How to Eradicate Cat Fleas

Cat fleas, or ctenocephalides felis, are one of the hardest things to eliminate. One mature female flea can lay 50 eggs per day, and once they have taken hold of your cat and household, they are virtually impossible to eradicate completely. Fleas may not be visible on your cat because when they groom, they consume adult fleas, however, flea dirt, and brown spots that are composed of your animal's undigested blood can be found on light surfaces. If you suspect your cat has fleas, it is important to take immediate steps to help your cat rid herself of the disease-carrying pests before she develops conditions such as flea allergies, hair loss or, in more severe cases, anemia.

Things You'll Need

• Indoor aerosol flea spray
• Outdoor flea spray
• Diatomaceous earth
• Pyrethrum yard spray
• Capstar
• Advantage or Frontline spot-on treatment
• Vacuum
• Flea bath
• Flea bomb

Instructions

1. Spray your yard with flea-killing pesticides and keep your grass and foliage trimmed. Outdoor flea sprays made up of chlorpyrifos or permethrin are often effective in treating fleas that live in the yard. Any areas that animals frequent should be sprayed at least bi-weekly to control flea infestation. Insect growth regulators that contain pyriproxyfen or methoprene will help to interrupt the growth cycle of eggs, larvae and pupae of fleas, thus stopping them from developing into mature adults that can breed.

2. Use organic landscaping material and flea killers as an alternative to pesticides to treat a flea-infested yard. Diatomaceous earth, made up of fossilized skeletons of diatoms, will eliminate fleas by slicing them to pieces, according to gardenguide.com. They also recommend using a yard spray made up of pyrethrum, an extract of crysanthemum flowers. Add the diatomaceous earth to your garden or yard on top of the existing soil to kill fleas. In addition, spray the yard with pyrethrum weekly to keep fleas at bay. Do not apply diatomaceous earth to your cat.

3. Clean any foodstuffs out of your yard that may attract wild or stray animals. These animals tend to be infested with fleas and ticks. Close off any areas of the home that may allow animals to hide or make a home, and keep any food or water containers out of reach of unwanted animal visitors to avoid flea infestation.

4. Vacuum daily. Because cat-flea pupae are resistant to insecticide, they are not always killed when the home is treated. Vacuuming will remove the flea pupae from carpet, bedding and soft furniture. Change any vacuum bags immediately upon finishing to discourage re-infestation.

5. Treat carpeting, bedding, soft furniture and any material that may carry cat fleas, eggs or pupae at least once weekly for flea infestation. Use aerosol sprays to kill fleas and interrupt their life cycle. Spray under beds, and into corners to ensure you eliminate as many cat fleas as possible. Because aerosol sprays allow you to reach underneath furniture, they tend to kill fleas more successfully than flea bombs, however, you can bomb for fleas in addition to using flea sprays.

6. Keep your cat inside. Allowing a cat to wander outside just sets her up for flea infestation. Cats frequently wander through many areas including tall grasses, trees and possibly infested yards. Allowing her to freely roam exposes her and your home to all sorts of parasites, including fleas.

7. Take your cat to the veterinarian for regular flea bathing and dips. If the flea infestation is acute, have your cat bathed at least once every two weeks until the fleas do not return. If you bathe at home, keep the cat in a kennel to dry and treat the house, carpet, and bedding before allowing the cat to return back to her environment.

8. Ask your vet about Capstar, a pill that kills fleas on your cat after ingestion. This will temporarily kill adult fleas, but not flea eggs. Capstar can be given daily if fleas return to your pet. Give your cat Capstar by mouth by holding each side of her jaw to open her mouth and putting the pill on the back of her tongue. Then close her mouth and gently rub her throat to force her to swallow. You might also crumble the pill up in her food. Capstar is available for purchase at veterinary offices and online.

9. Talk to your doctor about applying Frontline or Advantage for cats before they re-enter your house. These spot-on treatments have shown some effectiveness in deterring cat fleas from re-infesting the cat, however, if the surroundings are left untreated, the fleas will return. The products come in individual tubes that you apply to the back of your cat's neck and massage into the skin. Have the vet apply after bathing and drying your cat, or apply at home after a flea bath. Remove your cat from the carrier, apply the product and then allow the cat to roam freely. See warnings below before using spot-on treatments on your cat. If you decide to use the product, monitor your cat diligently for several days following treatment. If she suffers skin irritation, vomiting, diarrhea or lethargy, get her to a vet immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Be wary of spot-on tick and flea control treatments. The FDA is currently investigating their role in skin irritation, skin burns, seizures and even death. For a full list of spot-on treatments, visit the EPA website listed in resources.

• Bathe your cat immediately if they experience skin irritation due to spot-on treatments or pesticide control, and seek veterinary attention.

• Read all warnings on pesticides, and keep out of reach of children and animals.

References

• Fleas Control: How to Kill Fleas
• EPA: Pesticides
• FDA: Safe Use of Flea and Tick Products on Pets
• Garden Guides: How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Yard

Resources

• EPA: List of Spot-on Treatments