Cats have the natural ability to hunt, fight, and play in the most flea infested places. Cat fleas can be brought in from under a house or an abandoned complex were fleas are patiently lurking. These parasites just ride along with you to your home, multiplying as they go. Fleas can cause health problems for both dogs and cats. It is important to protect them in the constant battle against these parasites. Your techniques to combat cat fleas are similar tactics used on your home and yard. Basic cleaning, as with yard and home protection, is the best foundation for your attack.
Flea combs are the most effective tool for adult fleas that have trapped themselves in cat fur. Combing has several benefits. It removes adult fleas and reduces the need for insecticide. Additionally, two can be combined with an alcohol- or soap solution to kill adult fleas immediately. Adult fleas favor thick fur and therefore accumulate heavily near the face, neck and front of the tail.
Solutions – Shampoo is an obvious choice to drown and chemically eradicate your unwanted trespassers. After combing your pet, a soapy bath becomes a gentle insecticide that subdues light infestations. To dramatically increase the effectiveness of shampoo allow 5-10 minutes of soaking before you rinse.
IGRs – These are available as pills, sprays, spot-ons, or pills. IGRs target larvae and egg development. IGRs can cause adult fleas to become incapable of reproducing and eggs to fail to hatch. Larvae also die before they reach maturity. The only issue is the adult fleas that ultimately survive the IGR’s affects. IGRs can often be combined with mild insecticides to eliminate adult fleas. Cat enclosures
Enclosure – Dog and cat enclosures allow you to choose where the animal wanders once it leaves the safety of the home. Cat and dog cages (or enclosures) are usually built in sunny areas where fleas are less likely. It is important to provide shade but keep the area dry. Parasites thrive in moist areas. You can reduce the likelihood of your pet getting fleas by keeping them out of your yard.
There are many flea-killing products. How do you distinguish between the many acronyms like IGR’s and the jargon of chemistry such as pyriproxyfen? Not to worry I have done the legwork for you and you will need to do is read. This article is broken into three brief, concise chapters. Chapter I will give a quick overview of the flea’s life cycle. This is crucial to understand how you can get rid of them. Chapter II and Chapter 3 provide information on how to protect your home, garden, and pets from flea infestation. You will find a link at the end to the specific products you need to eliminate these parasites from your house. For now, we start with an astonishing fact, how many eggs did you say fleas lay?