How to remove fleas in adult cats and small kittens?

Fleas often become companions of pets that walk on the street and communicate with stray animals. Parasites deftly jump onto the coat and lay hundreds of eggs. After 2-3 weeks, the body of the pet and the host's house are teeming with insects. In this article you will learn how to remove fleas from a kitten, an adult cat and completely clean the house of annoying parasites.

Meet the common flea

Researchers have described 2086 species of fleas. Combined them into 15 families. Pet owners, as a rule, encounter representatives of the family of ordinary fleas.

The body length of the insect is 3-4 mm, which makes it invisible. Young individuals are black in color and adults are dark brown. Durable chitin shell protects against damage and crushing.

The body of the parasite is flattened from the sides, which allows you to quickly move along the thick coat of wool. Feet covered with numerous bristles - for better grip. The hind limbs are longer than the front, so the insect can jump up to 30 centimeters in height and 40-50 centimeters in length.

An ordinary flea lays 400-500 eggs, 6-8 at a time. Ripening lasts an average of 10-14 days. Larvae do not feed on blood, but decomposed organics: dust, debris, particles of the epidermis.

Then they turn into pupae. In this form, a flea is almost impossible to destroy. Even the most toxic means do not help. Pupae tolerate cold and heat, go without food for several months and become adult insects at a time when they feel safe.

Thus, fleas in cats need to be removed in several stages in order to destroy parasites at different stages of development.

Why are fleas dangerous for a cat and its owner?

Flea is an ectoparasite that feeds on the blood of mammals. She attacks cats, dogs, rats, rabbits and humans.

Unlike other insects (bugs, lice, ticks), a flea does not secrete an anesthetic enzyme, so its bite is painful. The cat combes, tears the affected areas, which leads to wounds and inflammation.

Kittens, pregnant females and sick pets are seriously affected by bites. They may experience fatigue, weakened immunity, anemia, and allergic reactions.

Fleas can infect a cat and a person with worms. They also carry dangerous diseases:

• encephalitis;
• rash type;
• hepatitis B and C;
• plague;
• brucellosis;
• tuberculosis.

Thus, insects that are harmless at first glance not only cause discomfort, but also pose a real threat to health.

Sources of infection

It is clear when a cat often walks on the street - sooner or later she will bring parasites into the house if she does not wear a protective collar. And what about homemade murks?

Unfortunately, such pets are not 100% insured against fleas. Insects can penetrate cat hair in several ways:

• Clothes and shoes. Fleas live in the upper layers of the soil and can easily jump on a person when he walks around the block. And parasite eggs usually stick to the sole.
• Open doors and windows. In the summer heat, the owners of cottages and village houses leave the dwelling aired. Flea freely jumps into the room.
• Basements without concrete floor. An ideal place to save eggs and larvae of parasites: it is dark, damp, there is soil.Adult insects climb into the house by stairs, make their way through the cracks in the floor and walls.
• Neighbor's apartment. If parasites become crowded in one dwelling, they are happy to colonize neighboring territories.

How to understand that a pet has picked up fleas?

Before saving a cat from insects, find out who you are dealing with. Continuous combing does not necessarily indicate that the pet has caught fleas. He may have experienced a tick bite, worms, or skin disease. A living flea cannot be confused with another insect, but it cannot always be detected.

Spread the cat's hair. At the site of a flea bite, a red speck forms with a black dot in the center and a pink halo. The wounds heal and itch for a long time, and the pet looks restless. Insects prefer to bite a cat in the neck and abdomen.

Black dots in the form of commas and a sticky white coating on the wool also indicate the presence of fleas. These are the excrement of parasites. Flea eggs are like grains of salt.

Indirect signs of cat infection with fleas:

• weakness;
• poor appetite;
• restless sleep;
• unusually aggressive behavior;
• frequent licking of wool.

Chemicals against fleas

In pet stores and veterinary pharmacies, various flea products for cats are sold. They include insecticides and repellents.

Insecticides are toxic substances that have a nerve agent effect on the flea shell. The parasite comes into contact with the product, loses the ability to move and dies. A flea also receives a lethal dose of an insecticide when consuming pet blood.

Examples of insecticides:

• Fipronil;
• Permethrin
• "Moxidectin";
• Etofenprox;
• Piriproksifen;
• "Tetrochlorinphos".

Repellents are substances that repel insects with their smell. They are part of preventive collars, flea remedies for kittens, pregnant and sick cats.

Examples of repellents:

• geraniol;
• peppermint essential oil;
• Schisandra essential oil;
• margose extract;
• tansy;
• sagebrush.

Consider the main forms of flea remedies that are sold in pet stores and veterinary pharmacies.

Shampoos

Among all insecticidal preparations, they have the mildest action. Not only help to get rid of ectoparasites, but also take care of the hair. The main advantage is that the cat cannot lick a toxic substance from itself, which means that it can be poisoned. True, not all pets can easily tolerate water procedures.

On sale you can find shampoos for kittens from 2-3 months. Some products are suitable for pregnant and debilitated cats.

Possible side effects:

• irritation (shampoos have a drying effect, therefore, are not suitable for pets with sensitive skin);
• hair loss;
• allergic reaction;
• food poisoning (if the owner didn’t wash the shampoo off the cat’s coat well).

How to treat a pet with an insecticidal shampoo?

1. Pour the cat's coat with warm water.
2. Pour shampoo into wet palms (following the dosage indicated in the instructions) and lather.
3. Spread the pet's hair in several places and apply the product starting from the neck. You don’t need to lather your head.
4. Massage your pet's body until light foam develops.
5. Leave the shampoo for 1-3 minutes.
6. Rinse off thoroughly with clean, warm water.

