- Secure your cat. Set your cat on a white sheet or pillowcase. The white fabric will let you see any fleas or flea dirt you might dislodge.
- Comb your cat's fur. Comb the cat from head to tail with a flea comb and examine the fur and exposed skin as you work.
- Examine the flea comb. Even if you don't find jumping fleas, you may find flea excrement or flea eggs, which look like salt and pepper.
- Check for flea feces or flea dirt. Shake the dirt from the comb and her fur onto the white sheet so you can see the black specks.
- Look for patches of hair loss. There are several reasons that fleas might contribute to your cat's hair loss.
Full Answer
What happens if you put flea treatment on a kitten?
Fleas on kittens (and on any other animal) can also cause excessive scratching and skin irritation. Kittens are especially delicate, and some flea treatments are not safe. Follow the advice of your vet. Also, never use medication designed for dogs or adult cats — these could be deadly to a kitten.
How do you check a cat for fleas?
To check a cat for fleas, drape a white sheet over your lap and set your cat on it. Then, comb your cat with a flea comb while visually checking for fleas, which are small and brown. Some of them may jump off onto the cloth while others will get stuck in the comb or remain on the cat.
What to do if a kitten has fleas on its head?
Fleas will run for the driest area of the kitten, so it is not unusual to see them swarm to the head and facial area. If you can grab these fleas with your fingers or tweezers, drop them into a cup of hot, soapy water.
What is the best flea treatment for a 4 week old kitten?
Medications for kittens are determined by age and can be deadly, so it’s important to check with your vet before applying anything. Newborns need manual flea removal, but kittens over 4 weeks old may be treated with Capstar (there is a minimum weight requirement).
How do you know if flea treatment is working?
A. The active ingredient in FRONTLINE (fipronil) kills fleas by affecting their nervous system, making them hyperactive before dying. These dying fleas often rise to the top of your pet's haircoat, so the presence of visible fleas after treating your pet, is a sign that the product is working.
How long does kitten flea treatment take to work?
24 hoursAlthough it may happen a lot quicker it can take up to 24 hours for fleas jumping onto your pet to be killed. There are no flea products that stop fleas from jumping onto pets. This means that regardless of the licensed flea treatment you use - you may still see fleas on your pet until the flea product kills it.
Why has my kitten still got fleas after treatment?
As eggs hatch and develop, you might find fleas reappearing 10-14 days after treatment - this is quite normal and provided the insecticide remains in place it will kill them. This is why it is important not to carry out cleaning which might remove insecticide.
How does flea treatment work on kittens?
They work by killing fleas and ticks (and sometimes mosquitos, depending on the product) by depositing chemicals into the sebaceous glands, where the active ingredient is released and translocates through the glands that lubricate a cat or dogs coat with oil.
How do you tell if your cats fleas are gone?
2:353:44How to Check Your Cat for Fleas (it's super easy!) - Cat Health Vet AdviceYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAgainst the wet area and it goes a rusty. Red that's how I know it's flea dirt. And not just dirt.MoreAgainst the wet area and it goes a rusty. Red that's how I know it's flea dirt. And not just dirt. If it was dirt it wouldn't go a rusty red it would go brown.
How do I know fleas are gone?
Keep a close eye on the white paper or towel. You are looking for and fleas that fall or jump off. Once you see one, it is safe to assume there are more. Apply petroleum jelly to the flea comb and brush your dog a second time.
Do fleas jump off after treatment?
Flea larvae can remain dormant in your home for months, so new fleas may continue to emerge — even after treatment. These fleas will quickly die after hatching if you've treated your home and kept up with regular flea preventive for your pet, but it can take a while for all the existing fleas to hatch and be killed.
Why isn't my cats flea medicine working?
Incorrectly applying topical flea prevention is the most common cause for its failure to work. Flea prevention is expensive, and you don't want to waste a dose. Topical medication should be applied directly to the skin, not the hair. You must part the hair so that you can apply it to the skin at the base of the neck.
Can I reapply flea treatment early?
Yes, if after two weeks the flea preventive you applied isn't working, you can reapply flea treatment early, or switch to another brand.
How long does spot on flea treatment take to work?
Your treated pet is a flea-killing machine and any fleas jumping on will be killed within 24 hours with FRONTLINE Plus® and FRONTLINE® Spot On, or within 6 hours with FRONTLINE Tri-Act®.
