How to remove fleas from adult cats and small kittens?

Fleas often become companions of pets who walk outside and interact with stray animals. The parasites deftly jump onto the fur and lay hundreds of eggs. After 2-3 weeks, the pet’s body and the owner’s home are infested with insects. In this article you will learn how to remove fleas from a kitten or adult cat and completely clean your house of annoying parasites.

Meet the common flea

Researchers have described 2,086 species of fleas. They were united into 15 families. Pet owners typically encounter members of the common flea family.

The length of the insect's body is 3-4 millimeters, which makes it invisible. Juveniles are black in color, while adults are dark brown. A durable chitinous shell protects against damage and crushing.

The body of the parasite is flattened on the sides, which allows it to quickly move along the thick fur. The paws are covered with numerous bristles for better grip. The hind limbs are longer than the front ones, so the insect is capable of jumping up to 30 centimeters in height and 40-50 centimeters in length.

The common flea lays 400-500 eggs, 6-8 eggs at a time. Ripening lasts on average 10-14 days. The larvae feed not on blood, but on decomposed organic matter: dust, debris, particles of the epidermis.

Then they turn into pupae. In this form, the flea is almost impossible to destroy. Even the most poisonous remedies do not help. The pupae endure cold and heat, go without food for several months, and become adult insects the moment they feel safe.

Thus, it is necessary to remove fleas from cats in several stages in order to destroy parasites at different stages of development.

How dangerous are fleas for a cat and its owner?

The flea is an ectoparasite that feeds on the blood of mammals. It attacks cats, dogs, rats, rabbits and humans.

Unlike other insects (bugs, lice, ticks), the flea does not secrete an anesthetic enzyme, so its bite is painful. The cat scratches and tears at the affected areas, which leads to wounds and inflammation.

Kittens, pregnant females and sick pets suffer seriously from bites. They may experience fatigue, weakened immunity, anemia, and allergic reactions.

Fleas can infect cats and humans with worms. They also carry dangerous diseases:

• encephalitis;
• rash type;
• hepatitis B and C;
• plague;
• brucellosis;
• tuberculosis.

Thus, seemingly harmless insects not only cause discomfort, but also pose a real threat to health.

Sources of infection

It is clear that when a cat often walks outside, sooner or later she will bring parasites into the house if she does not wear a protective collar. What about pet cats?

Unfortunately, even such pets are not 100% immune from fleas.Insects can enter a cat's fur in several ways:

• Clothes and shoes. Fleas live in the upper layers of soil and can easily jump on a person while he is walking around the block. And parasite eggs usually stick to the sole.
• Open doors and windows. In the summer heat, the owners of cottages and village houses leave their homes to be ventilated. The flea jumps freely into the room.
• Basements without concrete floor. The ideal place for preserving eggs and larvae of parasites: dark, damp, with soil. Adult insects climb into the house via stairs and make their way through cracks in the floor and walls.
• Neighbor's apartment. If parasites become crowded in one home, they will happily colonize neighboring territories.

How can you tell if your pet has contracted fleas?

Before saving a cat from insects, find out who you are dealing with. Constant scratching does not necessarily indicate that your pet has contracted fleas. He could have encountered a tick bite, worms or a skin disease. A live flea cannot be confused with another insect, but it cannot always be detected.

Part the cat's fur. At the site of the flea bite, a red spot with a black dot in the center and a pink halo forms. The wounds take a long time to heal and itch, and the pet looks restless. Insects prefer to bite a cat in the neck and abdomen.

The presence of fleas is also indicated by black comma-shaped dots and a sticky white coating on the fur. This is parasite excrement. Flea eggs look like grains of salt.

Indirect signs of a cat being infected with fleas:

• weakness;
• poor appetite;
• restless sleep;
• unusually aggressive behavior;
• frequent licking of fur.

Chemicals against fleas

Pet stores and veterinary pharmacies sell a variety of flea treatments for cats.They contain insecticides and repellents.

Insecticides are toxic substances that have a nerve-paralytic effect on the flea's shell. The parasite comes into contact with the product, loses the ability to move and dies. The flea also receives a lethal dose of insecticide when consuming the pet's blood.

Examples of insecticides:

• "Fipronil";
• "Permethrin";
• "Moxidectin";
• "Etofenprox";
• "Pyriproxyfen";
• "Tetrochlorinphos".

Repellents are substances that repel insects with their smell. Included in preventive collars, flea treatments for kittens, pregnant and sick cats.

Examples of repellents:

• geraniol;
• peppermint essential oil;
• lemongrass essential oil;
• margosa extract;
• tansy;
• sagebrush.

Let's look at the main forms of flea products that are sold in pet stores and veterinary pharmacies.

Shampoos

Among all insecticidal preparations they have the mildest effect. They not only help get rid of ectoparasites, but also take care of the coat. The main advantage is that the cat cannot lick the toxic substance off itself, and therefore become poisoned. True, not all pets easily tolerate water procedures.

