 50 eggs in one day! That means even just one flea can start an infestation in our home very quickly. Eggs are laid on your cat and will drop off in the environment, getting left behind everywhere your pet goes.
After approximately 2-12 days, flea eggs hatch into larvae. These larvae feed on the feces of adult fleas and live in dark areas such as in the fibers of carpet or bedding, in the cracks between floorboards, under furniture, under decks, or in shaded areas of your yard. Larvae then spin a cocoon in which pupae develop.
Pupae can remain in their cocoon for 7 days to up to a year, waiting for the right conditions to emerge. The cocoon is resistant to insecticides, insect growth regulators, drying, and freezing. Factors such as vibration, heat, and carbon dioxide can stimulate emergence from the cocoon.
Adult fleas emerge from the cocoon and seek a new host to start biting. They can survive as much as 1-2 weeks without a blood meal until a new host is found. Once a host is found, adult fleas begin feeding within minutes. Female fleas produce eggs within 24-36 hours of their first blood meal, and the cycle continues.
Fleas and Disease
In addition to being a nuisance, fleas can cause serious illness for your pet. Fleas are ravenous bloodsuckers, and a heavy flea infestation can lead to anemia, particularly in young animals. Fleas also transmit Diplidium caninum, or tapeworm. Other diseases transmitted by fleas include Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Yersinia pestis, Leishmania spp., and hemotropic mycoplasmosis.
For some pets, flea bites trigger an allergic reaction known as flea allergy dermatitis or FAD. These pets are hypersensitive to flea saliva and become extremely itchy in response to even a single flea bite. Pets with flea allergy dermatitis may also develop rashes and secondary skin infections as a result of a flea infestation.
But My Cat Can’t Have Fleas!
Most pet owners are incredulous when their pet is diagnosed with fleas. However, your pet can have fleas even if:
- You’ve never seen an adult flea on your cat
- Your cat isn’t itchy
- You haven’t been bitten
- Your home is clean
- Your cat doesn’t go outside
- You use flea prevention sometimes
- Your yard is treated
- You live in a gated community
Fleas are ubiquitous and it only takes one flea to start an infestation. If you or your veterinarian have found evidence of fleas on your pet, then it is likely that there are many more fleas present in your home. Appropriate treatment and control measures are now necessary to address the infestation.
Flea Treatment for Cats
One of the first steps to getting rid of fleas on your cat is choosing an appropriate flea treatment. All pets in the household must be treated for fleas in order to control the flea infestation. To adequately control a flea infestation, a flea medicine for cats should contain an adulticide, which kills the adult fleas, and an insect growth regulator, which ensures that any eggs laid by the adult fleas will be nonviable. A wide variety of suitable products are available on the market today, including oral flea medications, topical spot-on products, and long-acting flea collars.
When choosing a flea medicine for your cat, you must take into account factors such as your cat’s age, your cat’s lifestyle, your cat’s health status, and your budget. Your veterinarian can help you choose an effective product that is best suited to your cat’s individual needs.
How to Get Rid of Fleas in the House
In addition to medication for fleas, it is important to also address the environment. Whenever we have a pet with fleas, the environment the pet lives in is also infested. This is because the pet is dropping flea eggs everywhere they go! These eggs then develop into larvae and pupae, which later emerge as new adult fleas that continue the infestation. Pupae, in particular, are very hardy and can live in the environment for up to a year. It is important to remove these flea stages from the environment to control the infestation.
Environmental management of fleas includes:
- Vacuuming. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae can be located in carpet fibers, on upholstered furniture, and in the cracks between floorboards. Daily vacuuming is recommended to remove these immature stages from the environment. Using a beater-bar brush is recommended to facilitate removal. The vibration of vacuuming can also stimulate adult fleas to emerge from cocoons, making them easier to remove from the environment. Be sure to pay special attention to areas the pet frequents, such as resting areas, as well as areas that fleas are likely to hide, such as behind and under furniture.
- Steam Cleaning. Steam cleaning carpets and flooring can kill adult fleas, larvae, and flea eggs. Doing this regularly in addition to using flea medications on your pet can help control the flea infestation in your home.
- Washing Bedding. Bedding used by your pet should be washed in hot water at least weekly. This includes any areas that are technically for human use but used frequently by your pet, such as couch covers, blankets, sheets, and throw rugs. Frequent washing in hot water removes adult fleas as well as flea eggs, larvae, and pupae from the bedding.
- Outdoor Cleanup. Remove organic debris such as brush and leaves from areas the pet frequents and keep lawns mowed short. This removes the natural hiding areas for flea larvae and exposes them to insecticides.
- Using Flea Spray. A flea spray containing an insecticide and an insect growth regulator can be used to help control fleas in the environment. Hand sprayers or aerosols typically work best; room foggers may not provide adequate coverage. Spray carpets, pet sleeping areas, under furniture, baseboards, windowsills, and other areas where larvae may congregate. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for best results. Note that sprays will not kill pupae, and adult fleas may continue to emerge after treatment.
- Consulting a Professional. In some cases, a professional exterminator is needed to control the flea infestation. A professional can help identify and treat areas of your home and yard that are harboring fleas and can recommend appropriate products that are effective and safe for use around your pets.
Home Remedies for Fleas
While you may read about many different home remedies for fleas on the internet, most of these methods are not effective for flea control. Home remedies for fleas tend to focus on killing only adult fleas and do not address the flea eggs, larvae, and pupae that are present in the environment. This means that new adult fleas will constantly be emerging and you will be stuck with a flea infestation that never ends! The best methods for getting rid of fleas involve controlling fleas on your pet with appropriate flea medications and environmental management of fleas.
Preventing Fleas on Cats
Every cat should be maintained on an appropriate flea prevention medication year-round. This includes indoor cats, too! There are many products available on the market today that are safe and effective. Flea prevention medications for cats include oral flea medications, topical spot-on products, and long-acting flea collars. Many of these products also prevent ticks and there are some products that prevent heartworm as well. Your veterinarian can help you choose a flea prevention product that is best for your cat based on your cat’s age, lifestyle, and health status.
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