How long after flea treatment can I pet my cat?
24-48 hoursAvoid petting your cat for 24-48 hours in the spot where you applied a topical medication. These treatments aren't harmful for humans, but it's important that as little as possible is removed from the cat and soaked through human skin.
Can you see flea eggs?
Can You See Flea Eggs on Dogs and Cats? Because they are so tiny, it is very difficult to see flea eggs on a cat or dog—especially if they have light-colored fur. And, since flea eggs fall from animals so easily, pets don't usually have large numbers of flea eggs on them at one time.
How to treat a kitten with fleas?
Place the dry kitten in an area free from fleas and grab a plastic bag or trash bag. Gather up all bedding and fabric the kitten may have come in contact with and wash them in hot water. Vacuum any areas the kitten has come in contact with, and treat any other kittens (or the mother, if present and also carrying fleas).
How to remove fleas from a kitten?
A kitten’s body is small so there isn’t a large area to cover, and you should be able to remove the fleas with your fingers or tweezers easily. Because of newborn kittens’ young age and fragility, do not apply any type ...
How old do kittens need to be to get flea medicine?
This application kills the adult fleas but not their offspring. Other flea medications safe for kittens list 8 weeks of age as a minimum. Natural, homeopathic or essential oil treatments may harm your kitten, so avoid using these, especially if you haven’t consulted your vet first.
Why are my kitten's gums pink?
Make sure your kittens gums are pink since this condition can be deadly, and bring your kitten to the veterinarian if you notice a discoloration. Fleas on kittens (and on any other animal) can also cause excessive scratching and skin irritation. Kittens are especially delicate, and some flea treatments are not safe.
How to get fleas out of kittens?
How to Safely Remove Fleas From Kittens. 1. Dampen the kitten’s coat. First, dampen the kitten’s coat with warm (not hot) water. “Exercise caution when bathing the kitten, as baths can be traumatic to a kitten if done incorrectly,” says Hannah Shaw, who has fostered many young kittens. “Try to complete the entire bath in less than 2 minutes, ...
How to keep a kitten warm?
Towel dry the kitten. Dry the kitten right away — and completely. “Place the kitten back into a warm environment, such as a heating disk or baby blanket,” says Shaw. “Kittens can easily become chilled from a bath, and it is of utmost importance that the kitten be kept warm.”. 4.
Can fleas get into a kitten?
Fleas can find their way to a kitten in many ways, even if the kitten is strictly an indoor-only cat. For example, the mom cat may have fleas, other pets may have brought in fleas, and sand tracked indoors can even contain fleas. As soon as you notice there are fleas either in the house or on a pet, take action.
How to treat fleas on kittens?
When you want a safer method of kitten flea treatment for your pet, purchase a box of Borax Powder, some baby shampoo or Dawn dish soap and a flea comb. Make sure your bathroom is warm, use a space heater to heat the area up.
How to get fleas off a kitten's head?
Fleas will crawl to areas on the head, such as the nose, eyes and ears. Pick them off with fingernails or blunt-tipped tweezers. Wrap the kitten up in a warm towel and scrub well. Once the kitten's fur is drier, use a flea comb to remove any addition fleas or flea eggs.
How to get rid of a kitten's fur?
Make sure your bathroom is warm, use a space heater to heat the area up. Bathe the kitten in warm water using the baby shampoo or dish soap, avoiding the nose and eyes, to create suds in the kitten's fur. Leave the suds for five minutes before rinsing.
How old do kittens have to be to get flea treatment?
With kittens, flea treatment products place restrictions on the minimum age of the pet using the product. Look at the age restrictions for the following products: Advantage - Kittens must be eight weeks or older. Frontline® - Kittens must be eight weeks or older. Revolution® - Kittens must be eight weeks or older.
What is the best flea treatment for kittens?
Topical flea treatments effectively kill fleas and the eggs they lay. They require a prescription from your veterinarian. With kittens, flea treatment products place restrictions on the minimum age of the pet using the product. Look at the age restrictions for the following products: 1 Advantage - Kittens must be eight weeks or older. 2 Frontline® - Kittens must be eight weeks or older. 3 Revolution® - Kittens must be eight weeks or older.
Why are kittens anemic?
