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Cat
Flea Control
Has your cat become infested with
fleas or ticks? If his buggy skin has been keeping you up all
night, it is time for you to get those fleas or ticks under
control.
Even the cleanest cats can end up with a flea infestation.
All it takes to turn your flealess pet into a flea bag is one
friendly stray cat or dog that comes along for a visit and leaves
his fleas behind. When a person or cat walks outside, he
will pick up the fleas and bring them inside. Even one flea
can lay quite a few eggs. When the eggs hatch, you will have a full
scale infestation.
Some people don't want to risk having fleas or ticks at all and
use a flea and tick preventative before the insects even appear.
Two of the most well known flea and tick preventatives for cats
are Frontline and Advantix. These products both come as pre-measured
liquid treatments. The treatment is applied directly to your cat's skin
and works to kill fleas and ticks right away when they hop on your cat.
However, most people wait until they see fleas or ticks before
they begin fighting them. Of course, if you see tiny black or dark brown
insects hopping around, there is little doubt that your cat is flea
infested. By the time you see fleas, though, you probably already have a
major infestation on your hands.
Why not make sure you catch any flea problems right away by
looking for signs of fleas on a regular basis. To look for fleas,
you should have a flea comb. Carefully comb through your cat's hair,
paying close attention to the hair around his head and on his belly.
Fleas like to hide around a cat's ears, eyes, and nose. They
also tend to hang out in the creases where a cat's legs and body meet.
If you catch a flea, you will know that your cat is
starting to develop a flea infestation. However, what if your cat has a
flea that could make stealth operatives look like amateurs? While the
flea may be able to evade your comb, the dirt he leaves behind will not.
If you see specks of blackish dirt in the comb's teeth, this is evidence
that fleas are hiding somewhere on your cat.
To find ticks, run your hands over your cat's body, looking for
any raised spots. If you find a raised spot, check it closely to see if
it has little legs. If so, your cat has a tick. Ask your veterinarian
about having the tick removed, as removing one yourself can often result
in the tick's head staying behind in your cat's skin.
To get those cat fleas and ticks under control, you can use one
of the liquid flea and tick treatments, flea or tick
collars, and flea and tick baths. If your house has become
flea infested, you may also need to use powder or spray on your
cat's bedding and your upholstered furniture. If all else fails, you
can use a flea and tick bomb on your house, but be sure to keep
your pets out of the building for at least twenty four hours.
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