Its not uncommon for your cat to get fleas, no matter what the time of year these pesky little things hang around. Coming into Spring brings a new wave of fleas as the warmer weather comes into play. Every cat will get fleas, indoor cats and cats that venture outside, fleas can come into the house by another host and also can stay dormant in your home for many months.
Regularly check your cat for fleas, you can do this my parting the coat and looking for flea dirt, these are tiny black dots in your cats coat, mostly around the base of the tail, along the back and another good spot is under the chin. If you are not sure if you cat is showing signs of fleas I would suggest you should get a flea comb, this is a comb with the teeth very close together. Comb the flea comb through the cats coat and look for evidence of flea dirt on the comb, you may also find evidence of live fleas.
Your cat will need to have a flea treatment once a month, to prevent infestation and its better prevention than have to deal with a big flea problem. Fleas will also be in your home as they jump off your cat and into your home, so twice a year treat your home with a household spray for fleas such as Indorex. Make sure you vacuum close to skirting boards and under beds and sofas, as they hide way in these places.
So what treatment should you use on your cat? Firstly always ask a vet for advice on what products you can use on your cat. Use a product that would be used by your vet, there are ways of getting these products at a cheaper rate as buying from a vet can be very expensive. Research the product online and look for a reputable company who are licenced to sell these products, products such as Advantage can either be brought from the vet or online but will be much cheaper online. Do not buy products from supermarket shelves or from pet store shelves, these products will be cheap but will not be effective and there has been reported deaths from some of these products. For young cats, kittens, pregnant cats and mother cats feeding kittens, please get advise from a vet before treating.
Some cats will have an allergy to fleas, this will show itself by red bumpy patches of skin, your cat will be allergic to the flea saliva and could develop flea bit dermatitis. This will become itchy and sore, and could ooze and become crusty and this will need need to be treated by a vet.
Keep a note of when your cat has had its flea treatment, keep a diary of when you cat was last treated, this way you can keep on top of the issue and prevent fleas from happening. Most treatments are monthly but there are always new products on the market, so please speak to your vet about new products and how often they should be used. Never flea your cat again before the recommended time as you could cause an overdose of product, if you treat your cat and it still has fleas, then please consult your vet.
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