Younger kittens can become anemic as fleas feast on their blood. Fleas multiply quickly, so you must take immediate action on removing these parasites. However, kittens are often too young for commercialized flea treatments.
How old do kittens need to be to use flea shampoo?
Most flea dip or flea shampoo products, like Ectokyl, state that the treatment product should not be used on kittens under the age of 12 weeks. Veterinarians may recommend a diluted version of these products for younger kittens, but you must ask first.
Why do cats react to fleas?
By far the most reactions to flea medication occur when cats are exposed to certain flea medications that are meant for dogs, which might happen because a pet owner mistakenly buys the wrong product.
What happens when an animal licks flea medication?
Vomiting and Lethargy. You might think these signs are emblematic of a problem with an oral medication, however, Verbrugge says, these reactions are most common when an animal licks off the topical flea medication that’s been applied to the hair and skin.
Why does my dog have a flea reaction?
By far the most reactions to flea medication occur when cats are exposed to certain flea medications that are meant for dogs, which might happen because a pet owner mistakenly buys the wrong product.
How to tell if your dog has licked off topical medication?
Other signs that your animal has licked off the topical medication are drooling and foaming at the mouth. Some medications can cause mild oral irritation or ulceration in the mouth if licked in large quantities. Occasionally, these symptoms can also occur as the result of oral medications, said Milosevic.
How many active ingredients are in flea medicine?
There are more than a dozen “active” ingredients across the spectrum of flea medications. These are the ingredients that give each medicine its potency. Also in each respective formula are numerous “non-active” or “inert” ingredients, which are basically vehicles that help make the active ingredient more effective or palatable.
What happens if you treat your dog and not your cat?
“If you treat your dog and not your cat, the fleas will keep on breeding, keep on laying eggs, and you will continue to see them in the house.”.
How do you know if your cat has fleas?
Telltale signs that your cat has fleas are “scratching and itching, redness to the skin, or small red bumps or a rash ,” says Melanie Thomas, DVM, a primary care veterinarian at Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Coral Springs, Florida. Another thing to look out for is flea dirt, which can look like tiny, black specks in a cat’s fur.
What is the best flea treatment for cats?
There are hundreds of flea medications for cats, including topical, oral and collar treatments. Dr. Mitchell’s preferred treatment for cats is selamectin, also known as Revolution. “Revolution it is a topical medication [that’s] applied once per month to the cat,” she says.
What does flea dirt look like in cats?
Another thing to look out for is flea dirt, which can look like tiny, black specks in a cat’s fur. “Adult fleas feed immediately on their host and create the ‘flea dirt’ found in the hair coat,” Dr. Mitchell says.
How long do fleas lay eggs?
The larvae feed off of “flea dirt,” which is the blood-filled feces adult fleas leave behind, for up to roughly three weeks.
How long does it take for a cat to get fleas?
Once a cat has been treated for fleas, “it generally takes three to four months to control flea populations in a household,” Dr. Mitchell says. Patience is important because often the fleas will appear “worse” a month or two into treatment. “This is as eggs in the environment hatch out to adults, but then after three to four months the number ...
What is the life cycle of fleas?
Fleas experience a four-stage life cycle: Egg: Adult female fleas lay eggs after feeding off a host’s blood.
What happens if my cat has fleas?
Finding out your cat has fleas can cause a bit of dread and anxiety. Fleas can be easy to prevent but challenging to control once they’ve taken up residence on your kitty and in your house. If your cat has fleas, there are tons of flea treatments to get rid of these blood-sucking pests. You just have to choose the right course ...
How do flea and tick preventive treatments work?
Modern flea and tick preventive treatments work in different ways depending on the active ingredient. They are generally much more targeted towards insect biology rather than mammalian biology. Older drugs, such as organophosphates, were much more dangerous, as well as being less effective.
Why is fipronil specific to insects?
And actually, Fipronil specificity towards insects, again, is due to its believed great affinity to those GABA receptors in insects than to mammals. And also again, those glutamate channels which don't take exist.
Is there a side effect of flea medicine?
There are still potential side-effects with modern flea treatments ( something that 's true with any drug), and these might make certain products a good choice for some individuals while not suitable for others. Some examples are: Bravecto, Simparica, and Nexgard.
Can flea treatments be poisonous?
