Fleas and How To Get Rid Of Them

Fleas are not only a pain for you and your household, but they’re an awful thing for your cat to endure. The constant itching and scratching can lead to your cat’s skin becoming irritated and even painful if you don’t get fleas sorted as soon as you spot them.

If fleas are left to breed for too long, you can end up with an infestation on your hands which can be a lengthy and complex process to remove.

If you’ve noticed your cat starting to scratch frequently, it’s best to do a thorough check of its skin and fur for any signs of fleas or eggs. Once fleas have been identified, it’s important to act fast to get rid of them before they breed further and make sure you have steps in place to prevent them from occurring again.

Fleas are more common in outdoor cats who can pick them up while roaming around outside from their environment or other animals, but that’s not to say indoor cats aren’t at risk. Fleas can still find their way into your home from outdoors, for example on shoes, clothes, and other pets or even be caught from visits to the vet.

 Here are some of the best ways to get rid of fleas from your cat and keep them away.

Treating

Treating your pets thoroughly and consistently for fleas means you are highly unlikely to come across fleas as a problem in your home. Spot-on treatments are the most widely used cat and dog flea treatment today, simply due to how effective, reliable and easy to administer they are. Spot-on treatments come in small pipettes which you’ll need to squeeze on the back of your cat’s neck between their shoulder blades every month.

Itch Pet’s monthly subscription service offers you the peace of mind that your cats or dogs are kept flea-free all year round. Each month flea, tick and worming treatments are posted directly through your letterbox for you to apply. The service is affordable, convenient and tailored to your cat’s age, weight, and lifestyle.

If perhaps you’ve missed a treatment or fleas have somehow managed to find their way onto your cat though, there are several steps you’ll now need to follow religiously to get rid of them for good.

 Washing

First, stick all your pet's bedding in the washing machine at a high temperature to kill any fleas or eggs living in the material. Then, do the same with your bedding, sheets, cushions, laundry and any blankets lying around the house that the fleas may have landed on.

Hoovering

As well as washing everything at high temperatures, you’ll need to get the hoover out and be prepared to blitz your entire home thoroughly regularly.

Flea eggs can live in soft furnishings so it’s important to do this more than once to prevent new fleas from breeding and infesting your home all over again. It’s important to get in all the nooks and crannies of your home as fleas love hiding in small cracks or holes.

Make sure to empty and clean your hoover between uses to prevent any fleas escaping and eggs from hatching in your hoover.

Spraying

Finally, you’ll need a reputable and high-quality flea spray or fog product to spray your home and kill any fleas left. It’s best to keep your cat and any children in a separate room or take them out of your home entirely so you can thoroughly spray your home without putting anyone in harm’s way.

You may need to do this multiple times depending on the product used and re-hoover once it’s worked its magic to get rid of any dead fleas, eggs or flea faeces. 

The process of getting rid of fleas from your cat and home isn’t enjoyable and can take weeks to carry out successfully, which is why it’s essential to have plenty of preventative measures in place.

Spot-on treatments are the most reliable and effective way to protect your cat and household, though there are various other options such as flea collars, sprays, powders and shampoos to consider too.