How to treat and prevent fleas and ticks for cats

In warm, humid environments, cat fleas can thrive on your feline friend’s fur. Not only can cat fleas cause discomfort, but it can also be lethal.

Through the years, there have been many innovations to help both relieve and prevent cat fleas for all ages. But before you can know what the right method is for your cat, you must first understand what cat ticks and fleas are.

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What are cat ticks and fleas?

Ctenocephalides felis or cat fleas can be extremely uncomfortable for your cat. Not only is itchy, but it can also lead to flea-allergic dermatitis that leads to excessive grooming, hair loss, and painful bumps all over their body.

Despite having the most common domestic flea, cats are notorious for trying to hide their fleas. When grooming, cats sometimes ingest their adult fleas that make infestations hard to detect. Typically, cat owners spot fleas through flea dirt on their coat or seeing an adult flea on less hairy parts of their skin.

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Adult cat fleas can grow up to a quarter of an inch in length and can lay up to 50 eggs a day. These eggs can hide in many parts of your house and cause an infestation. In some cases, adult fleas even hurt people, causing red, swollen, and itchy bumps a few minutes after the bite.

Even if your cat lives indoors, they can get infected by humans or other pets who may have unwillingly carried fleas over from the outside world. Indoor cats can also receive ticks and fleas during a routine vet visit or just by staying too close to the window or door. In fact, many indoor cats can get fleas from rats or mice hiding in your home!

Why do you need to get rid of cat fleas?

Infected cats with fleas can also experience tapeworms, which are long, white, and flatworms that thrive in the intestines of cats. If left untreated, tapeworms can cause intestinal blockages and anemia. In particular, tapeworms can be lethal for kittens or cats with weak immune systems.

When exposed to infected parasites, cats can get ill from a variety of diseases. One of the diseases caused by infected parasites is Cat Scratch Fever (Bartonellosis). Despite not being a bother for most cats, Cat Scratch Fever can transfer to and cause problems for humans.

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Some of the other, more potentially fatal diseases caused by cat fleas include Bobcat Fever (Cytauxzoonosis), Tularemia, and even the Plague.

So, now that you know what cat fleas are and why you need to get off them. Here are several ways that you can use to prevent them from hurting your cat:

Flea and Tick Prevention for Cats

Preventing fleas and ticks is a lifelong journey. With parasites just waiting at a chance to attack, you need to commit to regularly taking steps to protect your cat from topical, oral, or injectable ways.

Flea Combs

Flea combs not only help check for fleas and flea dirt but also help manage shedding by removing dead hair. Stubborn adult fleas make up 5% of flea infestations.

Ideally, the gap between the comb teeth should be 0.155mm, which is small enough to catch the adult fleas. A good rule of thumb is to put your prospective flea comb up to a light source. If you can see the light pass through, the spaces in between the teeth are too far apart.

Flea Sprays

On average, flea sprays are effective for up to 30 days. However, some can last for up to six months. Directly sprayed unto your cat, it commonly requires being rubbed in using cloth or gloves.

Shampoos

Depending on the shampoo, it may be effective against all life stages. Anti-flea shampoo works hours after its use and can be effective for up to a month. Often, these are only allowed to be used by animals aged twelve weeks and up.

Additionally, you may have the added benefits of helping soothe itchy skin, get rid of dandruff, provide a pleasant scent, and even get soft, smooth fur.

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Collars

Through releasing preventative flea medication through a cat collar, Flea collars offer protection by killing adult fleas. Flea collars often contain ingredients such as permethrin, pyrethroids, or Methoprene, a growth-inhibiting substance.

While usually meant to last for eight months, it is not always effective and may cause skin irritation. If you plan to use a collar, opt to use one from a licensed veterinarian instead of the ones sold in stores.

Topical Solution

Often applied to the nape of your cat, spot-on topical solutions kill the majority of adult fleas within twelve hours. The degree of efficiency varies per brand, but the prevention is typically valid for a month.

While this is typically one of the common ways that pet owners prevent parasites, there have been several studies by the United States FDA that show adverse reactions from cats that range from skin irritation, seizures, and even death.

Oral Medication

Recommended for younger kittens and furry cat breeds where topical methods may be difficult to administer, oral medication is a fast-acting solution that may have gastrointestinal side effects.

Flea Proofing Your Home

If you suspect that your cat is getting ticks from inside your home, you must also treat the spaces that your cat frequents. To avoid further re-infection, you can do a combination of vacuuming floors and spraying the various surfaces.

Should your cat frequently spends time on your mattress or couch, you should get them professionally cleaned through steaming. Additionally, wash your beddings, mattresses, and cat beds under at least 70 degrees Celsius to kill flea eggs and larvae.

A Holistic Flea and Tick Prevention Approach

The best way to avoid the adverse effects of ticks and fleas is to maintain the health of your feline friend. Your cat’s skin condition is a reflection of their overall health, and the healthier they are, they are less likely to fall ill. Make sure they have a good diet, get enough exercise, and never miss a scheduled vet appointment.

Flea and Tick prevention need a combination of methods to address ticks and fleas throughout their various life stages from the pupae, eggs, larvae, and adult.

Preventing a flea and tick infestation needs a holistic solution which starts with treating or flea proofing your home, limiting exposure to other animals that may be infected, to investing in various topical, oral, or injectable solutions.