So yes, I don't think we need to think of our flea treatments as a poison and we're poisoning our pet. Like any drug or any drug that actually does something, there is a chance of side effects, but we also need to remember why we're using them in the first place.
Can garlic be used for fleas?
Using Garlic as a Flea Treatment. There is no good evidence to suggest that feeding garlic has any flea repellant activity. Garlic, onion and chives (all in the allium family) cuse red blood cell destruction which can result in severe anaemia - head here to read more about onion and garlic poisoning in dogs (LINK TO POST.
Do ticks and fleas work?
Now, modern flea and tick preventative treatments, they do work in different ways, but they're generally much, much more targeted insect biology rather than mammalian biology, which means that they target specific things that are in insects and not in mammals, and mammals being dogs, cats, and people obviously. Insects being the fleas.
How to get rid of fleas on a cat?
1. Secure your cat. Set your cat on a white sheet or pillowcase. The white fabric will let you see any fleas or flea dirt you might dislodge. If you want to hold the cat in your lap while combing, drape your lap with the cloth first. Fleas are dark brown wingless insects about 3 to 4 millimeters in length.
What happens if a cat has fleas?
If the flea infestation is really bad in your cat, not only will she have a lot of fleas in her coat, but she may suffer from blood loss and develop anemia. If so, look for lethargy or extreme tiredness, pale gums, and muscle loss. You should also check the flea dirt against a wet white towel to be sure of fleas.
Why is my cat licking my shoes?
Pay attention to your cat's grooming. If your cat is sensitive to fleas, she may have an allergic reaction. Even cats that are not allergic to flea saliva experience irritation and itching from individual bites. This triggers excessive grooming behavior.
How long do fleas stay dormant?
Flea pupae can remain dormant for several months. So, it's important that once you notice a flea problem you use a preventative treatment on your cat and thoroughly clean your home. You should also treat potential problem areas with a product safe for indoor use to prevent fleas from returning.
Can you have fleas on your cat?
If you've seen fleas on your cat or in your house, you know for sure you are dealing with fleas and should use a veterinar y flea treatment labeled for cats . But, you may have a flea problem even if you've never seen a flea on your pet or in your home. Your cat may have cleaned the adult fleas from her fur.
Can you put flea collars in vacuum bags?
Therefore, it's important to talk with your vet before using a flea collar. Consider putting a flea collar in your vacuum bag or canister to kill any fleas that you vacuum up.
Can you buy flea treatments over the counter?
Modern flea preventatives are safe and extremely effective. Some can be purchased over the counter and others are only available from veterinarians.
How to work out if a flea bomb will cover an entire room?
To work out if the flea bomb will cover an entire room, simply multiply the width, breadth and height to give you the cubic area needed.
How long does flea spray stay on carpet?
Remember, some products require the chemical residue to remain on the carpets, etc. for at least a couple days! This ensures that all fleas are killed and makes sure that fleas in their earlier stages (larvae, etc.) do not escape your wrath.
How to deploy a fogger?
4 Important Steps for Actually Deploying the Fogger: Firstly, lay a sheet of newspaper on the floor (in the middle of the room) and place one of the canisters on it. Don’t deploy the fogger until all of them are in place in other areas of the house.
What is a flea fogger?
A flea fogger is a small aerosol canister that contains insecticide. To use this flea product, simple release one of them in each regular sized room to kill the fleas. The five chemicals that are usually responsible for controlling the flea outbreak are Cypermethrin, Methroprene, Nylar, Permethrin and Tetramethrin.
How to keep toiletries from fogging up?
All toiletries should be stored away safely, unless of course you would like to brush your teeth with poison. Shut all the windows to keep the fog inside for as long as possible. You can even use household tape to seal up the windows if they don’t close properly.
Can flea bombs be used on pets?
Importantly, flea bombs must not be used on your pets and can cause sickness or death if they are exposed to the fumes! Electrical appliances (and lights) need to be turned off and covered as foggers are usually highly flammable! All gas ignition systems should also be turned off as this can pose a potential fire hazard.
Can flea bombs be used inside a cupboard?
Flea bombs usually spray the gas upwards (vertically) and serious damage can be done if this hits you square in the face. Never use the bombs inside closed cupboards or place them in an enclosed space. Birds are extremely sensitive to the toxins in the foggers.