The appearance of fleas in cats is a fairly common phenomenon. Not only street and homeless animals, but also sterile pets are subject to the attack of these small bloodsuckers.
The fact is that fleas can easily get into the room from not very clean entrance, "come" from the street on clothes or shoes of residents, "jump over" from neighbors.
The proximity to flea parasites is quite dangerous not only for furry pets, but also for humans, as fleas are carriers of serious diseases: hepatitis A, salmonellosis, typhus.
On the body of the cat is usually only 5 percent of flea specimens, the rest in the form of laid eggs, pupae, larvae quickly inhabit the entire house. That is why in the fight against the flea army, a complex of measures is particularly effective, which includes the disinsection treatment of not only your pet, but also the entire dwelling.
Symptoms of flea in domestic cats
The following symptoms will help to determine that the animal is worried about fleas, and not any disease:
- pruritus. The poor animal begins to comb the back and sides. Ticks usually affect the ear and groin areas;
- the presence of flea waste products. You can see the excrement and flea eggs, which look like a mixture of white and dark grains, by moving the cat's hair apart;
- adult fleas. Parasites are actively beginning to flee from the body of the animal during washing or combing, and then they can be seen firsthand;
- wounds, ulcers, skin redness. Flea bites themselves irritate the cat's skin, and subsequent combing results in various lesions.
Treatment should begin with at least one of the above symptoms. After all, ugly-looking fleas can cause serious health problems for your pet:
- infections;
- baldness;
- nervous system disorders.
Traditional methods of dealing with fleas in cats
It is unlikely that our ancestors knew such things as flea collars or drops. Their methods of saving unfortunate animals from fleas were simple but effective.
Unlike insecticides, which can not only destroy the parasites, but also cause considerable damage to the animal and all the inhabitants of the apartment (due to its chemical nature), grandmothers' flea bloodsucker remedies are more loyal and act mostly deterrent.
And yet they able to seriously ruin the life of a flea brother.
IMPORTANT! Fleas do not live in the pet's fur all the time, they jump for a while, in search of food. But they live nearby, on objects of use of an animal. Therefore, in order to destroy the parasites, first of all, the cat's sleeping place (bedding, basket, mattress), as well as the house (if there is one) and dishes for eating and drinking should be carefully processed. Processing of the house and baskets can be done with hot steam, products made of cloth should be washed in boiling water with tar soap, washed dishes with soda.
The most effective ways to fight fleas:
- odorous herbs. Tansy, wormwood have a sharp specific odor, completely unbearable for fleas. Small bouquets of dry grass laid out in different corners of the apartment will scare the bloodsuckers for a long time. You can rinse the animal's hair after bathing with a decoction of wormwood; there is no need to be afraid: wormwood is harmless to pets;
- combing. For this procedure, you will need a comb with frequent teeth. This method is used mainly in small kittens, but it does not guarantee one hundred percent ejection of parasites;
- pine sawdust. Fleas hardly tolerate coniferous smell and tend to get away from its source. In order to prevent the appearance of insects and prevent the reproduction of existing ones, the litter of the animal is filled with small pine sawdust. You can also expand small bags with this scaring agent throughout the apartment;
- cold. Fleas are thermophilic, so any decrease in temperature is destructive for them. To clear your dwelling from troubled lodgers, it is enough to leave all the windows in the room open for a few hours, after having removed all residents from it. A cat at this time can be taken out into the street and “bathed” in a deep snowdrift;
- a mixture of salt and baking soda. It acts detrimental on adult flea specimens. Powder need to pour carpets in the house, as well as cat litter. After a few hours, vacuum. Getting rid of fleas will help and brine (from the proportion of a glass of salt on a bucket of liquid). Carefully, holding the animal tightly by the paws, place it in the bucket, leaving only the head on the surface. In this position, you need to keep the pet for 2-3 minutes (if you can), then rinse it in clean warm water;
- tar soap. It is known since ancient times for its beneficial properties. The tar treats skin injuries well, eczema, dermatitis, disinfects, anesthetizes, kills various infectious bacteria, has a detrimental effect not only on adult parasite insects, but also on their offspring (eggs, larvae). In addition, the composition of the soap is natural and will not cause any harm to your furry friend. How to process an animal? Soap beaten into a strong foam and rub it with a pet, after 5 minutes, wash off. It is desirable to carry out the procedure every 3-4 days until the complete disposal of flea bloodsuckers;
- feverfew (dalmatian chamomile). The flowers of this beautiful garden plant contain natural insecticides detrimental to fleas. To rid the animal of parasites, it is necessary to bathe it in a decoction of dry inflorescences of pyrethrum (one cup of crushed grass per 5 liters of boiling water);
IMPORTANT! It should be remembered that the cat, after bathing, needs to be quickly dried, even in summer, as they catch cold very easily and can "catch" a serious kidney or bladder disease.
- ammonia, 3% vinegar and flower cologne. This is a rather barbaric method of expelling fleas from the coat of a pet, but is quite effective. All ingredients need to be taken in equal parts, mix, pour into a spray bottle and spray the cat's hair. After that, wrap the animal in a plastic bag, leaving only the head outside. By all means try to keep the pet for 5-10 minutes, then wash it in warm water. Dead insects with water flush down the toilet;
All manipulations on the destruction of fleas in pets should be carried out in conjunction with the processing of the apartment, otherwise in a few days your pet will again tear itself apart with its paws, trying to snatch the hated insects out of its fur.
