Last year my cat developed a dreadful flea infestation. Can you let me know how to prevent this in future?
To get rid of fleas completely is quite difficult, especially if there are a number of pets in the household and they have free access to the outside.
Effective flea control can only be achieved through the correct treatment of the pets as well as their indoor environment.
You should treat the areas where your cat spends most of the time, including outhouses and sheds, but particularly where it sleeps.
Washing the bedding regularly in hot water will destroy any young fleas, but not the eggs, and vacuuming the carpet helps too. Some people recommend putting a flea collar in the dust bag of your vacuum cleaner.
Remember that flea eggs can survive in household furnishings for some time, which is why the household needs to be treated as well as the pets themselves.
You need to get a flea treatment that is effective against the pre-adult stages of the most common fleas in the cat, Ctenocephalides felis and Ctenocephalides canis. It is therefore important to take your cat along to the vets. Your vet will be able to recommend or prescribe suitable anti-flea treatments for your cat. All of the pets in your household may need to be treated for fleas, and it is very important that you only use the flea treatment prescribed for a pet on that animal and never use a dog preparation on a cat or small furry!
Some effective flea preparations are POM-V (Prescription Only Medicines that are prescribed by vets) and can only be provided by the vet who is looking after your cat. Even if your vet prescribes a treatment that has an effect on the flea’s life cycle, remember that it is likely that new fleas are coming into the house all the time.
Treat your cat and home all year round and hopefully things will get better!
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