subject: Caring For You And Your Cats [print this page] Owning a cat can't be as high maintenance as owning a dog, however the most common enemy that a cat lover would encounter is cat fleas. It is the most common parasite that can infest your pet every once in a while. A person should have enough knowledge about cats and flea treatment so that when infestation begins, you will know what to do.
Fleas can be obtained by your cat, especially if they are spending most of their time outdoor. Flea saliva can cause allergies to the cat which can make the bitten area itchy and can lead to skin diseases. If not cured, flea infestation can lead to bubonic plague or anemia. For kittens, flea can cause weakness, and even worse, death. That is why it is best to know the preventive way of taking care of your cats and flea treatment.
First things first, check if your cat has been infested by flea. There are signs and symptoms that you can look out for to be bale to tell if the cat has fleas. If your cat has been scratching a little more than the usual, expect that there is a flea in his coating.
Another way to know is to brush your cat's fur with a fine tooth comb. So better invest on that as early as now so you can check anytime and prevent the spread of fleas on your cat. Once you caught a flea from your comb, put it in warm water so that the fleas will drown. Although you can simply squash them, however if there are too many of fleas infesting your cat, then it is not advisable to squash all of them at the same time.
Remember, if the fleas will spread all over the house, it can also give you discomfort and itching like your cat and you do not want fleas to spread all over your house. That is why as early as you find out about fleas on your cats, immediately apply a flea treatment to avoid spreading. Fleas can survive up to six months and can have a lifespan of up to two years. There are different treatments that can be done to prevent and avoid fleas from laying more eggs. One of the most common treatments is the insecticide. Although there are two types of insecticides, you might want to use both as one can kill the adult flea and the other one can destroy eggs.
There are other preventive measures that can be done. One of them is bathing your pet using a flea shampoo. There are specific time allotments on how long you need to soak your cat with the treatment, so make sure to follow that. Another preventive measure is to soak your pets bedding into a hot water with soap. Leave it for at least 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly. Clean the inside of your house, vacuum all corners and make sure that you do this regularly. If you think it has already reached your bedroom, wash your bedding as well. Make sure to buy a flea collar for your cat to keep him away from getting flea all the time. Again, arm yourself with a lot of information about cats and flea treatment.