On sale you can find shampoos for kittens from 2-3 months. Some products are suitable for pregnant and weakened cats.

Possible side effects:

• irritation (shampoos have a drying effect, so they are not suitable for pets with sensitive skin);
• hair loss;
• allergic reaction;
• food poisoning (if the owner did not wash off the remaining shampoo from the cat’s fur).

How to properly treat your pet with insecticidal shampoo?

1. Pour warm water over the cat's fur.
2. Pour shampoo into wet palms (following the dosage indicated in the instructions) and lather.
3. Part your pet's fur in several places and apply the product, starting from the neck area. There is no need to soap your hair.
4. Massage your pet's body until a light foam forms.
5. Leave the shampoo on for 1-3 minutes.
6. Rinse thoroughly with clean warm water.

If you are going to bathe a kitten, it is better not to apply shampoo to the fur, but to dissolve it in a basin beforehand.

After the water procedure, wrap your pet in a terry towel, which will absorb excess moisture. When the fur is dry, comb your cat with a comb to remove dead insects, eggs and larvae.

Table 1. Good anti-flea shampoos for cats

Drops

The easiest flea remedy to use. Usually applied to the withers and along the pet's spine. After 1-2 days, the toxic substance is evenly distributed throughout the coat and accumulates in the sebaceous glands. Fleas die after eating blood, and some parasites jump off the fur due to the terrible smell.

Table 2. Good anti-flea drops for cats

Sprays (aerosols)

The most toxic products that are used in case of severe parasite infestation of a cat. It is better to carry out the treatment outdoors. Aerosols are not suitable for pregnant, lactating and sick cats and kittens.

Rules for using flea spray:

1. The product is sprayed at a distance of 20 centimeters from the body against the cat's fur.
2. To treat your pet's head, you must first apply the spray to a damp cloth.
3. Do not get it in the cat's eyes or nose.
4. It is recommended to rub some of the product into your pet's skin. You can do this with rubber gloves.
5. Until the fur is completely dry, you should not allow your pet to lick itself or approach other animals or small children.

Thus, sprays are suitable only for the most persistent and patient cats. But they effectively destroy adult fleas, larvae, eggs and even pupae.

Table 3. Good flea sprays for cats

Flea collar

It is a flexible tape made of material impregnated with insecticides and repellents. It is not so much a therapeutic remedy as a prophylactic against fleas. It is unlikely that it will be possible to remove parasites only with its help - the insects will simply run from the neck area to the tail.

You should put the collar on after you have eliminated fleas from your cat using other methods. The product will not allow larvae and pupae to turn into adult insects.

Possible side effects: allergic reactions, itching, hair loss, nausea.

How to help a small kitten?

Unfortunately, most chemical products are not suitable for kittens due to the high concentration of insecticides. Even “mild” shampoos, drops and powders are allowed from the age of 2-3 months.

Any chemical preparation cannot be used if the baby has not yet been weaned from the mother. After all, the cat can lick off toxins, which then get into the milk.

How to remove fleas from a kitten? First, boil your pet’s personal belongings: bedding, pillow, soft toys. This way you will get rid of most of the parasite larvae and eggs.

The kitten can be bathed for 3-5 minutes in one of the following solutions:

• salt (300 grams per 10 liters), if there is no severe inflammation on the skin;
• tar soap (1/4 per 10 liters);
• wormwood decoction.

Then the pet is rinsed with clean warm water. When the kitten is dry, it should be thoroughly combed with a fine-toothed comb.

Apartment pest control

It is difficult to completely get rid of fleas at home. Imagine that you have removed parasites from a cat's fur and skin. But after a month, fleas may bother your pet again. The fact is that 80–90% of flea eggs, larvae and pupae are not on the cat, but in the living room. Fleas prefer secluded corners: floor crevices, baseboards, carpets, bedding and pillows, mattresses. Therefore, simultaneously with removing parasites from the cat, it is necessary to carry out a complete disinfestation and general cleaning of the room.

The process of getting rid of fleas includes the following steps.

1. Using insecticidal sprays to treat floors, walls and furniture. Processing is carried out after removing people and animals from the premises, wearing protective gloves, goggles and a respiratory mask. After spraying the aerosol, you need to leave the apartment for half a day, and then ventilate it for 2-3 hours.
2. Vacuum cleaner. Particular care should be taken in corners, carpets, upholstered furniture and under beds.
3. Wash. Bed linen, soft toys, bedding, blankets and bedspreads go into the washing machine.
4. Wet cleaning. It is recommended to add essential oils against fleas to the water for washing floors: geranium, lavender, pine, eucalyptus, tea tree, mint.

To completely remove fleas from a cat, all the measures described above must be repeated after 3-4 weeks.

Thus, to get rid of parasites, it is not enough to use one product and treat only the pet’s fur. Fleas reproduce quickly and easily survive in harsh conditions. Use several methods known to you to forget about harmful insects for a long time.