Cat flea infestation is common but not normal. Those tiny parasites can cause so much harm to your pets if not treated immediately. Not only they cause skin problems and allergies but also they are carriers of other internal parasites like ringworms and tapeworms. Well, you might have so many questions regarding getting rid of them and tackling the flea problems. We have the answers.
But before I tell you how exactly you can put end to all the fleas from the surrounding, let’s know a little about fleas first.
A Little Bit About Fleas And Their Life Cycle
A harsh fact is that an adult flea stuck to a cat stay permanently on her body until it dies or removed. A female flea lays 50 eggs per day. These eggs fall from the cat’s body and hatch in larvae in about 16 days.
These larvae then turn themselves into unmoving pupae in cocoons where they grow in adult fleas. These cocoons are hardy and can live up to
2 years of time if they do not find the host. When they feel the presence of favorable conditions like warmth, carbon dioxide, and vibrations, in short, a host, they emerge as fleas and attach themselves to a host immediately.
Flea cocoons also feel a safe haven in a well-ventilated and centrally-heated house. So, when you have such favorable conditions for fleas to develop, you need to get rid of them from the house also to get rid of them altogether.
And this cycle keeps repeating itself until the perfect flea prevention for cats is used. Here are some ways how you can get rid of them.
Flea Treatment In House
When fleas enter your apartment or your house, you should seek professional help to get rid of them. Even a single flea alive can cause trouble for you because they can multiply themselves in no time.
Unfortunately, fleas can live on any organic matter they find around. They especially thrive on flea dirt, the fecal matter of fleas stuck on the host which mostly has dried blood of the cat. So ensuring that there are not any fleas or organic matter available is crucial.
First Thing To Do
This whole mission is tricky. Begin with washing your pet’s carrier, blanket, and bed if possible. In addition, you should also clean and vacuum car seat cushions, covers, and couches thoroughly and make sure you litter the garbage the way that fleas can’t find their way to your home back.
There are some different home remedies available to tackle the problem but they do not always work. We will discuss other methods in this article but always remember that if you don’t see the problem is solved, you should seek professional help.
This generally happens because sometimes home remedies only can kill adult fleas and the larvas and eggs present in the house can still cause flea infestation. Now, let’s see some of them to keep the fleas away from your cat.
Homemade Spray
The idea is to make a herbal spray from common ingredients available in the house. These ingredients are safe for dogs and children but toxic for fleas.
You will need 4 liters cider vinegar, 500 ml lemon juice, 2 liters of tap water, and 250 ml of witch hazel. Simply mix all the ingredients and fill it in a spray bottle. But before spraying your home with this spray, make sure you have vacuum cleaned your house thoroughly as mentioned in the previous section.
Now spray this mixture in your house on carpets, pet beds, furniture, windows, window sills, floors, and every possible place where fleas can be present.
Baking Soda
You can find baking soda in your kitchen easily. Actually, baking soda can make cleaning easier and effective. Simply apply baking soda on carpets and furniture. Then grab a brush with hard teeth and rub gently on the fabric and furniture.
However, many will argue about the efficiency of baking soda. It has been a topic of debate whether baking soda makes is effective on bed bugs or not. Well, bed bugs are similar to fleas and of course are effective on cat fleas.
When you apply baking soda, also scientifically known as Sodium Bicarbonate, it will absorb all the liquid matter, in short, the moisture.
These cat fleas thrive on flea dirt and absorb moisture from it. Baking soda will absorb whatever they can and dehydrate cat fleas and make vacuuming more effective.
Diatomaceous Earth
Also known as D.E., diatomous earth is basically diatoms of microscopic remains of fossilized algae. They are available in the market in powder form and works similarly as baking soda but more effectively.
Apply DE which you think is the area highly infested with fleas. DE is non-toxic to pets and humans but it is important that you get food-grade one. Sometimes it can get messy and can cause irritation in your eyes and sore throat. Also, use a face mask during this procedure.
Leave the area two days with DE applied so that diatomous earth can work properly and kill the fleas.
The EndNote
When you detect flea infestation in your cat, go to your vet and use medication or cat flea removal products as per prescription. In addition, you should make sure that you make your house flea-free as to avoid any chances of flea infestation in the future. I have mentioned a few home remedies you can use but if you think fleas haven’t gone completely, you can always seek professional help.
