What to Do When Cats Get Fleas

If your cat gets fleas, you need to do something about them quickly. There are several methods you can use, including cleaning the bedding and vacuuming. Steam cleaning is also an excellent way to kill any lingering fleas. It is also recommended that you wash your pet’s bedding every two weeks.

The first thing you should do is check your cat’s coat for flea dirt. Flea dirt is reddish brown and is a sign of flea infestation. Fleas usually camp on a cat’s back, underbelly, and behind its head. Flea dirt is the result of their digestion of blood.

Fleas live for as long as a year. Female fleas lay up to 50 eggs in a day. A single flea can lay up to 1,500 eggs in a lifetime. Fleas are small insects that can leap 100 times their body length. Ninety-five percent of their eggs, larvae, and pupae live in the environment. A pet can develop an allergy to flea dirt and can even lose its hair.

Fleas can live inside the home, so it’s important to treat your cat’s environment as well as its clothing with a flea-killing spray. Fleas prefer warm, humid environments and shaded areas. They may live in the baseboards of a home or under furniture. Once indoors, flea eggs can hatch and infect your cat.