If you are going to bathe a kitten, it is better not to apply the shampoo to the coat, but to dissolve it in a basin beforehand.

After the water procedure, wrap your pet in a terry towel that absorbs excess moisture. When the hair dries, comb the cat with a comb to get rid of dead insects, eggs and larvae.

Table 1. Good flea shampoos for cats

Shampoo name	Main component	Price
Ms. Kiss	Permethrin	200 rubles (200 ml)
"Leopard"	Clove extract	210 rubles (250 ml)
Beaphar	Margose Extract	600 rubles (250 ml)
Rolf club	Permethrin	260 rubles (400 ml)
Green fort	Geranium oil	295 rubles (380 ml)

Shampoos based on natural ingredients (essential oils, plant extracts) are less effective, but are suitable for pregnant, lactating cats, kittens and sick pets.

Drops

The easiest flea remedy to use. Usually applied to the withers and along the spine of the pet. After 1-2 days, the toxic substance is evenly distributed throughout the coat and accumulates in the sebaceous glands. Fleas die after eating blood, and some parasites jump from the coat due to a terrible smell.

Table 2. Good drops against fleas for cats

Drop Name	Main component	Price
Advantage	Imidacloprid	700-800 rubles (4 pipettes)
Dironet Spot-on	Praziquantel	310 rubles (3 pipettes)
Front line	Fipronil	340 rubles (1 pipette)
Ms. Kiss	Fipronil	160 rubles (1 pipette)
Beaphar	Margose Extract	575 rubles (3 pipettes)

Sprays (aerosols)

The most toxic agents that are used in case of severe infection of the cat with parasites. Processing is best done on the street. Aerosols are not suitable for pregnant, lactating and sick cats, kittens.

Rules for the use of spray against fleas:

1. The product is sprayed at a distance of 20 centimeters from the body against the hair of a cat.
2. To treat the pet’s head, you must first apply the spray on a damp cloth.
3. Do not get a cat in the eyes and nose.
4. It is recommended to rub part of the product into the skin of the pet. You can do this with rubber gloves.
5. Until the hair is completely dry, you must not allow the pet to lick itself, to approach other animals and small children.

Thus, sprays are suitable only for the most persistent and patient cats. But they effectively destroy adult fleas, larvae, eggs and even pupae.

Table 3. Good flea sprays for cats

Spray name	Main component	Price
Front line	Fipronil	1030 rubles (100 ml)
Bolfo	Propoxur	400 rubles (250 ml)
"Celandine"	Permethrin	215 rubles (200 ml)
Inspector	Fipronil	440 rubles (100 ml)
Rolf Club 3D	Fipronil	420 rubles (200 ml)

Flea Collar

Represents a flexible tape from the material impregnated with insecticides and repellents. It is not so much therapeutic as a prophylactic for fleas. It is unlikely that it will be possible to remove parasites only with its help - insects will simply run from the neck to the tail.

The collar should be worn after you have etched fleas in the cat in other ways. The product will not allow larvae and pupae to become adult insects.

Possible side effects: allergic reactions, skin itching, hair loss, nausea.

How to help a little kitten?

Unfortunately, most chemicals are not suitable for kittens due to the high concentration of insecticides. Even “soft” shampoos, drops and powders are allowed from the age of 2-3 months.

Any chemical preparation cannot be used if the baby is not yet excommunicated from the mother. After all, a cat can lick toxins, which then get into milk.

How to get a flea from a kitten? To get started, boil the pet’s personal things: bedding, pillow, soft toys. So you get rid of most of the larvae and eggs of the parasites.

A kitten can be redeemed within 3-5 minutes in one of the following solutions:

• salt (300 grams per 10 liters), if the skin does not have severe inflammation;
• tar soap (1/4 per 10 liters);
• a decoction of wormwood.

Then the pet is rinsed with clean warm water. When the kitten dries, it must be carefully combed out with a comb with frequent cloves.

Pest Control

It is difficult to completely get rid of fleas at home. Imagine that you etched parasites from the coat and skin of a cat. But after a month, fleas can again disturb a pet. The fact is that 80–90% of the eggs, larvae and pupae of fleas are not on the cat, but in the living room. Fleas prefer nooks: floor gaps, skirting boards, carpets, bedding and pillows, mattresses. Therefore, simultaneously with the removal of parasites in a cat, it is necessary to carry out a complete disinfestation and general cleaning of the room.

The process of getting rid of fleas includes the following steps.

1. The use of insecticidal aerosols for the treatment of floors, walls and furniture. Processing is carried out after removal of people and animals from the premises, in protective gloves, goggles and a respiratory mask. After spraying the aerosol, you need to leave the apartment for half a day, and then ventilate it for 2-3 hours.
2. A vacuum cleaner. Care must be taken in the corners, carpets, upholstered furniture and under the beds.
3. Wash. Bed sheets, soft toys, bedding, rugs and bedspreads are sent to the washing machine.
4. Wet cleaning. It is recommended to add essential oils against fleas to water for mopping: geraniums, lavender, pine, eucalyptus, tea tree, mint.

To completely remove fleas from a cat, all the measures described above must be repeated after 3-4 weeks.

Thus, to get rid of parasites, it is not enough to use one remedy and process only the hair of the pet. Fleas breed quickly and easily survive in harsh conditions. Use several methods known to you to forget about harmful insects for a long time.