Spotting and treating fleas on your cat
According to the Guardian, looking at cats is the most popular legal activity on the internet. But whether they are the subject of internet memes, or are a beloved pet, they are all likely to have one thing in common at some point. Fleas. Cat fleas are one of the most widespread species of flea, according to Wikipedia. This species of flea is just as likely to occur in a clean and tidy home as it would in a dirty one, mainly because cats are likely to catch fleas from other animals.
Surprisingly, cat fleas are common not just to cats, but also to dogs and other animals including birds, rabbits and rodents. This means that there is a very good chance that outdoor cats, in particular, could come into contact with other animals that carry the pest and become infested.
There are other sources of flea infestation, including flea eggs which are very durable. Though the female cat flea will lay her eggs on a host animal, these eggs will soon fall off the host and can survive in plants and soil outside, and in bedding, carpets and other furniture inside. Only fire or special pesticides are capable of destroying these eggs, so even if a cat does not come into contact with other animals, there is still a risk that it could become infested with fleas. As well as being an irritant to both the cat and its owner, fleas can also carry dangerous diseases or increase the risk of tapeworm.
It is a sensible choice, then, to err on the side of caution when an owner is considering whether or not they should opt for flea treatments for cats such as sold by the Pet Medicine Company.
A preventative treatment is usually the best choice in most cases, and, according to the RSPCA regular treatments will help reduce the risk of cats contracting tapeworms as well.
Preventative treatments work only when applied regularly to a cat, ideally every five weeks, although this can vary from product to product. These treatments claim to tackle not just the adult fleas, but also prevent the development and growth of eggs and larvae. However, if your cat is already displaying any symptoms of having fleas, such as scratching, or the owner themselves is bitten, there are flea treatments for cats available from online pet pharmacies (Pet Medicine Company is just one of them) which can also kill the fleas on the cat.
It is important to remember that flea treatment for cats can actually be different to flea treatment for dogs. Some flea medicine for canines can actually be very dangerous for felines.
If a home has been infested, it is also vital to thoroughly vacuum carpets and clean bedding and soft furnishing to prevent further attacks. Also, cat owners should be aware that central heating creates a very favourable environment to cat flea eggs which means eggs which have been lying dormant for months may well hatch when the heating goes on.